MILDURA City moved within a victory of claiming the Football Federation Sunraysia’s Senior Men’s S-League crown with a 2-0 victory over Irymple Knights at the weekend.
The Knights had a point to prove and in the first 30 minutes placed repeated pressure on Mildura City’s defence.
Soccer can be a game of small margins, and Irymple were unlucky to miss a penalty to make something of their early efforts.
A fair amount of credit for City’s early resilience went to centreback Justin Lamattina, who stood up in the first half of the match and the side was eventually able to turn things around after winning the ball deep in their half, playing down the wing, before getting into the middle where Christian Pollifrone made a left-foot strike in the 34th minute to give him his 10th goal of the season.
That arrested Irymple’s early intensity and from then on City found more rhythm and controlled the midfield battle.
The game ended on an emotional note when 16-year-old debutant Nicholas Lia was able to earn a penalty shot in the 90th minute. Lia, who just weeks ago lost his grandfather and stalwart of the club, Joe, was overjoyed to secure his first senior men’s goal.
In the other senior men’s match, Nichols Point and Three Colours finished 2-2.
Mildura City and Irymple Knights secured victories in the Senior Women’s games ahead of their scheduled top-of-the-table, championship-defining clash next weekend.
Nichols Point made the early running against Mildura City, taking the lead in the 10th minute with a Harman Grewal goal. Grewal, who leads the goal-scoring for Nichols Point with eight this season, received the ball from a Jasmine Lilley cross and was able to sidestep the keeper to find an open net.
Mildura City replied promptly with a goal to Isabella Palamara, who made it two goals in two weeks, nine minutes later. Nicole Ataliotis was able to put City ahead in the 31st minute with an unstoppable shot from inside the box and into the top of the net.
Meanwhile, Argiro Karallis continued her stellar goal-scoring season, adding six goals to her season tally (29) in Irymple Knight’s 14-0 victory over Three Colours. Elly Pantazopoulos chipped in with four goals while Victoria Karallis slotted her first for the season, along with goals to Jasmine Balchin and Merrinda Hill and an own goal.
