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The Melbourne Knights and visitors Northcote City played out a very entertaining 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon at Knights Stadium. The home side will be frustrated at coming away with only a solitary point, after squandering a number of golden opportunities to take all three.
It was a tumultuous week for the Melbourne Knights, in which it saw three players in Jean Dubios, Daniel Dragicevic and Junior De Camargo controversially depart the club and sign for bitter rivals South Melbourne.
However there is nothing more dangerous then facing an opponent with their backs against the wall and after a sluggish start the Knights began to take control of the match.
The first sign of danger came in the 10th minute, Filipovic’s cross was punched clear by Petropoulos only for it to fall to Magdic, with the goal beckoning Magdic shot was well blocked from Konstantinidis.
Just two minutes later though, the Knights hit the lead when Jacob Colosimo turned his opponent inside the box and finished well with his left foot, after his brother Anthony created the opportunity with a well supplied pass.
Less than sixty seconds later, Welmant delivered a pin point cross to find Yusuf Yusuf unmarked at the back post, who somehow missed with his diving header when it seamed easier to score.
Northcote thought they had equalized when Rixon put the ball back into the net, only to be ruled offside by the linesman, although only minutes later with their first legitimate attack on goal Northcote did find an equalizer. Hayden D’Agostino’s cross from the right wing found an unmarked Kalafatidis to head home from the back post.
After working their way back into the match, Northcote almost gifted the Knights the lead back, under no pressure at all Konstantinidis headed over his own keeper, sending Petropoulos into a mad scramble to save the ball from crossing the line.
The first chance of the second half went to the visitors in the form of Trent Rixon. The clubs leading scorer had been kept quiet from Knights new signing Tomislav Uskok, but on this occasion the striker used his strength to find room to strike at goal, but it was a tired shot that lacked any power and was easily saved by Martin John.
In the 55th minute the Knights regained the lead, Welmant split the defence with a though ball for Jacob Colosimo who kept his cool to chip over the rushing Petropoulos and into the empty net, but the lead was short lived, as Northcote earned their first corner just minutes later, and Glen Trifiro found an unmarked Konstantinidis in a crowded box to head home from short range.
Jacob Colosimo, who was now relishing in the role departed by Jean Dubios, was on search for his hat-trick, and could have had it in the 60th minute had he directed his header on target from a Kozic cross.
Northcote on the back foot for the majority of the half, almost pinched the lead when Glen Trifiro bustled his way into the box and drew a decent save from John, and from the resulting corner, some poor marking from the Knights saw an unmarked Voulgaris head over the bar.
The last five minutes saw a flurry of chances fall the way of the home side, Yusuf supplied a delightful ball for an unmarked Welmant who headed over from close range, before Magdic looked odds on to score from close range before a desperate block from Konstantinidis.
However the best and most controversial chance for the Knights came in the 87th minute, when Filipovic dribbled his way into the box, and saw his shot deflect past the keeper, only to be cleared by a defender on the last line, when the ball looked to have clearly crossed the line for a goal.
A clearly frustrated Knights outfit will be ruing the chance of not taking all three points, but the draw does see the club move out of the relegation zone on goal difference. They face a tough away trip next week then they take on Green Gully at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday afternoon, whist Northcote host bottom of the ladder St Albans at John Cain Reserve also on Saturday afternoon.
MATCH STATS: SHOTS: MK 7 NC 5, TARGET: MK 3 NC 4, CORNERS: MK 6 NC 3
Melbourne Knights Line Up: John, S. Romein, Filipovic, Uskok, Magdic, Kozic, A. Colosimo (Shin 62’), Yusuf, Zilic, J. Colosimo, Welmant. (Franjic 83’).
Not Used: A. Romein, Saglam, Stefanou.
Y/Cards: None.
Goals: J. Colosimo 12’ 55’.
Northcote City Line Up: Petropoulos, D’ Agostino, Chiapetta, Konstandinidis (Voulgaris 71’), Savio (Kinigopoulos 75’), Curtis, G. Trifiro, J. Trifiro, Piermonte, Kalafatiadis, Rixon.
Not Used: Trecey, Tzoulis, DiNittis.
MoM: J. Colosimo (MK).
Crowd: Approx 750 @ Knights Stadium.
By Andrew Fisher (Goal Weekly)
