Green Gully have suffered their second defeat of the campaign, going down 1-0 to Port Melbourne in a closely-fought bout at JL Murphy Reserve.
Head coach David Chick made one change from the starting XI that drew 1-1 with Hume City in Round 3, with Declan Wynne making way for new signing Joe McGlynn’s Gully debut.
Gully came close to opening the scoring in the 11th minute as Scott Lochhead dispossessed Sharks defender Maker Maker, but his long-range effort fizzed just over the crossbar.
The visitors were then let off the hook as Josh Markovski raced onto a long pass from Nick Dib and attempted to lob the onrushing goalkeeper, but skewed his effort well wide of the target.
Scoreless at the break, Jalil Regague tested Sharks keeper Alex Kondoleon with a well-struck effort early in the second half, before Port defender Jonathan Vakirtzis fired high and wide from long range.
Gully keeper Liam Driscoll was forced off through injury on the hour mark after taking a goal kick, with deputy Lawrence Caruso saving well from a glancing Markovski header.
Caruso was left with no chance in the 75th minute as Thomas Alisandratos took aim from the top-left corner of the penalty area, unleashing a searing left-footed strike across goal which crashed in off the post.
Gully attempted to respond through Lochhead, but the Scotsman’s 25-metre drive sailed just over with Kondoleon scrambling.
The contest then descended into a succession of fouls and bookings which broke up the momentum of the visitors’ attacks. As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Aamir Abdallah came closest with a mazy dribble into the penalty area, but was eventually crowded out by the sea of red and blue jerseys in his path.
Gully will look to bounce back in Round 5 as they host 9th-placed Dandenong City on Friday night, with kickoff at 7:30pm at Green Gully Reserve.
