Knights Break Away
Hoodoo By Bruno Zovko
02-04-2005
The Melbourne Knights belatedly recorded their first away win of the season disposing of the highflying Frankston Pines, 2-1. The come from behind win by the Knight’s was secured by the visitor’s half time substitute, 20 year old Dario Matkovic. Matkovic’s two opportunistic strikes in the second half were enough to separate the two sides at Monterey Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
Knights coach Zlatko Vego was buoyant after his sides first away win “It was a really hard game, Frankston is a very good team and a very tough team…we came here to win, [we play to win regardless if it’s away].”
Whilst Frankston’s Stan Webster rued the lost opportunity at home, “Really, two mistakes cost us dearly.”
The game was played in oppressively hot conditions for April, with a wild northerly wind favoring one end of the ground, in a torrid and often scrappy affair. It was a game of two halves, as the team favored by the wind dominated their respective half, Frankston in the first and the Knights in the second.
Frankston opened the brighter team and asserted its ascendancy on the scoreboard after 7 minutes of play with a fluky goal. A haphazard free kick by Frankston just outside the 18-yard box was foiled by Knights defender Neven Antic. Antic’s clearance was smashed into Frankstons Cam Leopold with the resultant deflection sailing over the outstretched Knights keeper, Adrian Cagalj. Cagalj did get a fingertip on the ball, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Frankston from taking the early lead.
The Pines dominated the half convincingly after taking the early lead, with Frankston’s Leonardo Trebbia a standout. The home team asserted itself on the flanks stretching the visitor’s defense. Inform Pines striker Mathew Durand looking lively up front threatening the Knight’s defense with his elusive pace.
Cagalj was by far the busier of the two keeper’s, foiling a 12th minute attempt by Mirza Pedic. Livewire Mathew Durand sprayed a shot over the bar two minutes later as Frankston pressed for their second. Frankston had a Durand goal disallowed in the 33rd minute for offside to the dismay of the locals. The Knights only attempt on goal for the half came in the 45th minute, with a wild shot sprayed over the cross bar by Albert Gjuni. The Knights looked flat and even uninterested in the first half, as they seemed distracted by the physical temperament of the game and not focusing on the required job at hand.
Stan Webster was disappointed that the Pines dominance in the first half did not yield a greater dividend “We should have had the game sown up at half time.”
Zlatko Vego made a match winning change at half time bringing on the explosive Dario Matkovic for Albert Gjuni.
“They pushed four up front, the boy wide right (Dario Matkovic) killed us with his pace in the second half.” said Stan Webster.
It was a reversal of fortune for the visitors in the second half, immediately laying siege to the home team’s goal. The Knights pressure finally bared fruit in the 57th minute, with Dario Matkovic pouncing on a mistake by inform Pines keeper, Marko Sutalo. The Pines 6’4 keeper rushed out to thwart a Knights attack but misjudged the high bounce of the ball. Unfortunately for Sutalo, Dario Matkovic was at hand, swooping in behind the hapless keeper to level the scores with a simple tap in. The Pines custodian redeemed himself seven minutes later parrying a goal bound header by Dario Matkovic just past his upright, after some excellent lead up work from Neven Antic on the right.
The Pines defense that looked impenetrable in the first half was beginning to unravel in the second, as basic errors were becoming symptomatic due to the pressure exerted by the visitors. The Knights pressure finally took its toll on the besieged Pines defense in the 78th minute. An errant back header by Pines defender Trent Malcolm lacked the required purchase to carry to the Pines keeper, Sutalo. The weak back header was gobbled up by Dario Matkovic, side-footing in the winner, leaving the hapless Sutalo stranded. The opportunistic goal by Dario Matkovic must have increased Stan Webster’s blood pressure considerably, as three Pines defenders were caught ball watching, allowing Dario Matkovic to sneak in and latch onto the winner. The Knight’s did not relent after taking the lead pressing for a two goal advantage. The Pines attack that menaced the Knights in the first half evaporated in the second, with the Knights defense convincingly blunting any of the home team’s counters. The Knights cruised home after taking a 2-1 lead, recording their first away win of the season.
It was a game of two halves, but when the game was there to be won the Knights responded to the challenge. Whilst unfortunately for Frankston, a few of the players that shone in the first half faded when the game was up for grabs.