By Rory Flanagan (@Rory_Flanagan)

Bentleigh Greens powered on from its Westfield FFA Cup triumph to smash the lowly Port Melbourne Sharks 5-0 at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Friday night.

Despite a congested fortnight of fixtures, the home side showed no sign of fatigue with a barrage of storming counterattacks that Port simply could not handle.

David Stirton opened the scoring before Jamie De Abreu returned from injury with a bang, setting up goals for Tom Matthews (two) and Ryan De Vries as well as scoring himself.

After a gritty, backs-to-the-wall win in Blacktown on Tuesday night, the Greens returned to their preferred style of controlled, attacking football, and thoroughly dismantled the visitors despite talismanic captain Wayne Wallace being rested.

From the outset Port was on the back foot as Bentleigh monopolised possession and shifted its out-of-form opponents all around the park.

Luke Gallo shouldered tackling responsibilities in central midfield - even though half the size of Wallace - while Liam McCormick showed the form that won him version three of Football Superstar.

Stjepan Gal produced a fine save at his near post to keep out McCormick after some exquisite build-up play in the 18th minute.

Unfortunately for Gal, the Greens led from the subsequent corner when Stirton’s effort deflected from outside the area before swerving in off the post.

De Abreu looked like a new man on his first start back from injury and stormed down the right flank repeatedly.

McCormick picked out the winger’s run in the 25th minute with one of the passes of the season and De Abreu duly dispatched with aplomb into the far corner of Gal’s goal.

Port produced a positive spell of play in the lead up to half-time with Zois Galanopoulos and Nick Krousoratis finally able to get themselves on the ball.

However, the margin became 3-0 in the blink of an eye when yet another short corner caught the Sharks off guard.

Tom Matthews collected Lewis Foster’s pass and fired a bullet into the top-right corner from outside the area.

At the interval with the game seemingly over, coach Johnny Anastasiadis kept a close eye on his side’s fitness and Luke Pilkington made way for Christian Cavallo in the Greens’ fourth game in 10 days.

Normal service was expected to resume after the break, but Eric Vassiliadis’s men were more organised defensively and Bentleigh eased off the throttle.

The introduction of former A-League youth products Luka Prelevic and Kamal Ibrahim did liven things up.

The pair combined on several occasions but could not get further than acting Bentleigh captain Jack Webster.

As thick fog rolled in, De Vries set about getting himself on the scoresheet. The dual New Zealand- South African citizen has yet to recapture the form that made A-League clubs sit up and take notice towards the end of last season, and in the 70th minute he waltzed around four players before firing wide.

Waitekere United man De Vries got his goal 12 minutes later though when he raced on to De Abreu’s cutback and slotted past a hapless Gal.

Port’s subs Prelevic and Ibrahim continued to show promise but after finally breaking all the way through, the in-form Alastair Bray was having none of it and saved low to preserve his clean sheet.

To complete the rout, Matthews marauded all the way from right-back to get on the end of another De Abreu delivery and smash home on the volley in added time.

“Playing at home you always think home is an advantage but there’s been a lot of games at home in which we’ve dropped points. Today I thought (execution) was very clinical and the boys were very focused on the three points because we want to keep the winning feeling going for the FFA Cup,” Anastasiadis said.

While on the topic of the Westfield FFA Cup, Anastasiadis mentioned his preference of Federation clubs over A-League clubs.

“I’d be very surprised if A-League clubs would be lacking sharpness at this stage of the year when the next round is two to three weeks from the start of their season. You’d think they’d be peaking,” he said.

Counterpart Eric Vassiliadis ensured Port Melbourne’s fans that he didn’t expect his side to be relegated, as the club’s woeful run of form continues.

“I think the gulf in the two clubs’ quality is large. It’s hard to believe but I was really happy with the boys’ response after half-time and we achieved some small wins,” Vassiliadis said.

“Inexperience cost us at times and I thought their first three goals were soft, but they’re a quality unit and deserved to beat us. If we show the same endeavour we did in the second half, we won’t (be relegated).”

MATCH DETAILS

Bentleigh Greens 5 (Stirton 18', De Abreu 23’, Matthews 42’ 90’, De Vries 82’) defeated Port Melbourne Sharks 0 at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex [HT 3-0]

Bentleigh Greens: Alastair Bray (GK), Tom Matthews, Jack Webster, Jamie Cumming, Luke Pilkington (Christian Cavallo 46’), Liam McCormick (Patrick Avice 70’), Luke Gallo, Lewis Foster, Ryan De Vries, David Stirton (Nicholas Teichmann 76’), Jamie De Abreu.

Unused sub: Lajos Hun

Yellow cards: None

Red cards: None

Port Melbourne Sharks: Stjepan Gal (GK), Milos Ridesic, Connor Redden, Nicholas Krousoratis, Andrew Milicevic (Luka Prelevic 67’), Phillip Riccobene, Lambros Honos, Stefan Nigro, Amadu Koroma, Nicky McNamara (Chris Grossman 56’), Zois Galanopoulos (Kamal Ibrahim 56’)

Unused subs: Adam Hrehoresin, Tim Paton.

Yellow cards: None

Red cards: None

Image credit: Graeme Furlong