SOCCER
LANGWARRIN’s resurgence continued in style with Friday night’s 5-0 trouncing of Port Melbourne at Lawton Park.
In the last six weeks Langwarrin has won four games and drawn one while also keeping three clean sheets.
“The past six weeks have provided the group with enormous confidence heading into the final eight rounds after the transfer window,” head coach Jamie Skelly said.
“The league table has tightened considerably and our focus is on continuing to build momentum and put ourselves in a strong position to climb further up the ladder.
“Our midfield has been outstanding in recent weeks with the group developing a strong balance and understanding that has been crucial to our performances.
“The competition for places is also increasing which provides us with excellent depth and quality in that area of the pitch and that will be important in the last eight games.”
Skelly’s reference to midfield depth is apt given that captain Rogan McGeorge is pushing for a return to the starting line-up and new signing Scott Lochhead is expected to make a major impact as an attacking midfielder.
Lochhead, 29, played with Dunfermline and Clyde in his native Scotland and has been on the books of Oakleigh Cannons and Dandenong Thunder.
Langy signed Lochhead from Green Gully where he won that club’s Tony Vella award as player of the year and players’ player of the year honours in 2025.
Usual first-choice keeper James Burgess hasn’t been in Langy’s matchday squad since May as he is overseas due to education commitments.
In his absence Branten Kindler has cemented his spot in the starting line-up.
VPL1 has a catch-up round next weekend and Langwarrin won’t return to action until Saturday 4 July when it hosts Eltham Redbacks.
But back to last Friday night and the visit to Lawton Park of bottom club Port Melbourne.
It took just five minutes for the home side to assert its authority thanks to a superb defence-splitting pass from Kosta Apostolopoulos that saw Brad Blumenthal round Port keeper Archie Spark and from a tight angle stroke the ball into the unguarded goal.
In the 17th minute it was 2-0 when a short corner to Noah Holmes saw him play the ball inside to Joe Tweats who nipped past a defender than hit a firm drive that Spark got a hand to but couldn’t prevent from going in.
Langy was in control at half-time and took a firm grip on the outcome with two more goals in two minutes of the second half.
Alun Webb snuck in behind the Port defence and a long ball sent him clear on the right.
He steadied then hammered the ball past Spark and there was no way back for the visitors.
A minute later Tweats nabbed his second from a Webb assist.
Again Webb was sent clear down the right but this time he squared the ball across the face of goal for Tweats to take a touch then slam it home from close range to make it 4-0.
The icing on the cake for the home side came in the 70th minute when substitute McGeorge scored his first goal for his club since switching from Casey Comets for the 2021 season.
It came from the penalty spot after Spark brought down Webb inside the box.
When McGeorge converted every Langy player charged towards him to join in the celebration.
It said much about what they thought of their captain.
In State 1 Mornington’s away clash with Collingwood City was washed out.
In State 2 Peninsula Strikers lost 4-0 away to Waverley City.
Four injuries and a suspension severely tested Strikers’ depth.
In State 4 Chelsea beat East Kew 4-3 away and Rosebud had a resounding 5-1 away win over Ashburton United.
Chelsea and East Kew were tied at 1-1 at half-time with Christian Murray giving the visitors the lead in the 30th minute with a strike from out wide following a short corner.
Chelsea used Liam Burford as its main striker in place of the suspended James Stinson and Burford was on song with a double in the second half.
The pick of his goals was his second in the 65th minute, a curling shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Max Avram also was on target and Chelsea raced to a 4-1 lead but two late goals were not enough to stop Chelsea earning a deserved three points.
Burford has now scored four goals in his last two games.
Rosebud had winners all over the itch against Ashburton and the visitors were ably marshalled by Billy Painting, Colin McCormick and Duncan Macpherson.
The Budders’ full backs Ethan Hunt and Barney Johnson were in fine form while Marcus Collier, Mark O’Connor, Ben Craig and Ben Symonds controlled the midfield throughout.
But the star man for Rosebud was recent Skye signing Mitch Blake whose hat-trick highlighted his finishing prowess and featured some great combinations with fellow frontman Elliott Craig.
O’Connor and Noah Musso also were on the scoresheet in one of the club’s more impressive performances in recent times.
In State 5 Somerville Eagles grabbed a point in a remarkable 6-6 away draw with Fortuna 60 while Seaford United lost 4-2 at home to Sandown Lions.
The Eagles staged a remarkable fightback against Fortuna coming from 4-1 and 5-2 behind.
The star of the show for the visitors was Tom Simmons whose hat-trick underpinned the comeback.
Simmons scored in the 80th, 90th and 92nd minutes.
Simmons’ third goal made it 6-5 but the home side snatched a point two minutes later with a well-timed header from Lachlan Frendo which secured his hat-trick.
For Seaford Tristan Stass scored from a Blake Hicks corner and Dylan Wauigh converted from the penalty spot.
Seaford’s Sean Crespo was shown a second yellow card in the 90th minute.
In State 6 Mount Eliza lost 2-1 at home to league leader Old Ivanhoe while Frankston Pines won 2-0 away to bottom side Mentone.
Fraser Keon put the home side ahead in the 6th minute but second-half goals from Billy Skliros and Tyler Robinson settled the issue.
Second-half goals did the job for Pines with the first coming after Alec Keisoglu and Kay Mohammadi played a couple of short one-touch passes on the edge of the box before Mohammadi drilled a superb shot into the bottom corner.
In the 58th minute captain Said Uygur scored the second after another excellent interchange in the final third.
Kenny Akalan pulled the ball back for Uygur to finish into the bottom corner.
In State 7 Aspendale won 2-1 at home to Croydon Ranges while Mount Martha lost 4-2 at home to second-placed Keysborough.
Aspendale laboured against bottom side Croydon and the host went 1-0 down after six minutes with Victor Gotinga scoring from the penalty spot following a Harry Williamson foul inside the box.
Jack Gallagher bundled home the equaliser in the 30th minute before Aidan Bannon’s fine run and finish in the 56th minute secured the points.
Mount Martha head coach Andy McCabe has stepped down due to work commitments and Gary Talbot is in charge of the senior side.
Keysborough struck early from an inswinging corner from Tarik Kunosic and it was 1-0 at half-time.
Two minutes into the second half it was 1-1 when Reece Crabtree scored from long range and the home side hit the front two minutes later from an errant back pass by Keysborough’s Anthony Danchenko.
Masud Ahmed made it 2-2 in the 65th minute and the visitors regained the lead in the 77th minute when Emmanuel Christopher’s free-kick from just outside the box made it 3-2.
Aidid Yassin secured the points for Keysborough from the penalty spot in the 85th minute.
NEXT WEEKEND’S GAMES
Friday 26 June, 8.30pm
Skye Utd v Doveton, Skye Recreation Reserve
Brandon Park v Peninsula Strikers, Freeway Reserve
Noble Suns v Aspendale, Norman Luth Reserve
Saturday 27 June, 3pm
Boroondara Eagles v Mornington, Carey Sports Complex, Wilcox Field A
Ashburton Utd v Chelsea, Ashburton Park
Kings Domain v Baxter, Fawkner Park North Pavilion Pitch 1
Seaford Utd v Monbulk, North Seaford Reserve
Somerville Eagles v Sandown Lions, Westernport Secondary College
Mount Eliza v Pakenham Utd, Emil Madsen Reserve
Old St Kevins v Mentone, Howard Dawson Reserve
Mount Martha v Lilydale Montrose Utd, Civic Reserve
Saturday 27 June, 6pm
Frankston Pines v Whitehorse Utd, Monterey Reserve
Langwarrin BYE
Rosebud BYE
