SOCCER
SOMERVILLE Eagles have Tom Simmons to thank for their 4-3 away win over East Bentleigh on Saturday.
He opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a moment of real quality latching onto a through ball and lobbing East Bentleigh keeper Adam Stone in style.
Two minutes into the second half Sebastian Davies levelled but in the 53rd minute Troy Dekker regained the lead directly from a corner.
Simmons made it 3-1 four minutes later with a crisp left-foot strike from the edge of the area.
He completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute from the penalty spot but the contest wasn’t over.
Somerville had chances to put the result to bed but allowed Tao Soerono to make it 4-2 in the 73rd minute and right on full time Kristian Tzamouranis make it 4-3 but it was too little too late.
Still in State 5 and Seaford United fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 away to high-flying Monash Villareal on Saturday.
First half goals from George Paterakis and Peter Kartsaklis had the home side in control.
Seaford started the second half well and earned the reward it deserved when Conor Mcfall’s 73rd minute corner hit the back post and went in.
Time was running out but Seaford’s lifeline came in the 90th minute when Mcfall was brought down in the box and Zain Ahmad made no mistake.
Villareal’s Gervais Nkondogoro was sent off in time added for a reckless challenge.
In VPL1 Langwarrin had a much-needed 3-2 home win over Western United on Saturday.
Langy went ahead in the 3rd minute when Alun Webb controlled a ball from Brad Blumenthal before smashing his shot past Western’s keeper.
Webb doubled the lead in the 24th minute when finishing in style after Sayed Fatemi’s excellent pass.
When Brad Blumenthal bravely headed home from a Noah Holmes cross in the 40th minute the home side was in cruise control.
But the visitors stepped up a gear after the break with Anderson Back rifling a shot from outside the box past Langy keeper Branten Kindler in the 53rd minute.
In the 86th minute a defensive mix-up inside the box allowed Western substitute Alex Marmura to make it 3-2 and although the visitors threw everything at Langy in the final minutes the home side held on for a deserved three pointer.
In State 1 Mornington secured three vital points in its title push with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Beaumaris at Civic Reserve.
It was a physical and at times volatile contest that saw both sides reduced to 10 men.
Mornington was forced into an early substitution following an injury to Chris Droutsas after a high challenge from James Poole that earned a caution.
Rhys Craigie came off the bench and Mornington opened the scoring in the 41st minute when Craigie won possession high up the pitch and delivered a quality ball into the area for Kieran Dover who finished calmly.
Right on half-time Beaumaris capitalised on a long ball over the top with Jorge Akers finishing through the legs of Mornington keeper Kane Runge to make it 1-1.
The contest exploded in the 84th minute when a challenge from Mornington substitute Kosta Droutsas sparked a melee.
Beaumaris goalkeeper Fraser Maclaren rushed out of goal to confront Droutsas and went to ground holding his face.
The referee issued red cards to both Maclaren and Droutsas but more drama was to follow.
In the 92nd minute James Kelly finished confidently in a one-on-one following a well-worked move and four minutes later Kelly sealed the result with another controlled finish.
Mornington is unlikely to play next weekend as it had arranged to play at Rosebud’s Olympic Park but opponent Banyule City is understood to have rejected the alternative venue under a 50km rule.
Skye United drew 1-1 with Old Scotch in Saturday’s John Ramsden Memorial Day clash.
The home side was looking to end a run of three losses and got off to a perfect start when Artim Bakis cut the ball back to central defender Hamish Millar who had pushed forward to finish well.
Skye held Old Scotch at bay until the 79th minute when Millar inadvertently turned a cross into his own net.
Brodie Varas was making his starting debut for Skye and won the John Ramsden Medal in the seniors.
Dale Atkins won the reserves John Ramsden Medal.
Skye head coach Phil McGuinness returns from overseas this week after missing the last few games.
In State 2 Peninsula Strikers lost 4-2 away to Casey Comets on Friday night.
Strikers dominated the opening exchanges and in the 5th minute Sonny Lindsay stunned all onlookers with a perfectly struck free-kick just inside his defensive half that sailed over the head of Comets keeper Lucas Tomaras signed last week from Waverley Wanderers.
Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Wayne Gordon and Matt Harrington combined to set up Joel Bowen and his first-time strike had Tomaras grasping at thin air.
The home side hit back in the 25th minute when Reece Cameron converted from the penalty spot and levelled in the 53rd minute when a free-kick was whipped in and Stanley Nash’s glancing header hit the mark.
Disaster struck for Strikers in the 72nd minute when Wayne Gordon underhit a back pass to Jamie Walker and Cameron took full advantage to put the home side ahead.
The nail in Strikers’ coffin was a defensive blunder in the final minute which allowed substitute Gonzalo Ferreria Piccone to nip in ahead of Walker then chip the ball into goal as the keeper tried in vain to get back to his goalmouth.
In State 4 Rosebud twice came from behind away from home to down Greater Dandenong 5-2 on Saturday.
It was a tough challenge for the visitors with a cricket pitch running through the middle of WJ Turner Reserve and a fired-up opponent determined to get its first win of the season.
The home side scored twice in the first half but Rosebud midfielder Barney Johnson also hit the target and it was 2-1 at half-time.
The second half was a different affair with Rosebud scoring four goals and striking the woodwork four times.
Talisman Elliott Craig nabbed two poacher’s goals, Duncan Mcpherson scored with a powerful shot from the edge of the area and Connor Wharton beat Greater Dandenong keeper Syed Akbari from a tight angle.
Baxter had a 3-1 home win over Ashburton on Saturday and is fourth on the ladder two points behind third-placed Rosebud.
Jai Power won a penalty in the 10th minute and converted sending the keeper the wrong way.
Ashburton levelled in the 52nd minute when Baxter failed to deal with a free-kick and Dougal Konstantopoulos tucked the loose ball away from close range.
In the 60th minute Kyle Eichenberger was sent through and managed to get a foot to the ball when confronted by Ashburton keeper Josh Elford to make it 2-1.
The final goal came in the 66th minute when Tez Hashemi intercepted a poor pass and motored toward goal before unleashing an unstoppable strike that sent the ball rocketing into the top far corner.
Chelsea drew 1-1 away to second-placed Ringwood City on Saturday.
Both sides created chances in a tight contest.
Chelsea led in the 55th minute when a long kick downfield by keeper Carl Darling was misjudged by Ringwood defender Stephen Nittoli whose header sailed over his keeper and into the net.
The home team’s reply came in the 82nd minute.
Finn Kent hit the bar from close range and the ball rebounded to the edge of the box where substitute Jack Kimber drove it back in low and hard past Darling.
In State 6 Mount Eliza and Frankston Pines drew 1-1 at Emil Madsen Reserve on Saturday.
The home side made a whirlwind start and went ahead after 30 seconds.
Pines were sloppy in midfield and gave the ball away allowing Josh Luca to nip in at the back post for a tap in from a cross.
With time running out and Pines looking unlikely to hit back captain Jack Carter crossed a ball into the box that was spilled by Mount Eliza keeper Luke Armao and Kyan Taberner pounced with a neat finish.
Mentone lost 2-0 at home to Old Melburnians last weekend and still is chasing its first points of the season.
In State 7 Aspendale stayed in the promotion mix with a 4-1 home win over Endeavour Hills while Mount Martha celebrated its first win of the season with a 5-3 away success over Croydon Ranges.
Oscar Carter opened Aspendale’s account in the 4th minute when he cut in from the right and hit a left-foot shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Three minutes later Carter added a second firing home from close range.
Ryan Mravljak’s curling free-kick from outside the area in the 29th minute made it 3-0 and Kailan Smith made it 4-0 in the 60th minute with a long-range effort.
Emmanuel Otto scored a late consolation for the visitors.
Mount Martha struck first in an eight-goal thriller at Silcock Reserve last weekend.
In the 8th minute Jude Hardy finished off a slick passing sequence down the right wing but Croydon hit back two minutes later through Tha Dawt Bawi.
The Mariners regained control when Davey Jones converted a penalty in the 34th minute and the visitors led 2-1 at the break.
The second half was a chaotic, end-to-end affair.
Croydon made it 2-2 in the 52nd minute after a long ball deceived Mariners’ keeper Derren Elliott.
Hardy won a one-on-one race with Croydon’s keeper to make it 3-2 in the 54th minute but two minutes later Croydon equalised again.
Hardy stepped up to bag his hat-trick in the 67th minute, thumping a first-time strike from 20 metres out and captain Tom Brewster eventually sealed the 5-3 result from the penalty spot, clinically picking out the bottom left corner with nine minutes remaining.
Meanwhile former VIS head of soccer and renowned developmental coach Ian Greener continues to publicise the proven link between repeated head impacts and the progressive, degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
“Gordon McQueen’s coronial inquest verdict in the UK earlier this year has certainly helped to spread the word,” Greener said.
Greener was the keynote speaker at the PFA’s pre-match function prior to the Socceroos v Curaçao game at AAMI Park on 31 March.
He presented the latest scientific findings relating to CTE to a room of former international players and was surprised that they knew about the myths surrounding the topic rather than scientifically proven facts.
Greener is at the forefront in Australia of delivering the knowledge on this topic acquired by HeadSAFE, an organisation aiming to make concussion assessment faster, more accurate and accessible anywhere care is delivered.
“HeadSAFE is not about banning heading but minimising the amount of heading practice conducted in training,” Greener said.
“All contact sports now have concussion protocols and some are introducing protocols for CTE but so far football is avoiding the issue and I want to change that.
“Nowhere in Australia’s Coach Education Program is the topic and/or brain health conversations discussed as more and more players are being diagnosed with this awful brain disease.
“I believe we need to look at some sort of support programs for players we know who are either now experiencing the effects of CTE or those on the cusp of doing so but are still unaware.”
NEXT WEEKEND’S GAMES
Saturday 9 May, 3pm
Langwarrin v Melbourne Knights, Lawton Park
Hampton East Brighton v Skye Utd, Dendy Park
Peninsula Strikers v Gippsland Utd, Centenary Park
Chelsea v Baxter, Edithvale Recreation Reserve
Seaford Utd v Mount Waverley, North Seaford Reserve
Somerville Eagles v Monash Villareal, Westernport Secondary College
Mentone v Old Ivanhoe, Mentone Grammar Playing Fields
Old St Kevins v Mount Eliza, Howard Dawson Reserve
Mount Martha v Noble Suns, Civic Reserve
Keysborough v Aspendale, Coomoora Reserve
Saturday 9 May, 6pm
Rosebud v Springvale City, Olympic Park
Frankston Pines v Knox Utd, Monterey Reserve
