By Marcus Uhe
Dandenong City returned to the National Premier League (NPL) Victoria winners list in emphatic fashion on Friday night, sending a strong reminder to the competition that they are not a finished product after a recent stumble in form.
A 7-1 hammering of Moreland City at home made for one of the most lopsided games the competition has seen in 2024, and comes after consecutive defeats in significant fixtures for the club, against Melbourne Knights and Dandenong Thunder.
The visitors shocked the crowd at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex by opening the scoring in the seventh minute at the Filipovic Stand end, after a lapse in concentration from the Dandenong defenders.
A long throw from Moreland City landed just outside the six yard box at John Hall’s goal.
Having escaped Stefan Brecevic’s vision, Jose Sanz fired at Hall’s near post, beating the veteran stopper as rain began to fall.
10 minutes later, Kenny Athiu restored parody with a confident spot kick, after a Moreland City defender used an arm to block a Danny Kim thunderbolt.
A second penalty kick of the half gave them a 2-1 advantage, with Athiu the man taking responsibility again.
Relentless forward pressure from City’s attackers, in Athiu, Tim Atherinos and Tom Giannawkopoulos forced a turnover deep in Dandenong’s attacking half of the pitch, and a panicked challenge from the Moreland goalkeeper in the box brought down Atherinos in a one-on-one.
After going to the top left corner on the first, he went low and to the right on the second, giving the goalkeeper no hope.
Atherinos made it 3-1 just before the half, pouncing on a lose ball after a long throw from Jacob Alexander to net his sixth goal of 2024.
It took just six minutes in the second half for the home side to add a fourth, pressing home their advantage with authority.
It was Valli Cesnik’s turn to join the scoring party, heading home from point blank range after Athiu turned provider, following an inaccurate initial cross to the towering striker.
A well-worked play from a throw-in made it five, as substitute Brady Quinn, George Lambadaridis and Atherinos combined to make it a handful in the home side’s net after 61 minutes.
With the result of the game beyond any doubt, coach Nick Tolios began to swing some changes and activate his substitutes in the second half.
Atherinos and Athiu were two to make way, finishing the match with two goals apiece, granting debutant Ryan Crasto a first run at senior level for City.
In the 82nd minute, Crasto repaid the faith shown in him from City management by assisting fellow substitute Will Bower for City’s sixth.
Having worked the ball from the right-hand side of the pitch to the left, Crasto slipped the last line of the Moreland defence in dangerous territory.
From a tough angle parallel to the goal, he whipped a cross back into the heart of the penalty area, where an unmarked Bower took the opportunity presented on a platter, scoring goal number five for the season.
An own goal in stoppage time made it 7-1 for the home side, a relentless display sure to put them back on track in their push for a top six spot at the end of the season.
Crucially, City returns to a positive goal differential, having taken a hit in the ‘goals against’ column in the 5-2 loss to Melbourne a fortnight ago.
City heads to Keilor Downs next week to face Green Gully, a fellow side fighting for a spot in the top six’s lower rungs.
