Despite a stoppage-time heartbreak against Altona Magic in Round 20, almost nothing has shifted in Green Gully’s pursuit of finals football.
Gully held out for the best part of an hour with 10 men, after a hospital backpass left debutant goalkeeper Brandon Cuminao with no choice but to commit a professional foul just outside his own box. But in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, after the Magic whipped in their 13th corner of the night, Alex Gust’s volley took a sizable deflection on its way through a crowded six-yard box and beyond the despairing dive of substitute Liam Driscoll.
The pain of the last-gasp defeat was softened slightly as results from around the grounds began to roll in. All three of the Cavaliers’ nearest rivals for the top six dropped points on Friday, with 5th-placed Hume City losing 2-1 at Lakeside, 6th-placed Preston being thumped 4-0 away at Oakleigh, and Dandenong City twice recovering from a goal down to draw 2-2 with league leaders Heidelberg.
The upshot? Gully remain just three points from a spot in the playoffs with six games to play. Four of those remaining fixtures are on home turf, starting with Melbourne Victory on Friday.
Victory are 12th, five points from safety and desperate to avoid the drop as other teams around them have strengthened in the window. The wildly inconsistent form of this talented group of U23s makes them an unpredictable foe. Monday’s dramatic 2-1 loss to Melbourne Knights was preceded by a disappointing 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Port Melbourne, but an incredible 5-2 triumph over Oakleigh in Round 18 gives a glimpse of what Victory are capable of on their day.
Victory’s array of fleet-footed attackers, such as Daniel Lazarevski and Patrick Wall – both of whom have five goals this season – provide a clear threat on the counter attack. The return of central defender Damian Bozinovski from injury has stabilised the backline, while Jonathan Kellis has arrived from Melbourne City in the transfer window, strengthening Victory’s options on the flanks after Jesse Hoey sustained a season-ending injury in May.
Victory’s most glaring weakness is in the goalkeeper department. No fewer than four keepers have donned the gloves this season – Daniel Graskoski, Yona Sultan, Kasper Fonsboel, and Christian Sicialiano, the latter of whom has now departed the club. The lack of a consistent presence between the sticks and continued struggles from crosses and set pieces means Gully will have to press home their aerial advantage.
David Chick has reinforced his side with new arrivals. Aside from Cuminao, striker Dor Jok and midfielder Ryan Inman made their debuts in the starting XI, with Inman scoring from a corner just 11 minutes into his Gully career. Shifa Ahmed made a late cameo on his return to the club, and after scoring five goals in the space of six games when he burst onto the scene last year, Ajax fans will be hoping for a similar impact.
Kickoff is set for 7:30pm on Friday, and the Gully bistro will be open for your pre-match meal. Come on down and support the senior men as we head into the business end of the campaign!
