Melbourne Knights FC Official Website The Melbourne Knights defeat the Dandenong Thunder 2-1, in their first game back at Somers Street in over a year.
Melbourne Knights Starting XI:
Thomas Manos (GK), Jack Marth, Ayden Brice (C), Anthony Duzel, James McGarry, Alun Webb, Gian Albano, Caleb Mikulic, Trevor Zwetsloot, Mohammed Sumaoro, Nicholas Glavan.
Melbourne Knights Bench:
Harry Cakarun (GK), Lachlan Weier, Mathew Breeze, Trevor Ssemakula, Joseph Colina.
It was party time at Knights Stadium as the Knights made it two wins from two, to continue their perfect start to the 2021 NPL Victoria season.
The Knights went for the throat from the get-go, congesting the box early on which subsequently lead to the opening goal of the match.
With the ball loose in the box, a flurry of shots on goal followed, it was finally bundled over the line by Alun Webb, scoring his first goal in Knights colours.
During a tense opening half, Anthony Duzel, Jack Marth and James McGarry all found themselves in referee Meimarakis’ book, as well as the Thunder’s head coach Sam Elmazi, for dissent.
To begin the second half, the Knights picked up from where they left off, with Alun Webb securing a brace with an outrageous side-foot volley. The ball caught some out-swinging curve and went in off the far post.
Mohammed Sumaoro began to make it difficult for the Thunder defence, as he forced the Thunder’s captain Harry Ashcroft to concede a yellow card as Sumaoro was approaching the box. Soon after Caleb Mikulic and Mersim Memeti both received yellow cards for a scuffle.
In the final 10 minutes of the match, the Thunder were pushing for a goal to open the game wide open. Ayden Brice conceded a free kick outside of the area in the dying stages and was subsequently the final player to be carded. The Thunder found the back of the net from the set-piece, through their substitute Joshua Meaker.
The Knights managed to hold on to their slender margin in the final minutes to complete a 2-1 victory at home.
Post-match, Knights head coach Steve Bebic admitted that the Knights, “deserved the win” as they “looked comfortable for 80-90% of the game”. Bebic praised the performance of new recruit Alun Webb, stating, “Webby thoroughly deserved to score a brace”, after being unlucky the week prior.
With the Knights currently two from two, they sit in pole position at conclusion of the round with six points.
The Knights’ will be off to Churchill Reserve next week, in hope of continuing their winning streak, playing the St. Albans Saints at 5PM on Sunday, March 14.