By ALEN DELIC (@AlenDelic)

Dandenong City has sent Murray United home empty handed, despite a second half fightback from the boys from the border, with the hosts running out 3-2 winners on Saturday afternoon.

First half goals to Chris Antoniadis, Ashley Cattermole, and Dario Matkovic gave the hosts a 3-0 lead in the first half, but goals to Ashley Dunn and Zac Walker weren’t enough to put the visitors back into the game.

It took just two minutes for Dandenong City to stamp its authority on the game after a brilliant cross field ball found Antoniadis, who squared it up for Ashley Cattermole, but the forward was denied by a brilliant foot save by Nathan Brown.

The goal did come just five minutes later when a brilliant ball out to Antoniadis saw him cut inside and place the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Dandenong doubled its lead just five minutes later when a deep corner at the far post wasn't dealt with by Murray's defence, with Cattermole heading into the net.

The game looked over in the 23rd minute. Ziada was fouled at the top of the box, and Matkovic duly stepped up and converted with a spectacular free kick into the top corner of the net, giving Dandy a 3-0 lead.

Dandenong had another golden chance to extend the lead through Ziada, but his header from a through ball was saved acrobatically by Brown to send the sides into the half at 3-0.

Murray United came out firing in the second half, getting its first goal less than a minute in.

Walker’s brilliant run down the right hand side freed up Dunn in the middle, with the import calmly slotting the square ball from six yards past a helpless Damir Salcin in Dandenong’s goals.

The visitors pushed on, and they found a second in the 65^th minute.

A foul at the top of the box saw Walker step up and calmly place his shot into the top right corner to give his side a lifeline at 3-2.

Murray threw everything forward and it almost paid off, if not for a strong double save from Salcin to deny first Chaffey, and then Dunn.

It left the visitors open on the counter, and Dandenong almost capitalised through Ziada twice, but the winger couldn’t direct either effort on target.

City had one final chance to extend the lead through a second Dario Matkovic free kick from the corner of the box. Matkovic stepped up to the plate and placed a shot that looked destined for the top corner, only for it to cannon off the post.

 

Match details:

Dandenong City 3 (Antoniadis 7’, Cattermole 12’, 23’ Matkovic) defeated Murray United 2 (Dunn 46’, Walker 65’) at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex

DC XI: 1. Damir SALCIN, 3. Chris ROSS, 7. Keegan ZIADA (4. Robbie WYNNE 90+1’), 8. Dario MATKOVIC, 9. Ashley CATTERMOLE, 11. Andy JEREZ, 12. Shaun VALENTIC, 15. David DIIORIO, 18. Chris SANTA, 20. Josh CARAUNA (5. Alex ROJAS 66’), 14. Chris ANTONIADIS (13. Anthony MIJAC 89’)

DC Subs: 17. Senna TOKALIC, 42. Anthony CASSET

Yellow card(s): Ross 69’, Antoniadis 77’

Red card(s): None

MU XI: 1. Nathan BROWN, 16. Sean PYE, 23. Ben CHAFFEY, 29. Darcy PAWLIK, 15. Ryan GILES, 8. James COUTTS (18. Lionel MASUDI 56’), 7. Zac WALKER, 9. Mathew HASLER, 14. Adam WATERS (19. Tom MORRISON 80’), 5. Ashley DUNN, 12. Michael JESSUP (4. Hussein NTAKIRUTIMANA 54’)

MU Subs: 13. Josh O'BRIEN, 21. Ben RUSSELL

Yellow card(s): Pye 39’, Dunn 62’, Walker 88’

Red card(s): None