By Daniel Campos

Image: Graeme Furlong

A single strike to Ayodeji Omoboye was enough for Sunshine George Cross, who edged past St Albans Saints 1-0 at Churchill Reserve.

In an evenly contested local derby, it was St Albans who got the action started.

Tedros Yabio's first chance of the afternoon caught George Cross captain Robert Santilli napping, but the 'keeper escaped danger as the near post saved him. 

The tussle in midfield was the key ingredient with the swing in possession going the Saints' way. 

While Sunshine George Cross began the match in a flurry, the last ten minutes of the first half saw little goal mouth action.

A rushed clearance off the line by Eddie Cetkin right on the stroke of halftime kept the visitors in the match, with Santilli beaten, thanking his defender for his split-second heroics. 

A minute into the second half Amodeji Omoboye broke through into the top third and opened up the Saints' defence almost single-handedly, to earn a corner.

Stuart Webster covered brilliantly from the resulting sequence of play for a quick transition into counter attack.

In the 56th minute, Omoboye decided to take the ball on his own once more, cutting in from the right and flicking onto his favoured left foot to hit the top corner, beating Webster for one-nil.

The hosts remained patient but Webster was soon under pressure with a hurried clearance that found George Cross with a corner in its favour, though it was an afternoon of unfavourable set-pieces.

Substitute Nicholas Scerri also got himself an effort on target testing Santilli's safe pair of hands.

The idea by Kovacevic was to open up play on the wings much to a stubborn, resistant Sunshine Georgies' backline. 

Omoboye remarkably missed an open goal just on the hour mark with only Webster to beat.

Speed and agility got the better of substitute Matko Budimir, leaving him standing while Stuart Webster read the play well to go down and cut the angle.

Missed chances went begging and the tactical switch for Devlin up the middle of the front third to exploit Sunshine's right hand side failed to bring a desired result.

Sunshine's Tony Ciantar reflected on a very valuable three points which leaves the club in safer, happier hands. 

"We worked hard. We were strong from the start and that only helps our confidence in the dressing room," Ciantar said.

"I said to my boys to play deeper as they (St Albans) try play behind our backs, to not allow us to play in behind us and they did not manage to break us today. 

"I would not have made any changes to be honest, we stuck to our game plan. We are building for next season, making changes have been a blessing for our team. There is a positive environment. 

"It is a happy club at the moment, hence the results. Any club will succeed with a close-knit dressing room and we look forward to Nunawading City next round. We will re-group in a weeks' time which will serve good for our players to rest up and be ready." 

Meanwhile for St Albans, "Our performance was quite frankly not up to scratch and credit to Omoboye for getting himself ahead of our defenders and scoring that goal.

"Missing Ross Harvey (suspension) was a loss for us on the park, and I can't be too harsh with my defence, we're the side with the least conceded goals.

"We created chances, their keeper (Santilli) pulled enough saves, all it took was one lapse of concentration. It was delightful to watch but unfortunately for us, we didn't get the result we wanted." 

Sunshine George Cross 1 (Ayodeji Omoboye 56') defeated St Albans Saints 0 at Churchill Reserve, St Albans.

St Albans Saints: 1. Stuart WEBSTER, 2. Ryan McGUFFIE, 3.Nanayew OTUO-ACHEAMPONG, 4. Nicholas SARBIN, 5. Tedros YABIO, 7. Trent WATERSON, 9. Barry DEVLIN, 10. Tomislav TRBUHOVIC, 15. Konrad DOBRASZKEIWICZ (11. Nicholas SCERRI 60'), 17. Stjepan TRBUHOVIC (6. Matko BUDIMIR 63'), 18. Ben SHAPER

Unused Subs: 16. Christopher SIKETA, 19. George NICESKI, 21. Diwan IBRAHIM

Yellow Cards: 17. Stjepan TRBUHOVIC 34', 18. Ben SHAPER 71', 3. Nanayew OTUO-ACHEAMPONG 87', 4. Nicholas SARBIN 90'

Red Cards: Nil 

Sunshine George Cross: 1. Robert SANTILLI, 2. Eddie CETKIN, 3. Martin MASON, 5. Christopher DIB, 13. Liam O'CONNELL, 18. Denis DASOUL, 11. Anthony CASSAR, 6. Damien RASTOCIC (15. Amara KROMAH 86'), 8. Daniel HUTCHINSON (7. Brandon ZAFFINA 83'), 19. Ayodeji OMOBOYE, 14. Muhamad CHAWK, 17. Ryan DRAGOVIC

Unused Subs: 21. James KAPURANOVSKI, 16. Nathan LIBERTO

Yellow Cards: Nil

Red Cards: Nil