By Ahmed Yussuf (@ahmedyussuf10)

Kingston City defeated Brunswick in a resounding 5-1 victory at Dunstan Reserve on Saturday.

Braces to Max Etheridge and Gino Defeo after George Stavridis’ opener powered the visitors to a big win over Brunswick, which remains anchored at the bottom of the NPL 1 table.

Brunswick opened the scoring in the fourth minute as Nick Terezakis struck from 30 yards out to hit the back of the net.

Kingston went on the offensive after conceding the early goal, putting Brunswick custodian Mason Interlandi to work. The Brunswick man pulled off a double save after Stavridis’ ball into the box tested his backline.

Interlandi was called into action not long after, again pulling off a marvellous when he came out of his area to deny Deniz Sabanovski a gilt-edged chance.

Interlandi would show his human side, as Kingston’s Stavridis found space in Brunswick’s six-yard box to volley into the bottom-right corner and level the scoring.

Brunswick found it difficult to deal with Kingston’s relentless pressure and eventually succumbed in the 36th minute. Youngster John Maclean put through veteran Defeo in on goal for Maclean’s second assist of the game, as well as Kingston’s second goal for the half.

The second half began slowly with the first chance of the half falling to Brunswick’s Dimitri Vithoulkas in the 57th minute.

Vithoulkas was given space to take a curling shot from distance, which agonisingly hit the post.

A flurry of goals came in Kingston in the second period, as it stretched its halftime lead by three goals.

A four-minute brace from front man Etheridge, who’s first was a cushioned finish after Sabanovski’s brilliantly placed ball from the right wing.

Etheridge’s second was a comfortable finish from inside the area.

To round it off Defeo came up with a sensational 71st-minute volley from an acute angle, consigning defeat to Brunswick and another week at the foot of the NPL 1 table.

The second-half collapse from Brunswick wasn’t uncharacteristic, and coach Joe De Martino said the team lost concentration.

“[Brunswick City] kept their concentration and stuck to the plan for approximately 30 minutes,” De Martino said.

“After that time we let them in the game, and everything fell apart.”

De Martino said players would need to “get out of a coma” ahead of the transfer window opening up on June 17.

“Obviously those players are in a coma, and haven’t woken up,” he said.

“Not because they’re asleep but obviously they’re in some sort of football coma.

“All I can say is that the 17th of June is around the corner.”

Kingston City assistant coach Con Nitsikas said his side was capable of coming from behind to win away from home.

“I knew we had the character to do it, it was just about the work rate being increased,” Nitsikas said.
Nitsikas referenced a few stars that shone the brightest for his side.

“Our front two always looked dangerous, Gino [Defeo] and Max [Etheridge]. Thought our backline was always very strong,” he said.

“[John Maclean’s] a phenomenal talent and when we needed him to step up he did.”

MATCH DETAILS

Brunswick City 1 (Nick TEREZAKIS 4’) defeated by Kingston City 5 (George STAVRIDIS 31', Gino DEFEO 36’ 71’, Max ETHERIDGE 62’ 65’) at Dunstan Reserve [HT: 1-2]

Brunswick City: 44. Mason INTERLANDI (GK), 2. Jeamus CARR, 4. Manny KARAS, 11. Admir KOLAKOVIC, 14. Denis SADIK, 8. Nick TEREZAKIS 6. Oktay OZTEKIN, 45. George MARKELIS, 19. Tom BARFOROSH, 3. Michael VARKOPOULOS, 99. Dimitri VITHOULKAS,

Substitutes: 5. Alex GIANETTA, 20. Rojdar ZENGIN (GK), 9. Fatih TURER, 77 George MIHELEN, 95. Patrick MARRA

Kingston City: 1. Sermin SADIKOVSKI, 11. George STAVRIDIS, 5. Kemal CURAN, 4. James KARVELIS, 16. Nick STAMATIOU, 9. Max ETHERIDGE, 7. Velibor MITROVIC, 15. Gino DEFEO, 14. Arthur PAPADOPOULOS, 10. John MACLEAN, 17. Deniz SABANOVSKI

Substitutes: 8. Anthony STAVRIDIS, 3. Stacy TSALKOS, 12. Stefan SOLER, 6. Josh COLOSIMO, 20. Tass AGAPITOS

Image credit: Zac Groenevald