After four long weeks on the road, Green Gully will return to Keilor Downs to face old rivals South Melbourne in a fascinating Anzac Day match-up.
Fresh from a huge result away at Churchill Reserve and a 1-0 win in the Dockerty Cup over Keilor Park, Gully comes out of the Easter break with renewed optimism and confidence for the rest of the campaign.
The Cavaliers were reduced to 10 men against St Albans after Matty Crooks received his 2nd yellow card, but battled to take all three points thanks to a moment of brilliance from Josh Hope. His Zinedine Zidane-inspired roulette and curled effort into the top corner will surely be amongst the goal of the season contenders, and undoubtedly a moment that lives long in the memory for Gully fans.
The win has propelled Green Gully to eighth place in the NPL Victoria table, just two points outside the top six. David Chick’s side looks to have found their rhythm in front of goal, scoring five in their last three league games.
South Melbourne have proved Gully’s bogey side in recent years. The Cavaliers have gone 12 games without a win over Hellas, dating back to a 3-0 triumph at Lakeside in May 2018. South also enjoys a historical advantage in the all-time head-to-head, winning 28, drawing 14, and losing 15 in 57 meetings.
It’s a new era at South Melbourne, however – the club parted ways with longtime head coach Esteban Quintas following a 3-0 defeat to Heidelberg in the Greek Derby, that leaves the club languishing in 11th place on the NPL Victoria table, only clear of the relegation zone on goal difference. The visitors are winless since Round 2, with five defeats from their last eight league games, and just two goals scored in their last seven.
South have turned to former players Leigh Minopoulos and Tyson Holmes to serve as interim head coaches as the club continues its search for a permanent appointment. Minopoulos made 154 appearances for Hellas, and made a habit of popping up with crucial goals in big games, including in the 2015 Dockerty Cup final and 2016 NPL Victoria Grand Final.
Holmes, meanwhile, was part of South’s title-winning squad in 2014, before going on to lift four further NPL Victoria Championships – three at Bentleigh Greens and one at Oakleigh Cannons. Minopoulos was appointed as Quintas’ assistant this season, but neither he nor Holmes have any senior coaching experience to their name.
Kickoff on Anzac Day is set for 7:30pm, and fans are invited to arrive early and enjoy dinner at the Gully Bistro before the action begins. Get down to Green Gully Reserve and get behind the boys!
The U23s kick off on Saturday the 26th at 2pm, with the U19s in action from 11:30am.
