By Damir Kulas (@DamirKulas)

Box Hill United has amassed six away points from a possible nine, as it overcame Springvale White Eagles 1-0 in a heated contest at White Eagles Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Lucas Johns' fantastic 59th minute strike from just outside the box proved to be the difference between two sides still settling into the new season.

The White Eagles came into the contest on the back of opening their season with a 1-1 draw away to Murray United, while Box Hill overcame the same side 3-2 before falling to Kingston City by the same score line.

In a tight affair, characterised by a lack of goalscoring opportunities, the tone of the game was set early on with several robust challenges earning the ire of referee Lucien Laverdure.

The home side was first to launch a meaningful attack on goal when Abel Fesseha's close range lob just went over Box Hill goalkeeper Alex Connell's crossbar.

Midway through the half, Marcus Holmes almost gave the hosts the lead when his blistering run down the right wing and into the box was almost rewarded, had it not been for a smart save from the diving Connell.

Up the other end, the dangerous Stanislav Goldberg's swinging free-kick beat White Eagles goalkeeper Bojan Tomic who came out but couldn’t claim, only for Alex Schroen to skew his header wide of goal.

The rest of the half saw an absence of chances on goal, but not on challenges, as Sebastian Lacaros and Hernan De Rito both went into the referee's notebook for heavy challenges on Goldberg.

United goalkeeper Connell became involved in a heated exchange with several Springvale players at the interval with his teammates doing their best to get the custodian into the rooms and out of trouble.

The second half began much in the same way as the first, with Fesseha earning a yellow for a wild challenge on his opponent.

The stalemate was finally broken through a terrific Lucas Johns strike from just outside the area, giving the visitors the lead just shy of the hour mark.

From there on, Box Hill pushed on and was the better side, with Springvale struggling to create any goalscoring chances.

Thiakane almost replicated his efforts from last week, catching Tomic off guard from range, but the shot-stopper did well to tip the ball over the bar.

With the home side desperate to salvage a point, Connell did well to first save substitute Dalibor Vuckovic's free kick before denying striker Dejan Erakovic a certain equaliser with a fingertip save late on.

Box Hill would hold on for the win and seal its second win from three away games played so far.

MATCH DETAILS

SPRINGVALE WHITE EAGLES 0 lost to BOX HILL UNITED 1 (Johns 59) at White Eagles Stadium

SWE: 12. Bojan Tomic (GK), 2. Jordan Ballerini, 6. Slavisa Saric, 8. Hernan De Rito, 9. Abel Fesseha (11. Danilo Vuckovic 51'), 10. Stojan Milojevic (15. Milan Jovanovic 61'), 13. Hamish Millar, 17. Sebastian Lacaros, 21. Dejan Erakovic, 23. Marcus Holmes, 33. Zarko Milojevic (16. Nemanja Salmandic 87')

Unused Subs: 1. Nebojsa Vujic (GK), 3. Vedran Tomic

Yellow Card(s): Lacaros 35, De Rito 38, Fesseha 46, Z.Milojevic 57

Red Card(s): None

BHU: 30. Alex Connell (GK), 5. Alex Schroen, 7. Patrick Thiakane, 10. Franc Carafa (15. Jerome Costanza 82'), 11. Sebastian Barrero, 14. Lucas Johns, 17. Aaron Porcaro, 18. Joey Calderone, 23. Stanislav Goldberg, 24. Shaun Peterson (8. Caleb Ludlow 58'), 25. Michael Godfrey

Unused Subs: 2. Nikola Surdoski, 19. Christian Lar, 35. Hamid Kamali (GK)

Yellow Card(s): Godfrey 69

Red Card(s): None