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VICTORIAN PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH REPORT |
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 Lions
prove a point!
Tuesday 24
March 2009
(Simon
McCluskey, Goal Weekly)
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Preston
placed last week’s horror result against South Melbourne
behind them playing out a 0-0 draw against Green Gully in
front of approximately 1,000 at B.T. Connor Reserve.
Although the contest will go down in the results vault as
a 0-0 draw, the open ended game could have easily finished
as a 4-4 score line, had it not been for the goalkeeping
performances of Damir Salcin and Steven Tilovski
respectively, who were both outstanding from start to
finish.
Although only round four of the season, the game was a
must win for both clubs.
On one hand, a win for Green Gully would keep the
Cavaliers in early touch with league leaders Richmond and
Dandenong, whilst Preston were under severe pressure to
perform, not only to rebound from last week’s thrashing,
but to collect their first points for the season.
As mentioned, both teams had the opportunity to notch at
least three goals on the board by half time, but were
denied by brilliant pieces of goalkeeping.
Tilovski was called into action in the seventh minute when
he saved a Serkan Okzuz shot on goal at full stretch from
twelve yards. With the ball still alive after the fine
save, Green Gully captain Dean Fak charged down Bale
Micovski’s shot from only a few yards out.
Preston were lucky not to concede in the 15th minute when
Matthew Sanders strolled into the box but had his low shot
on goal blocked by Salcin.
Moments later, the Lions won a free kick with the
resulting set piece taken by Ivan Filipovic.
His ball found unmarked defender Michael Miskas at the
edge of the six yard box, only for the resulting header to
be tipped over the bar by Tilovski.
In the final stages of the first half, Salcin was tested
another three times and performed on each occasion.
His first save avoided Preston’s blushes of conceding an
own goal, when Michael Miskas intercepted a cross which
was heading for the back of his own net, only for Salcin
to save it before Pablo Cardozo could swoop on the line.
Minutes later, Pablo Cardozo fired in a hotly stuck ball
from 20 yards out which Salcin tipped over the bar. One of
the final pieces of play for the half saw Salcin keep out
a Kole Delev free header which he caught sight of at the
final moment after fending off a crowded penalty area.
The goalkeeping display continued in the second half, in
particular Steve Tilovski who played the bulk of the
second half injured.
In the opening minutes of the second half, Michael
Bosevski connected to a rocket of a set piece from twenty
yards, which was good enough to beat the ball, but not
Tilovski at the final moment.
Tilovski was at the rescue again when Serkan Oksuz shot on
goal from a narrow angle on the left hand side, but was
denied again.
Tilovski injured himself in the process making the save
and subsequently struggled to hold onto some balls he
controlled with ease throughout the game.
Green Gully continued to compile pressure on the Preston
defence but struggled to find an avenue to goal, either
frustrated with the offside trap, or Damir Salcin.
Matthew Sanders unfortunately couldn’t measure his run on
goal from balls delivered to him in promising positions
and was caught offside on several occasions.
When Gully found a legal avenue through, on two occasions
shots by either talented youngster Aziz Behich and the
veteran Pablo Cardozo were denied by Salcin.
The Cavalier’s best chance to break the deadlock came late
in the second half when Behich’s cross was blocked, but
not held by Salcin. The ball spilt to Kristijan Ivesic who
shot past Salcin, but the ball frantically cleared off the
goal line by Miskas
Finishing in a highly entertaining, yet scoreless draw,
the reaction from both managers was contrasting.
On a sour note for the Cavaliers, Green Gully will most
probably be missing the services of Steve Tilovski for
this week’s big north-western derby against the Melbourne
Knights with a groin injury, whilst Preston will be tested
against top of the league opposition again, with a Friday
night clash versus Richmond at Kevin Bartlett Reserve.
PRESTON LIONS FC: D Salcin (GK), M. Miskas, B.
Georgioski, Z. Popovic (65' M. Ladnjak), C. Toleski, I.
Filipovic, R. Dolevski (90' I. Kolevski), B. Micovski, I.
Arsovski (80' R. Nadjovski), M. Bosevski (C), S. Oksuz
Subs not used: -
Goals: None
Cautions: Igor Arsovski (70')
Red Cards: None
GREEN GULLY: S. Tilovski (GK), K. Ivesic (80' D.
White), S. Burton, D. Fak, K. Delev, J. Fleming, A. Behich,
J. Adam, P. Cardozo, M. Sanders, M. Medjedovic
Subs not used: -
Goals: None
Cautions: None
Red Cards: None
Crowd: 1,000 (unofficial) at
BT Connor Reserve
Photo's:
Nome Risteski |
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