A Reason To Believe - South Melbourne 3 Avondale 0

I don't know who or what is ultimately responsible for the recent change in this team. I can spuriously speculate, and will happily do so privately, but for the sake of public consumption I am content to remain merely dumbfounded. But also a little bit amazed, and relieved, and also a bit annoyed. I did not see this coming. I am glad that it has arrived. I am upset it did not happen sooner.

I wondered, coming up against an undefeated team going at an absurd four goals a game, how could we not be tempted to crawl back into our shell even just a bit? But that's not what happened. For the most part, we continued with the approach that had seen us start smashing goals in the preceding two games and look like a contender, instead of a miserable, grinding, ridiculously lucky also-ran.

I was told that Avondale were missing the services of key central midfielder Kristian Trajceski (out with five yellows), and it kinda showed - so much of what they tried to do ended up being wide things - not that there's anything wrong with that. And they controlled chunks of the first half, in a way that was disconcerting; after we started off the first ten or so minutes looking the slightly more likely, Avondale took control over the next 10-15 minutes, and they seemed to be inching closer to the opener. They even started using the long throw (if this is anyone but but Max Mikkola, you're stealing our bit), and got closer to making it work than you would have liked them to. 

But then Riak won the penalty which Mikkola converted, and it was advantage South. And speaking of Trajceski's absence, it was his replacement (ex-South man) Gavin De Niese who coughed the ball up in a bad spot (and how good to see Marcus Schroen making important tackles in forward areas), and then forward/midfielder Manny Aguek (another ex-South man) giving away the penalty. Right players in right positions, vs wrong players in wrong positions.

Riak was excellent. I don't think anyone played a bad game for us, it was a pretty solid effort right across the park for us, but Ajak was the man. He won the penalty, forced the own goal, and then scored one of his own. More than anything, each of those goals showed the value in having a forward who could run at defenders with the ball at his feet. He was too strong for their fullbacks, and too quick for their centre-backs. NPL central defenders (the good ones at least) are great when you bomb the ball at them, but attack them on the ground, and things start getting a bit more iffy.

The other standout on the day, apart from Mikkola, was Jack Painter-Andrews, who replaced Ben Djiba in the starting lineup, and held his side of the fort down well on he right. If Morgan Evans is doing a bang-up job at left fullback, then Painter-Andrews' performance in his first start after his injury layoff was also good to see - the more competition for places, the better, instead of wondering who to chuck on out of desperation. 

It wasn't all smooth sailing - at those points in time where we didn't have the ball, Avondale did look good, and our ability to play out from the back wasn't always the best. The outlet ball to the wings from defence was a problem at times, but we struck a balance between just bombing it long, and holding the ball on the 18 yard box forever. Some of the finishing once we got on top and they were chasing the game could have been better, too.

But all these are minor, fixable gripes. In just three games we've come a long way from the side that looked like it didn't believe it was allowed to cross the half way line.

Next game

North Geelong at home on Sunday, to close out the first half of the home and away season on Mother's Day. Ah, Mother's Day - the mother of all "excuse not to come to the game" days. Anyway, without wanting to assume that this will be a walk in the park, this and the Moreland game next week should in theory provide a chance to get six points, improve goal difference, and get some game time into a few players who have been in and out of the starting eleven. Or we could just power up and go nuts.

Also, if it starts getting a bit dark, can someone turn the floodlights on a bit earlier this week? They came on so late on Sunday that it felt we were back in the pre-athletics track, George Koukoulas penny-pinching days.

Is there a curtain raiser this week?
Yes. Our senior women take on Calder United, kickoff at 1:30.

National Second Division news - Welcome to Phase II
People were starting to freak out, and be all like, when's the next stage of the NSD happening? Why isn't there any news? Oh, I bet Football Australia is just trying to stooge us and/or all the old clubs again. But I wasn't thinking that, and not just because I love and have full faith in FA and the NSD, and always have. No, it's also because I was at the South Melbourne Hellas AGM not too long ago where our board (who I also love and have tremendous faith in, and have never said or thought otherwise) said that news of the successful clubs moving on from Phase I to Phase II (he attends a couple of trial days about haematology meds, and he's abandoned his humanities training for hard sciences lingo) would be announced in a couple of weeks.

And here we are. So, from 32 parties who expressed an interest, we are down to 26, of which we are one. What a relief. Of those excluded from the next phase, I suppose the most notable are Valentine FC, which means no northern New South Wales participation; the combined Western Australian bid, which means no super expensive trips to the far west; Bentleigh Greens (the only Victorian team to be ditched so far); and Blacktown City, the very successful NSW club, who have thrown a massive and eerily familiar to South fans tanty about being left out, as is their prerogative.

So now, onto whatever the next bit is, copy pasting stuff from the A-League bid but making sure to update the dates and other references to make it more relevant. 

Final thought

Woof, bark, grr, etc.