Avondale demolish South Melbourne in NPL Victoria grand final to complete double
In a season littered with records and firsts, Avondale saved arguably its best for last, demolishing South Melbourne to claim the NPL Victoria championship.
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Premiers and champions … the crown sits well on Avondale.
The Avengers capped a historic season with a 4-0 demolition of South Melbourne in the NPL Victoria grand final on Sunday to wrap up the double.
The club broke the competition record for most goals in a single season, finishing with 78, won the league for the first time in club history – losing just one game – and backed it up with a maiden championship.
Captain Ayden Brice was awarded the Jimmy Rooney Medal for best-on-ground, Tom Manos kept a 13th clean sheet and Zander Guy, Stef Zinni, Liam Boland and Liston Diaz all found the back of the net.
The commanding performance left coach Zoran Markovski to boldly declare his team was the best NPL club in Australia.
“What an achievement, I’m rapt for the group,” he said.
“We focused on pushing the boundaries this year and to go away and win a grand final 4-0 against a really good football team is outstanding.
“South had a couple of good moment but in the end (Javier) Lopez kept them in the game with three or four great saves.
“We won the league but five points, lost just one game, and then to come in and win a grand final 4-0 and it could have been seven or eight, is just so special.”
Avondale started brightly and opened the scoring in the 28th minute through Guy.
A pin-point long ball from Joey Katebian found Guy on the right wing and he cut inside before curling a ball between two defenders and into the far corner.
The goal sparked South Melbourne into action and it should have been level on minutes later but for Manos to deny Marcus Schroen point-blank.
In the process, the Avengers custodian collided with teammate Kalilou Kamara’s knee and was knocked unconscious.
Concerned teammates rushed to his side, turning the stricken keeper onto his side, but he regained his senses and miraculously was allowed to continue.
In the shadows of half-time, Avondale doubled its lead thanks to Stefan Zinni.
Yusef Ahmed slid a ball through two defenders and Zinni did just enough to redirect it into the far corner before celebrating in front of the South Melbourne fans.
In a dramatic moment a fan jumped the fence attempting to confront the Avondale players and security quickly intervened.
The half-time whistle followed and the tensions boiled over on the sidelines as a melee broke out between South and Avondale fans.
Security again, quickly intervened to break up the warring factions.
Hellas came out firing in the second half but just couldn’t hit the back of the net, Schroen was again denied by desperate defending with seemingly the goal at his beckoning.
The introduction of Liston Diaz swung the momentum back in Avondale’s favour and quickly forced Lopez to make two saves, including a world-class finger-tip save.
The game’s decisive moment came in the 78th minute as Lopez did well to deny a charging Ahmed a one-on-one opportunity.
However, the clearance fell to Boland and the NPL’s all-time goalscoring leader hammered the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area.
It was the perfect ending to a decorated career in Victorian football as the star striker returns home to Western Australia.
Diaz continued to run riot down the right wing and finally found his reward in the 92nd minute, breaking through South’s defensive line before drilling the ball past Lopez.
Lopez was outstanding for South Melbourne, making a string of critical saves, while Gold Medal winner Jake Marshall, Ben Djiba, Max Mikkola and Schroen were strong contributors.
Markovski said after the disappointment of missing finals last season it was a credit to his players to respond in such devastating fashion.
“You look at this group, we’ve kept a core together – seven or eight players – and added a couple each year,” he said.
“The boys that have come in – Zander Guy, Ayden Brice and Tom Manos are experienced players – they’ve bought in, worked hard and you can see the results.”
Markovski, himself a National Soccer League champion with Melbourne Knights, said this was up there as one of his biggest achievements.
“As a footballer, you win championships you remember that group for the rest of your life, but when you’re a coach – you take over 30 people with staff and players – to achieve this is one of my biggest moments in football,” he said.
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“Especially doing the double for this club, they’ve backed me for five years, Im’ just so proud of this group and club.”
South Melbourne didn’t finish the season empty-handed as the club snared the NPL Women’s championship with a 4-2 win over premier Bulleen Lions on Saturday night.
Tayla Christensen put Hellas in front in the 15th minute before Maja Markovski equalised nine minutes later.
It was all South from there as Akeisha Sandhu put it back in front on the half-hour mark and Danielle Wise (71st) and Zoe Lambi (88th) sealed victory before a late Alana Jancevski consolation goal for the Lions.
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