By JARROD POTTER
SHIFTING the heavens was a little easier this week for South Springvale, as Aris advanced past Casey Comets 1-0 in its FFA Cup – Victorian Preliminaries clash.
No penalty shootouts, no extra time theatrics – just a comfortable one-goal win for Aris as it dispatched the Comets following a Dean Panagopoulos second-half goal.
Panagopoulos got off his marker and behind the defence as Casey goalkeeper Faraz Zenoozi attacked off the goal-line to stop a cross.
It would go over the Casey defence, leaving Panagopoulos to slot the eventual match-winner in the 49th minute.
A spree of textbook chances went begging as South Springvale could not put the sealing goal away as the minutes ticked down.
Kostintinos Daskalakis continued to impress in his second match in the yellow and black stripes – sprinting through the centre third to set up a number of the goal-bound attempts – while Zois Galanopoulos and Spiros Daskalakis also proved creative in the front third.
Last year’s FFA Cup sensation Alex Florea returned to the Aris line-up and flourished through the centre/forward in his half-hour return off the bench.
South Springvale coach Bill Lambropoulos said a win’s a win and his lads have a lot of positives yet to achieve as its FFV State League 1 South East campaign begins this week against Morwell Pegasus.
“The point is that we’re getting there,” Lambropoulos said.
“We’re still feeling out a new squad and the opportunities are there, just I think if we get it together in some games we might be threatening a lot of teams.
“I was more pleased with what we did at the back today (Saturday) – kept a clean sheet and that’s more important to me.”
In other local FFA Cup results, Springvale White Eagles are the only other Dandenong/Casey area team to advance to the fifth round, defeating Werribee City 2-0.
Langwarrin brushed aside Berwick City 5 – 0 while Dandenong’s two NPL teams – Dandenong City and Dandenong Thunder – both fell in the fourth round. City was defeated 0-2 by a resurgent Brunswick City while Thunder succumbed to its third loss on the trot in a 2-3 nail-biter against Kingston City.
