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VICTORIAN PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH REPORT |
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Lions roar in close encounter with Eagles
Monday
29 June 2009
(FFV) - Richmond visited BT Connor Reserve to face bottom
of the league Preston Lions yesterday.
For the home side, Aleksandar Stojanovski came into the
starting line-up as goalkeeper following an injury to
Damir Salcin in the four-nil loss to Green Gully. Kliment
Coceski also came into the team in place of Michael Miskas.
The Eagles gave senior starting debuts to Enes Sivic and
Stuart Wilson, with Dimitri Tsiaras and Richie Cardozo out
through suspension.
Five minutes into the game, a great ball from Lorenz
Kindtner released Gary Wales out wide on the left, but the
following cross flew over the head of Milos Lujic. Blaze
Georgioski tried his luck from thirty yards shortly after,
his effort going well over the bar. A good ball up the
line from Sivic allowed Lujic to turn Chris Jones but he
was unable to keep his cross in play.
In the sixteenth minute, Igorce Kolevski blasted a shot
over from outside the area after receiving the ball from a
throw-in and turning sharply. A corner from Wales was
headed away to the far post where Lujic volleyed a
cut-back to George Goutzioulis, who in turn volleyed a
shot over the crossbar.
Wales over-hit a cross when played in out wide on the left
by a good ball from Wilson approaching the half-hour mark.
Bale Micovski did well to get into a good position in the
penalty area a minute later, but his pull-back from the
right was eventually cleared. A head-clash saw Terry
Antoniadis leave the field to have a deep cut attended to
and the momentum was all with the home team as the first
half came to a conclusion.
In the thirty-sixth minute Preston went the closest so far
to grabbing the only goal, a shot screwing wide from one
striker to the other, who then also mishit a shot. Three
minutes later, Martin Hana was less wasteful, finishing
well after Micovski had crossed from the right to put the
Lions ahead. The late rally saw the Lions deservedly enter
the break holding their 1-0 lead; a first win of the
season well within their sights.
The second half saw play fluctuate from end-to-end. In the
fiftieth minute Hana dinked a ball over the top of the
defence for Georgioski to run onto; the subsequent chip
clearing the crossbar. Lujic pulled the ball back to
Antoniadis after making a run down the left. The ball was
played into the feet of Wales who then laid it back for
Wilson to shoot, which just went wide of the post. A great
ball from Micovski from the right towards the penalty spot
allowed Hana to double the Lions lead in the fifty-seventh
minute.
On the hour mark, Peter Zois denied Hana in a one-on-one
situation near the penalty spot. Goutzioulis shot wide
from twenty five yards three minutes later. When Hana
switched the ball from right to left to find Ivan
Filipovski in plenty of space in the sixty-fourth minute,
the resulting shot was easily saved by Zois.
A run down the left from Tom Milardovic began the build-up
to Richmond pulling a goal back in the sixty-fifth minute.
Milardovic passed to Goutzioulis who then found Wales.
Wales played a good ball inside to release Lujic, who
finished powerfully for his second goal since signing from
Oakleigh Cannons.
A flick from Wales sent Lujic away on the left with
fifteen minutes remaining, but he was fouled with the
free-kick amounting to nothing. Goutzioulis again tried
his hand from outside the area three minutes later, but
his shot flew just wide of the top corner. Substitute
Vladimir Kostadinovski proved a handful for Richmond's
defence with his pace on the counter-attack in the final
minutes. He hit the side netting when pushed wide by
Stuart McCluskey after almost getting through to be
one-on-one with Zois.
The end came shortly after, with the Lions restoring some
pride by notching their first win of the campaign. They
will hope to continue their revival in another home game
in the next round, against Oakleigh Cannons. Richmond will
next face South Melbourne at home, a stern test indeed for
a side in the midst of a severe form slump.
Preston Lions FC line-up: A. Stojanovski, I.
Filipovic, B. Micovski, I. Kolevski (D. Jovanovski 88'),
R. Dajdovski, M. Hana (V. Kostadinovski 86'), B.
Georgioski, A. Branov, C. Jones, B. Tenovski, K. Coceski.
Goals: Hana 38' 57'
Yellow Cards: Georgioski 44' Tenovski 74 Micovski
88' Filipovic 89'
Richmond line-up: P. Zois, T. Antoniadis, S.
McCluskey, G. Wales, G. Goutzioulis, E. Sivic (D. Black
76'), S. Wilson, T. Milardovic, L. Kindtner (M. Catalano
55'), M. Lujic, A. Viola (T. Uskok 82').
Goal: Lujic 65'
Man of the Match: Bale Micovski (Preston Lions)
Crowd: 400 (unofficial) at BT Connor Reserve |
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