Melbourne Knights FC Official Website 
Related Articles
Two defensive lapses from the Melbourne Knights has handed the Green Gully Cavaliers a two-nil win at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
After a promising showing against Northcote last week, the Knights produced a less than impressive effort this week, lacking any fluency up forward and being forced to chase the game for most of the contest.
As early as the third minute, a defensive error from youngster Adam Zilic gifted possession to Simon Storey on the edge of the penalty area, needing no invitation the former North Qld Fury player clinically finished into the top corner leaving Martin John with little to no chance.
Unfortunately for Simon Storey this was to be his last involvement in the match, as minutes later he was forced off the field after he sustained a knock to his ankle and was replaced by Graham Hockless.
Stand in Captain Josip Kozic could have put the Knights back on level terms in the 15th minute, had his long range shot not taken a deflection off a defender after some good build up play from Josip Magdic.
In the 18th minute, after yet another defensive error from the visitors, Gully striker Brent Fisher was allowed to move freely inside the box and should have made it two nil, only to pull his shot narrowly wide.
Despite controlling the majority of possession the Knights lacked any potency in the final third, whilst the home side were content with hitting their opponents on the break. This was evident when a Hockless cross into the area was missed by two defenders, and somehow found its way to the only Gully player in the box in Jonathon Munoz who stuck his effort over the bar.
The Knights’ best chance of an equalizer came late in the first half, as Jacob Colosimo worked his way to the by-line and delivered a low cross that would have resulted in an easy tap-in for Kozic, if not for some last ditch defending from Basma to deflect the ball clear.
It was much the same in the second half with the Knights attacking the home side, but breaking down when it mattered most. The visitors clocked up a massive twelve corners for the match, but failed to test Nikola Roganovic in the Gully goal.
New signing Melvin Beckit returning to the Knights following a stint with the AIS and Oakleigh Cannons, was substituted on to try and break the Gully line, but the young forward was ineffective against his bigger bodied opponents in Jones and Medjedovic.
Green Gully sealed all three points midway through the half, when a Graham Hockless free kick from 25yards on a tight angle, was crossed in and missed by all to bounce and nestle into the back of the net.
The two-nil lead was easily held by the home side, with Lubo Lapsansky’s side notching up their fifth win of the season to keep in touch with the top five. Next week Green Gully makes the short trip to St Albans to take on the league’s bottom team, whilst the Knights will battle Springvale White Eagles in a crucial encounter at Knights Stadium.
MATCH STATS: SHOTS: GG 6 MK 8, TARGET: GG 3 MK 3, CORNERS: GG 2 MK 12
Green Gully Line Up: Roganovic, Jones, Drake, Fleming (Downes 87’), Hayne, Fisher, Storey (Hockless 10’), Basma (Sanders 60’), Medjedovic, Vargas, Munoz.
Not Used: O’Farrell, Vizzari
Goals: Storey 3’, Hockless 77’
Melbourne Knights Line Up: John, S. Romein, Filipovic, Shin, A. Colosimo (Welmont 45’), Uskok, Magdic, Kozic, Yusuf (Beckit 63’), Zilic (Franjic 85’), J. Colosimo.
Not Used: A. Romein, Stefanou
MoM: J. Fleming (GG)
Crowd: Approx 250 @ Green Gully Reserve
By Andrew Fisher (Goal Weekly)
