Avondale hands Hume City heavy defeat after having points docked by Football Victoria

Avondale took out its frustrations on Hume City with a thumping win, the day after having three points docked for fielding an ineligible player.

Blake Carpenter in action for Avondale. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Friday – docked three points for fielding an ineligible player.

Saturday – thump NPL Victoria finals rival Hume City 5-0 despite missing several key players.

Fair to say it was a dramatic weekend for defending premier and champion Avondale.

Football Victoria confirmed on Friday afternoon the Avengers would be stripped of their Round 17 win over Moreland City after an investigation found it had fielded an ineligible player.

The result was subsequently over-turned and a 3-0 win awarded to Moreland.

George Ott in action for Avondale. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Kalilou Kamara in action for Avondale. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Less than 24 hours later, the club returned to the pitch to produce arguably one of its strongest performances of the year to crush Hume City.

In his return from injury, Kristian Trajceski scored, as did Kur Kur and Stefan Zinni and while only coming on in the 85th minute youngster Jacob Thomas Chinnama scored a brace.

Coach Zoran Markovski said it was disappointing to lose three points in a tight premiership race but his players never failed to turn up.

“I don’t know much about it, I only found out on Friday and we were focused on the game on Saturday,” Markovski said.

“I think it was an admin error, I don’t know the full extent of it, but all we can focus on as a group is what happens on the field.

“The resilience this group has shown, having 10 players out, getting a couple back, and six out from last year’s grand final XI.

“Through adversity comes strength and this team has it in abundance, to rock up every week and put in a shift.

“We should have been 2-0 down inside 20 minutes yesterday but we took Aydin Brice out of defence and put him in the No.6, he’s a true leader, his dominance in midfield was massive.

Kristian Trajceski made his return for Avondale against Hume City. Picture: Brendan Beckett

“We found our rhythm and went into half-time with two goals and finished them off … with three goals in the last five minutes.”

Zinni opened the scoring in the 17th minute, poking the ball home after Mark Ochieng had denied Yitay Towns on the line.

A minute before half-time, Ochieng was adjudged to have handballed in the box and Kur doubled the Avengers’ lead from the penalty spot.

It only got worse for Hume – playing three days after winning through to the Australia Cup Round of 32 – when goalkeeper Michael Weier was shown a straight red card for kicking the ball at celebrating Avondale players.

Weier’s replacement Jacson Riley then saved a penalty in the 66th minute, turning George Ott’s tame effort away, and denied Kur a brace with a reflex diving save in the 71st.

After eight weeks out with a broken ankle, Trajceski returned, coming on in the 60th minute and was on the scoresheet in the 85th, tapping home Blake Carpenter’s incisive cross.

Chinnama was only given the final five minutes of the match, replacing Cian Cuba, and made the most of it.

The 20-year-old scored his maiden NPL goal, tapping in a Trajceski assist in the 88th minute before powering in his second in the 91st.

Markovski was in awe of his players ability to respond to adversity.

“If any other club was in this position we’re in with the amount of injuries they’d be in the relegation zone but we’re top two because we’re one of the best NPL clubs in Australia,” he said.

“The culture we’ve got is probably the best in Australia, there’s a brotherhood there and the fight for each other.”

Despite the win and South Melbourne’s loss to Heidelberg United, the loss of points sees Avondale fall five points back of Hellas in the premiership race with eight matches remaining.

The Avengers host Manningham United on Saturday before a blockbuster clash with the Warriors at Olympic Village.

Season-defining games against Oakleigh (home) and South Melbourne (home) are also still to come.

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“We’d only be two points away so we’ve just got to concentrate on the eight games and wherever that takes us,” Markovski said.

“We’re definitely going to play finals and I can tell you know we’re definitely going to give it one hell of a shake.

“With a lot of senior guys out, these young boys have come in and fitted in really well, we haven’t had to change our style, we love dominating teams.”

But first, a trip to the Home of the Matildas on Tuesday night, for an Australia Cup tie against Oakleigh with the winner to progress to the national Round of 32 stage.