St. Albans Saints VS Port Melbourne Sharks

Monday 16^th April, 2001 at Churchill Reserve

Weather:  Sunny, Warm 28c

Saints Line Up: 

Vunderl ; Vidakovic (75) - M Cuze  ; Klarica ; Raspudic ; J Cuze ; Sianidis ; Milardovic; S Rados  (60) – Dragicevic ; Trupkovic ; Kelic ; Zilic (80) – Tudor

Score 1:1  (1:1)

0: 1 Psarros (1)  1:1 Zilic (23)

For a second Saints game in a row a goal was scored in the first minute of the game, but this time Saints fell behind after Psarros was on the end of a through ball, outpacing Joe Cuze and slotting the ball past Vunderl as though it was a training drill. 

Saints should have drawn level in the 10^th minute when Ante Kelic headed the ball over the bar.  Port Melbourne looked the more polished side until the 23^rd minute when Ivan Zilic received a through ball down the middle, ran between two Port players and beating Goalkeeper Wardle with ease. (Click Photo to Enlarge)

Port Melbourne was playing better but no clear chances to score.  Saints Scored their second goal through Ante Kelic but he was adjudged offside this was in the 40^th minute. (Click Photo to Enlarge)

In the 57^th minute Nick Tsaltas had a great chance to put his side in front but Marijan Vunderl saves from close range.  In the 68^th minute Con Sianidis outjumped goalkeeper Steve Wardle unfortunately his effort hit the upright bounced back across the goal mouth and was scrambled out of play by the defenders, but this did not stop Port attacking and Marijan Vunderl is keeping the Saints in the game with some excellent saves.  Another great chance for Ivan Zilic in the 78^th minute when a smart pass from Con Sianidis sets him up one on one against Wardle but this time the keeper guesses the right ways and saves a certain goal.  Port Melbourne had a good chance to win three minutes into injury time but Vunderl was unbeatable.

The draw puts Saints back on top of the ladder at least till next weekend when the Round 11 concludes.

Under 21 side decimated Port Melbourne 6:1

Next game is against Green Gully in two weeks time at Gully Reserve at 4.00 & 6.00 pm

Bulleen Zebras  VS  St. Albans Saints

Date:  12^th April, 2001 Veneto Club Bulleen

Saints Line-Up:

Vunderl, Mrak (13) Raspudic, Klarica, Milardovic, Sianidis, Trupkovic, Vidakovic (69)- Dragicevic, Kelic, Zilic (58)- M. Cuze, S. Rados (79)- Tudor

Goals:    (0:1) Sianidis 01 (1:1) Spink 03 (2:1) Spink 45 (2:2) Tudor 97

If you wrote a script to a perfect start to a match it would be to score a goal in the first minute.  Well, if the writer was the Saints coach Peter Cocker, his script came true. 

From the kick-off Slavko Rados ran with the ball on the right flank and was fouled in the deep in the attack some two meters in from the line.  A free kick was superbly taken and on the end of it was Con Sianidis, who slammed it in from eight meters out, but what you would not write is the equalizer to plays later.

First, from the restart Bulleen went forward and took a shot from just outside the box, but Mario Vunderl, flies and tips the ball over the bar. 

The Second play was a corner kick that found Warren Spink in the box who in turn kicked the ball in to the back of the net.  Hardly three minutes gone, two goals scored four plays played and the score is 1:1.  Things did not look up for the Saints, in the thirteenth minutes Martin Raspudic failed to control the ball in the centre of the field when on the attack. He then looses the ball against two Bulleen players who had only Goran Mrak, between themselves and the goalkeeper.  With nothing left to loose Mrak was an adjudged to have fouled one of the Bulleen players, and was sent off because of the last man rule.  From then on, Bulleen took control of the game and in the third minute of added time, in the first half Bulleen scores a second goal after their player controlled the ball by hand, which in turn found Spink who slotted his second goal of the evening.

In the second half, Bulleen took off from where they left off in the first half and had two one on one chances against Vunderl but the Saints goalkeeper saved on both occasions.  To be fair to Raspudic he had a good game apart from that one mistake.  Ivan Zilic ran himself into the ground until he could not run any more; he was up forward one minute and in defence the next.  The whole team put in, and never gave up.  The Saints defended superbly and Bulleen started to do some time wasting.  In the 87^th minute a Bulleen player was sent off for punching, Mijo Trupkovic, that brought the teams equle with player and the Saints went on the attack.  The time wasting came to haunt Bulleen and in the 7^th minute of added time and The Saints equalized through Zoran Tudor.

As the ball went in to the back of the net you would have thought the game was played at the Saints home ground with chants of “DINAMO!!!!” “DINAMO!!!!” from our rowdy supporters. 

Finally the whistle blew for the end of the game with some of the Bulleen players not happy and wanted to remonstrate with the Saints players. 

The draw puts The Saints equal top with Bentleigh, but the feeling before the game was that the win was not to far away. 

We play Bulleen again in three weeks time at the Knights Stadium for the first of our five home games at the venue, so we hope to see everyone there.

Next home game is against Port Melbourne on Easter Monday and Churchill Reserve, the Home of DINAMO.   Time 1.00pm & 3.00pm

Round 2 Postponed Match

Our Postponed Match against Bulleen from round 2 will be played on Thursday the 12^th of Aril, 2001 @ 6.15 and 8.15 @ the Veneto Club, Bulleen Road, Bulleen, Melways Ref: 32-D9. If the Saints win they will regain the top spot after being in first position last week, until Bentleigh stoped their eight week undefeated streak.

Bentleigh Vs The Saints 

The Saints suffered their second loss of the season when they played Bentleigh. The saints played quite well but were unable to put away their shots. This was until Slavko Rados scored from outside the box. The keeper fumbled the ball and it went to the back of the net for a 1:0 lead to the Saints. Bentleigh equalized before the half was finished and kept on pressing in to the second. They were then able to add another goal in the second half for a final score of 2:1. Late in the game Captain Joe Cuze was booked for the second time for handling the ball. He was shone his second yellow card, and Saints were left with 10 men for the remainder of the game.

Our next game is against Bulleen on Thursday the 12^th of Aril, 2001 @ 6.15 and 8.15 @ the Veneto Club, Bulleen Road, Bulleen, Melways Ref: 32-D9

The Saints Vs Altona East 

Weather:  Cool, cloudy and windy

Result: Saints 1:0  (0:0)   Ante Kelic 53^rd minute

Vunderl, J Cuze (Captain), Mrak, Klarica (45) – M Cuze, Milardovic, Sianidis, Trupkovic, Vidakovic (65) – Dragicevic, Zilic, Kelic, Tudor (80) –  S Rados

Cool winds greeted the Saints for their Round 9 clash against the fast sinking Altona East, who had lost their three previous games. The Saints had the first use of the wind, but Altona had control of the game.  It wasn’t until the 20^th minute before The Saints took control but only after Paul Donnelly was sent off for back handing Mijo Trupkovic, in the face which required attention from the physio.

Slowly, The Saints began to look dangerous with Con Sianidis controlling the mid-field. Mijo Trupkovic & Tom Milardovic began to lift and Ivan Zilic was strong on the left flank. The best chance for the Saints came in the 40^th minute when Altona’s goalkeeper Sam Frangos stood outside the box holding the ball. Marko Vidakovic took the free kick, curling the ball over the wall, but the keeper Frangos just got his fingertips to the ball before it sailed over the bar.  half finished goalless with neither side looking very dangerous.

The second half saw Klarica  replaced by Max Cuze.  Ivy suffering from a tummy bug just could not continue.  Altona began stacking their back-line protecting the score and The Saints were passing the ball around trying to pull defenders out which worked in the Saints favour and in the 53^rd minute the  goal came.  After a beautiful cross from Mijo Trupkovic Ante Kelic rose above the defenders and with a magnificent header beat the goalkeeper.  In the 65^th minute Ilija Dragicevic replaces Marko Vidakovic.

The Saints were attacking, but had no clear chances for scoring.  Tom Milardovic buoyant by last weeks dribbling feats tries to emulate the same  without success.  The 80^th minute saw Slavko Rados replacing Zoran Tudor for his first game of the season after coming home from The Melbourne Knights.

Altona with nothing to loose started attacking and in the 91^st minute Marijan Vunderl saved a certain goal from a point blank range and a minute later he does it again this time he took two goes to gather the ball.

With whistles from the Saints supporters, and screams “TIME” the referee finally blows his whistle after 8 minutes of stoppage time.  The win puts the Saints on top of the ladder with one game in hand 

Under 21 Squad won handsomely 3:0 after playing with 10 men from the 39^th minute onwards.

Next game against Bentleigh Greens on Sunday 8^th Aril, 2001 @ 1.00 and 3.00 at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, Cheltenham  Melways Ref:  87-F2

(Click for Photos)

The Essendon Royals Vs The Saints

A cool, cloudy and very windy Saturday afternoon greeted the Saints at Epping Stadium for a game against bottom of the table Essendon.  The conditions didn't allow for a pretty game with Essendon having the use of the wind in the first half.  Essendon, attacked and The Saints relied  on counter attacks.  The first chance fell to the home team in the 26th minute but the header just missed.  In the next 4 minutes Essendon had four corner kicks, but the Saints defence led by Captain Joe Cuze, stood firm.  It was time for the Saints to take over, and in the 32nd minute after a good build-up a shot from just outside the box, missed by a whisker.  In the 38th minute Mijo Trupkovic, was brought down in the box, but appeals for a penalty was dismissed, by the Referee.  Finally the goal came, after a corner kick was taken by Mark Vidakovic, the ball was headed out of the box to the Saints player who passed it to Tom Milardovic, who was some 30 metres out from the goal.  Milardovic, took on the whole defence of Essendon, dribbled through three tackles and then dribbled passed the goal keeper slamming the ball into the goal where three Essendon players stopped the ball from hitting the net, Saints players appeared to celebrate the goal but the Referee allowed the play to go on, and the cool head of Con Sianidis who was watching the ball simply stuck his foot out, and tucked the ball into the net for a 1:0 lead to the Saints.

Hoping that the wind would do all the work for the Saints in the second half, Saints got a shock of their lives in the 71st minute when on the counter attack Mario Vundrel was beaten with a clever header for a 1:1 score.  In the 80th minute Ivan Zilic was on the attack on the left side out sprinting two defenders and calmly slotting the ball passed the goal-keeper for a 2:1 lead to the Saints.  The 86th minute brought a silence over the Saints when Con Sianidis was tackled and left lying on the ground, he had to be carried off the ground on the shoulders of supporting staff with blood coming out of his mouth.  Con was straight away taken to hospital, with suspected fractured check.  It was a sad finish to a forgettable game but none the less a win is a win. 

(Click For Photos)

Our Under 21 side lost there first game of the season by 3:1

Next game on Sunday 1st April against Altona East starting at 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Note Change of Venue 

On Saturday the 24th of March the players of the St Albans Saints Soccer Club will be holding a disco at the Turf Club Hotel, 1 Flemington Road Flemington. Doors open 9pm. Door prizes & Giveaways. Come Down an Party!

The Saints Vs Heidelberg 

Best game of the season spectator wise at home by the Saints, who in the end scored the winning goal when a draw looked the most likely.  The game was played  up and down the field at a furious pace with Saints having numerous chances to score, but without success.

Until, a penalty was awarded by the Referee against a Heidelberg. A player handled the ball in the penalty area. With no real penalty takers in the side, Tom Milardovic took the spot kick but unfortunately it bounced off the upright back into play into the path of Ante Kelic who headed  into the cross bar, the ball bounced straight down and Heidelberg defenders finally cleared it.  

Heidelberg had a good chance to hit the front in the last minute of the first half where the ball bounced off the upright before being cleared.

In the second half the game continued where it finished with the Saints attacking and Heidelberg counter attacking.  Some 15 minutes into the second half Mijo Trupkovic was brought down by the goal-keeper and the penalty was awarded again.

This time Mario Vundrel took the chance, but unfortunately it was saved by his opposite number.  This was the third penalty that was missed in two games.

When everything seemed lost, and a draw looked inevitable in the 94th minute of the game the goal finally came through Ante Kelic, after a scramble in the box he managed to tuck the ball over the line for a final score of Saints 1 Warriors 0

(Click For Photos)

P.S.  Don't forget to put your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night the 24th March, 2001

Next game is on Saturday the 24th March at 1.00 and 3.00 p.m. against Essendon at Epping Stadium.

Preston Vs Saints

The Saints played out their first draw of the season on Sunday against Preston in Preston.  The game started promising for the Saints, who kept attacking but without any real chance of scoring until mid-way through the first half when the Saints earned a penalty.  Penalty was taken by Ilija Dragicevic but unfortunately for the Saints the goal-keeper saved it.  

The Saints kept on attacking and had two or three good opportunities to score without success.  In the end it finished 0:0 with neither side happy with the result.

Web-Site Down

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The Saints Vs Dandenong Thunder

Churchill Reserve Sunday the 4th March, 2001.

Saints 3:0

Scorers: Ivan Zilic 2  ,  I. Rados 1

 Saints:  Vunderl, Klarica, Milardovic, Rados (66)- Hrehoresin, Trupkovic, Cuze Joe,

Zilic, Tudor (66)- Kelic, Sianidis, Dragicevic(84)- Cuze Max , Vidakovic

For a second week in a row Saints played a team with a new coach appointed during the week, and for a second time they won. The game did not start well for Tom Milardovic who got trodden on and was bleeding from the right ear which needed attention from the physio Irene.  The Saints did not loose any time in asserting its dominates with attacks coming quick and fast, and in the 22nd minute defender Ilija Rados scores the Saints first goal.

In the 27th and 29th minute Ivan Zilic had shots on goal but the goal keeper for Thunder saves the weak shots.  At last Ivan Zilic makes it third time lucky by scoring in the 38th minute for a 2:0.  Mario Vunderl saves a certain goal in the 44th minute after the first shot hits upright and bounces back into the path of a attacking Thunder player but Mario intervenes magnificently to keep the 2 goal advantage.  

The 60th minute produces the third goal for the Saints.  Con Sianidis breaks on the left flank and has a shot at goal but the keeper saves it the rebound is collected none-other than Zilic for his second of the afternoon and the third for the Saints.  

Double substitution is made in the 66th minute by the Saints coach Peter Cocker in comes Ante Kelic for Zoran Tudor and Ricky Hrehoresin for Ilija Rados.  The substitutions make no difference to the flow of the game, Saints keep on attacking and in the 71st minute Con Sianidis is on the break again but this time his shot shaves the up-right for a goal kick.  

Right after the kick in Dandenong Thunder attacks but Mario Vunderl saves the day again for the Saints.  The 84th minute sees a substitution in comes Max Cuze for Ilija Dragicevic.  The game continues with Dandenong attacking and unlucky not to score a consolation goal.  Final score is Saints 3 Thunder 0

The Reserves also won by 1:0

Next home game is against Heidelberg United Sunday 18th March at 3 and 5 pm 

Not Again! 

For the second week in a row the Saints will play a team with a new coach. Dandenong Thunder this week sacked its head coach Bobby McLaughlan and replaced him with Sampson Elmazi. This is the second coaching causality of the Season. Altona Magic who the Saints played last week have also lost a coach this year. Fortunately the Saints were able to beat the Magic 3:2 in a match where the opposition lifted and played quite well for a loosing side. Lets hope that we can produce the same result against a team that will obviously lift for its new coach.

Altona Magic Vs The Saints

The evening of Friday the 23rd February, 2001 after our hottest days St. Albans Saints played against Altona Magic, and for a change it was a cool and comfortable evening for soccer.  Although before Saints realized they were playing they were down 2:0.  Altona Magic went in front early in the first half, through a mistake by our defence.  Halfway through, the first half Magic lost there player number 11 after he kicked Tom Milardovic in the head who was already lying down on the ground.  Such actions are not warranted and should be condoned whole -heartedly.  

After that incident Altona Magic kept attacking and a few minutes later they scored there second goal for a 2:0 lead.

Slowly Saints took over, and in the dying minutes of the first half they pulled one goal back through Zoran Tudor.  First half finished 2:1 to Altona but Saints looked the goods.

In the 12th minute of the second half Saints equalized through Ante Kelic with a beautiful header lobbing over the goal-keeper.  The score is 2:2.

Attack after attack Saints are dominating and in around the 30th minute Saints went in front through another header, but this time by Mijo Trupkovic for a score of  3:2 in Saints favour.  Altona slowly started getting back into the game, but Saints kept counter attacking and after one of the counter attacks Ivan Zilic hit the upright from just inside the box.

After several minutes of extra time Saints prevailed by the final score of 3:2 

The Best Players For Saints:  Ilija Rados, Ivan Zilic, Martin Raspudic, Joe Cuze, and Mijo Trupkovic

The reserves also won and are still undefeated for the season.

Next game at Home: Sunday 4th March, 2001 against South Dandenong Games start at 3.00 and 5.00 p.m.

MARK SILIC DEREGISTERED BY THE VSF

In a situation where one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing the VSF has deregistered  former NSL player Mark Silic after realizing that he was registered one week too late. It is our understanding that Mark played in four games plus five minutes of a fifth game which took him over the allowed limit set by the VSF. 

So where does he play now, Mr. VSF?

The Saints Vs Fawkner Blues

On a very hot Sunday afternoon the 18th February, 2001 at  Churchill Reserve the Saints won their first game of the season defeating Fawkner Blues 3:1.  The game began in a lack luster way with neither side showing their potential.  The Saints played disjointedly without any clue or  a plan how to create any sort of chance for a score in the first half of the game.  

The Visitors took advantage of this situation and scored half way through the first half through their number 8 player. Only chances for a score was by Ante Kelic in the first few minutes of the first half which he missed, the scrappy game continued until the end of the first half.

Second half began as though it was a new team on the park with the Saints continuously attacking and Ante Kelic missing a great opportunity by kicking the ball over the keeper and over the bar.  Finally, Ante Kelic did score after a corner kick.  The attacks kept on coming, and after a drinks break in the middle of the second half due to the hot weather Coach Cocker took out  Ivan Zilic and replaced him with Con Sianidis the move paid off instantly with Con scoring with a great header for a 2:1 lead.   The Saints didn't let up and in the dying minutes scored again through Tom Milardovic for a final score of 3:1.

The Reserves also won handsomely by 4:1

Saints next game is on Friday 23rd February, 2001 @ 6.15pm and 8.15pm at Altona Magic's home ground.

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