By Agron Dauti

Pascoe Vale has left George Andrews Reserve triumphant after a smash-and-grab 2-1 victory over an unlucky Dandenong Thunder side on Saturday night.

The win gave Vitale Ferrente’s side a much needed win after almost a month without a victory, and a week after last week’s game was called off after a serious injury to Luca Santili. 

Dandenong Thunder were unlucky to come away empty handed despite a significant number of attacking chances along with a questionable first-half call, with the home loss marking four-consecutive losses for the struggling Thunder.

Former Dandenong striker Jake Nakic proved to be the difference on the night with a first-half brace against his old side earning the three points for Vitale Ferrente’s Pascoe Vale.

Dandenong came out of the blocks firing and almost opened the scoring in the first ten seconds after Carl Lamb found space in the box, but Yaren Sozer saved his bottom-corner shot. 

Thunder forward Feston Azizi put his side up in the 14th minute with a brilliant left-footed strike as he turned his man and curled the ball past ‘keeper Sozer into the bottom corner. 

Dandenong looked to capitalise and impact the scoreboard further but despite pressuring Pascoe Vale’s final third, the Thunder could not catch a break with chance after chance failing to hit the back of the net.

Pascoe Vale looked set to make it 1-1 in the 31st minute after Joseph Youssef set up Jake Nakic in the box but the Thunder defence cut out Nakic’s finesse shot.

However, the visitors soon got the equaliser they hoped for when Jake Nakic found himself one-on-one with Zaim Zeneli, despite calls for offside and slotted the ball home in the 35^th minute.

Nakic almost got two in two minutes but his shot from outside the box blazed over the crossbar. 

However, he didn’t have to wait long to complete his brace, scoring from close range in the 41st minute from a Joseph Youssef assist. 

With the score at 2-1, Dandenong’s Carl Lamb soon found himself clear on goal and one-on-one with Sozer but his attempt to chip the Pascoe Vale ‘keeper did not pay off. 

Kris Kioussis was unlucky not to equalise in the 44th minute as Sozer rose well and got a hand to a beautifully struck free-kick that looked destined for the top-right corner. 

The half ended 2-1 in Pascoe Vale’s favour as Pascoe’s clinical play made the Thunder pay for failing to capitalise on numerous attacking chances. 

Dandenong took the fight to Pascoe Vale early in the second half, but failed to make an impact on the scoreboard and both sides went back and forth throughout the second half. 

However, a fine display of goalkeeping from Sozer would prevent Dandenong from getting a much needed equaliser.

With the final chance of the clash, Faisal Sakhi Zada got onto the end of a Josh Caruana pass in the box but his stoppage-time strike rolled across the face of goal despite looking set to go in – perhaps a fitting metaphor for Dandenong’s recent lack of luck.

Pascoe Vale coach Vitale Ferrente was delighted with the final scoreline but felt his side were lucky to escape with the three points, while also reserving praise for stand-in goalkeeper Yaren Sozer and Jake Nakic. 

“I’m over the moon with the result because our performance was well below par and I believe that Dandenong will walk away feeling aggrieved that they didn’t get something out of this game – they were very good,” Ferrente said.

“We played a 17-year-old ‘keeper and I thought he was outstanding and he had to be – I [also] thought Jakey [Nakic] was fantastic, he put away his two chances.”

Dandenong Thunder coach Dean Hennessey was pleased with his team’s efforts on the night but admitted he was disappointed by some of the officiating – namely an offside that led to a Pascoe Vale goal.

“I’m really delighted [with] the way we played but we can’t buy a goal at the moment and it’s cruel for them. They are working hard, they’re putting everything into it and outside of the result I couldn’t be happier with them,” Hennessey said.. 

“We’re 1-0 up and to have that decision that was blatant to everybody, I’m not blaming the ref, but it really spoiled the contest because it wasn’t just once, it was consistently poor decisions in that area – we have to be accountable, players have to be accountable and so do [referees] and that’s the way it should be.”

MATCH DETAILS

Dandenong Thunder 1 (Azizi 14’) defeated by Pascoe Vale 2 (Nakic 35’, 41’) at George Andrews Reserve [HT: 1-2]

Dandenong Thunder: Zaim Zeneli (GK), Jarryd Barnes, Brendan Elmazovski (Rees Duncan 82’), Ramazan Tavsancioglu, Feston Azizi, Alan Kearney, Matthew Millar, Kieran Dover (Josh Caruana 82’), Carl Lamb, Kris Koussis, Ilir Pali (Faisal Sakhi Zada 63’).

Unused subs: Frazer Siddall, Jarrod Blackbourn.

Yellow cards: Alan Kearney 32’

Red cards: None

Pascoe Vale: Yaren Sozer (GK), Adrian Talarico, Nathan Megic, Tomislav Milardovic (Lindsay Henderson 77’), Joseph Youssef, Jake Nakic (James Stefanou 89’), Jonathan Voulgaris (Matthew Lazarides 71’), Alvaro Carrillo, Marco Santilli, Michael Ferrante, Carl Recchia

Unused subs: Evan Karavitis, Jayden Anderson

Yellow cards: Tomislav Milardovic 13’, Nathan Megic 23’, Carl Recchia 43’

Red cards: None