By Mark Gojszyk (@hahahamark)

Springvale White Eagles has earned its first win of the NPL 1 season in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to defeat table-topping Box Hill United 3-1.
 
The game was looking like a formality for Box Hill, which controlled the tempo early and took a comfortable 1-0 lead into the break, courtesy of a deflected Nick Kokolakis goal.
 
However, a penalty to Springvale just after the break, converted by Abel Fesseha, gave the visitors a sniff, and a red card to Box Hill’s Josh Valadon changed the course of the game, as Hamish Millar and Paul Maghiar both scored afterwards to seal the points for the White Eagles.
 
Box Hill kicked off proceedings looking to control possession and tempo, and its early pressure nearly paid off after just seven minutes when Sam Catherine forced a strong save from Mathieu Tetron.  
 
Fesseha was looking lively for Springvale, winning a ball in midfield, and after some interplay with Vojislav Milojevic, shot straight at Box Hill ‘keeper Alexander Pavlidis.
 
On the half hour mark Tetron won another duel with Catherine, keeping Springvale level with another top save.
 
However, Tetron could not keep Box Hill at bay for a third time, with a 38th-minute strike from Kokolakis deflecting in for a goal and capping off a period of dominance from the home side.
 
Staring down the barrel of a fifth-straight defeat, Springvale refused to back down, earning a penalty just after the restart when Milojevic was taken down in the box by Josh Valadon. Fesseha easily beat Alexander Pavlidis from the spot.
 
The match would soon take another turn when, in the 61st minute, Valadon was handed his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
 
Fesseha had a chance to nab the lead after a turnover in midfield left him one-on-one with Pavlidis, but the keeper came off his line to deny the forward his second goal.
 
Springvale looked like a team on a mission, and Milojevic was again in the thick of the action when he ran down the right flank and squared the ball up for Millar, who slotted the ball home from close range.
 
Now a man and a goal down, Box Hill looked to top scorer Kenny Athiu to spark the team off the bench, and he nearly did earn the equaliser when he got on the end of a Rinor Muriqi chipped ball, but his header sailed over the bar.
 
With time running out and Box Hill desperate for that elusive goal, it pushed men forward, much to its detriment.
 
Tetron, making another expert save in extra time, played the ball out quickly, which found its way to Milojevic, who again made another dashing run down the wing and this time teed up Maghiar, who finished the swift counter-attack with Springvale’s third goal of the game.
 
It would be Milojevic’s third goal involvement for the day, sealing the unlikely victory for the cellar-dwellers.
 
Box Hill assistant coach Greg Kassidas praised the efforts of the spirited visitors, but described his own team’s attitude on the day as “complacent”.
 
“We knew that they would come out and they were desperate, bottom of the table with no points, and they played with heart and we didn’t,” Kassidas said.
 
“They wanted it more than us.”
 
Springvale Coach Zlatko Mihajlovic was relieved with the first win of the season, admitting he was unsure whether his team could come back after trailing 1-0 at halftime against the top team.
 
“We planned the structure and changed formation for this game, they’re a fantastic team but on the pitch it’s always 11v11,” Mihajlovic said.
 
“Unfortunately we gave away a goal at halftime but we put belief in the players to focus for another 45 minutes and just run them down.”

MATCH DETAILS

Box Hill United 1 (Kokolakis 38’) defeated by Springvale White Eagles 3 (Fesseha pen. 47’, Millar 74’, Maghiar 90’+1) at Wembley Park
 
Box Hill United: 35. Alexander PAVLIDIS (GK), 29. George HOWARD (14. Kenny ATHIU 72’), 23. Josh VALADON, 22. Nick KOKOLAKIS, 20. Josh BUSCH, 12. Adrian DEL MONACO, 11. Matt WATERS, 10. Rinor MURIQI, 8. Sam CATHERINE, 5. Alex SCHROEN (3. Matt COLLIER 62’), 4. Chris IRWIN
 
Unused Subs: 21. Christian PAVLIDIS, 16. Christian LAR, 7. Anthony RAMZY
 
Yellow Cards: Valadon 46’, 61
 
Red Cards: Valadon 61’
 
Springvale White Eagles: 1. Mathieu TETRON (GK), 3. Joey CALDERONE, 4. Simo JOVANOVIC, 5. Scott MILLAR, 6. Slavisa SARIC, 8. Marcus HOLMES, 13. Hamish MILLAR, 14 Joshua BOWEN (18. Ryan DON PAUL 13’), 9. Abel FESSEHA (16. Jamie DE SMIT 88’), 19. Vojislav MILOJEVIC, 21. Dejan ERAKOVIC (11. Paul MAGHIAR 81’)
 
Unused Subs: 12. Bojan TOMIC
 
Yellow Cards: Millar 56’, Holmes 70’
 
Red Cards: None