By Rory Flanagan (@Rory_Flanagan)

Ten-man Dandenong Thunder secured a momentous 1-0 win over a highly fancied Green Gully Cavaliers side at George Andrews Reserve on Saturday night.

After losing Kris Kioussis to a red card in the first half, Matt Millar sent the home fans into a frenzy with a cracking individual goal in the 75th minute to give Dean Hennessey a win over the club who showed him the door last season.

The two combatants in last year's Dockerty Cup final, the visitors kept almost the exact same squad while Dandenong fielded a youthful, new-look starting line-up with more than a dozen fresh faces joining the club in pre-season.

In glorious conditions for football, the experience of Gully showed in the opening 20 minutes as Jeff Fleming's men settled well and dictated proceedings with superior ball retention and decision making.

On numerous occasions the ball was fizzed across the Dandenong box without the finishing touch before Jason Hayne went close with a speculative volley, forcing Frazer Siddall to claw the strike away from the top corner of his net.

The unfamiliar Dandenong back four was repeatedly caught square early on and yet again it was Hayne who should have profited. The number eight raced clean through on goal with only Siddall to beat but surprisingly fired wide.

Treble winners two seasons ago, Thunder's defensive problems went from bad to worse as Kris Kioussis was dismissed. The left-back repeatedly slid in at his man after being bested one on one and was issued his second yellow card in six minutes.

Gully had its hosts on the ropes as halftime approached, but lacked a cutting edge in the final third and entered the break deadlocked.

Dean Hennessey sacrificed young winger Kieran Dover in favour of the more defensive-minded and natural left-back Anthony Giannopoulos at the restart, but his side still remained under the pump.

Andy Vargas blazed over on 50 minutes after being teed up by Osagie Ederaro, who struggled to make an impact thanks to an astonishing defensive work rate from Brendan Elmazovski.

The young full-back managed to keep up with one of the league's quickest players for the full 90 minutes as well as prevent him making a damaging impact on the left flank.

It was in central areas that the Cavaliers looked most dangerous as Brian Vanega and Sean Harding monopolised possession but the Dandenong defence held firm in two rigid banks of four.

A careless error nearly gifted Jake Nakic a goal, although his strike was blocked along with Brendan Craig's follow-up in what looked like Dandenong's only hint of a chance for the entire night.  

That was until youngster Millar decided to take the game on all by himself. The 17-year-old full-back - who had never played in central midfield prior to the match - was already working tirelessly and set off on a solo run from halfway with 15 minutes remaining.

He danced past two defenders before cutting across the box and firing into the bottom corner as George Andrews Reserve erupted in jubilation.

Brimming with confidence, Millar proceeded to repeatedly drive at the Gully defence drawing foul after foul, providing much needed respite for his teammates in the closing stages.

Gully's final chance came through Ederaro's diving header from a corner, but it wasn't its night as Dandy held on for a courageous upset win.

Post game, Hennessey was elated.

"At halftime we tried to set our stall to play 4-4-1 and I said look there might be a mistake, something might happen, we might create a chance and we might score a goal but realistically I thought we’ve got a point, let’s keep the point, we’re in a bad situation and a nil-nil result is a victory. To actually win it, was amazing really," Hennessey said.

When pressed about Millar, he added, "He’s 17 years old, he’s got an engine to die for and he just goes at you. Even our lads, we hate training against him, we don’t like it because he won’t leave you alone and his performance was superb”.

Green Gully player-coach Jeff Fleming was frustrated but saw positives in his side's performance.

“I think we’ve shown in the last two weeks how we’re going to fare. I think we’re going to do well. We play some good football,” Fleming said.

“At the end of the day you’ve got to take your chances, you don’t take your chances, you get punished.”

MATCH DETAILS

FT: Dandenong Thunder 1 (Matthew Millar 75') defeated Green Gully Cavaliers 0 at George Andrews Reserve (HT: 0-0)

Dandenong Thunder: Frazer SIDDALL (GK), Rama TAVSANCIOGLU, Faisal ZAFA, Kieran DOVER (Anthony GIANNOPOULOS 46'), Matthew MILLAR, Alan MULCAHY (C), Alan KEARNEY, Kris KIOUSSIS, Brendan ELMAZOVSKI, Brendan CRAIG, Jake NAKIC (Ilir PALI 81')

Unused subs: Zaim ZENELI, Ivan SKORICH, Ryan BURNS

Goal: Miller 75'

Yellow cards: Kioussis 31', 37’

Red card: Kioussis 37'

Best: Miller, Elmazovski, Mulcahy

Green Gully Cavaliers: Kieran GONZALEZ (GK),  Daniel JONES,  Rodrigo VARGAS, Stephen DOWNES, Sean HARDING  (Jem BERKANT 82'), Jeffrey FLEMING (C), Mathew SANDERS, Jason HAYNE (Brent FISHER 77'), Andy VARGAS, Osagie EDERARO (Ratip CILELI 89'), Brian VANEGA.

Unused: Dilen IBRAHIM, Cameron DAVIES.

Goals: Nil

Yellow cards: Jones 77'

Red cards: Nil

Best: Downes, Harding, Vanega