Zebras come out on top in five-goal contest

By Billy Green

Moreland Zebras has tonight come from behind to defeat Kingston City 3-2 in a fiercely contested match at Grange Reserve.

With Kingston claiming an early lead, Moreland was left to overcome the deficit and was impressive to hold off the diligent home team in the later moments of the match. 

It only took three minutes for Moreland to open the scoring, with Joshua McMonagle-Ihasz casually rocketing a ball into the top-right corner of the nets from nearly halfway down the field. 

Kingston reacted immediately as the side pressed forward with intent.

On 10 minutes, Deniz Sabanovski broke down the right wing and centred a low ball across goal.

Beating the 'keeper at the front post, it also beat Benjamin Osei-Safo by centimetres for what would have been the equaliser.

Soon after, Andrew Doig took a shot from the edge of the square, deflecting off the body of the Moreland 'keeper Nikola Kostadinovski and as he scrambled to regain balance, the ball dribbled over the line. 

Sabanovski continued to be influential in the first half, tapping a ball to De Smit on 36 minutes, but this time Kostadinovski came out and denied him with a sturdy save.

In a fast-paced, end-to-end match, Moreland looked dangerous with sweeping balls out of defence.

At the 39-minute mark, Baggio Yousif found himself with space in the area, but his strike drifted over the top of goals.

Moments before the close of the half, Nicholas Modaffari hobbled off with an injury after being involved in a big clash.

The hosts didn’t wait long in the second half to claim the lead, Osei-Safo playing a brilliant cross to De Smit in the area to easily claim his first for the night.

Again, the momentum swung as Moreland stepped up its intensity.

The Zebras levelled the scores just 7 minutes later, with James Papadimitriou placing a header into the back of the net from a cross.

The hosts came excruciatingly close to striking back on 63 minutes, when the Moreland keeper Nikola Kostadinovski put a kick-in directly at the feet of De Smit.

To the dismay of the home crowd, Kostadinovski made up for the error by blocking the striker’s shot on goal.

On 68 minutes, a Moreland cross found it’s way into a bundle of Kingston defenders, and deflected off its own defenders for an own goal, giving the visitors the lead.

The game went up a notch as Kingston desperately tried to equalise, while Moreland searched for a goal that would put the game at rest. 

De Smit continued his influence by cracking a shot from 20 yards, but the hopes of the team were shattered when it hit the post wide.

Kingston dominated possession in the final minutes but were unable to find clean avenues to goal as the Moreland defence held fast.

Next weekend, the Zebras face off against Moreland City in the local derby, while Kingston has another chance to claim 2nd spot against Richmond.

Match Details 

Kingston City 2 (Doig 18’, De Smit 51’) lost to Moreland Zebras 3 (McMonagle-Ihasz 3’, Papadimitriou 60’, Clarke 69’ OG) at Grange Reserve 

Kingston City: 24. Douglas LINDBERG, 2. George STAVRIDIS, 3. Jamal CLARKE, 4. James KARVELIS, 6. Nicholas MODAFFARI (23. James CONVERSANO 46’), 20. Steven FERGADIOTIS (13. Mark-Anthony AOVAD 75’), 19. Andrew DOIG, , 7. Benjamin OSEI-SAFO, 10. Jamie DE SMIT, 8. Deniz SABANOVSKI, 15. Hamish MILLAR

Unused Sub(s): 12. Lucas MORREY, 21. Gianluca PIZZIRANI, 18. Gino DEFEO

Yellow Card(s): Osei-Safo 74’, Doig 87’, Sabanovski 91’

Red Card(s): Nil

Moreland Zebras: 1. Nikola KOSTADINOVSKI (21. Aleksandar STOJANOVSKI 67’), 2. Simon SYMEOY, 8. Joshua McMONAGLE-IHASZ (19. James KELLY 83’), 10. Danny CHARALAMBOUS, 11. Baggio YOUSIF (22. Ryan MURRAY 85’), 13. Lucas RUFFINO, 14. James PAPADIMITRIOU, 15. William NUTTALL, 16. Mile MEDJEDOVIC, 23. Joshua BERRIOS, 24. Joshua SABDUSSI

Unused Sub(s): 3. Johnny CRIVELLI

Yellow Card(s): Nuttall 28’

Red Card(s): Nil




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