By Agron Dauti

Moreland Zebras returned to the winners’ list with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Dandenong City at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams came into the match with similar rankings, with Dandenong sitting in eighth place and Moreland only a spot higher.

That showed in the early stages, with both sides going back and forth and not giving the other an inch with some good defending.

Moreland’s Simon Symeoy was unlucky not to open the scoring in the 30th minute after getting a clean header to a well-struck free kick, but his effort grazed the crossbar.

Moreland took the lead from a set piece just four minutes later when Joel Nikolic rose high to head home the opener from a corner kick – the Zebras showing their set-piece prowess.

The visitors doubled their lead just after half-time as Nikolic wasted no time getting his brace from the penalty spot in the 47th minute, steering the ball past a diving Marko Stevanja and heaping the pressure onto Dandenong City.

Poor defending would prove costly for the home side as Nicholas Symeoy bagged Moreland’s third with a strong finish just moments after Nikolic’s penalty – giving Moreland a comfortable lead and making life hard for Dandy City.

Dandenong’s Dario Matkovic did well to earn two solid chances in two minutes for the home side, however both efforts could not put a dent into Moreland’s comfortable 3-0 lead.

Had it not been for a terrific diving save by Moreland ‘keeper Nikola Kostadinovski in the 71st, Goran Jozeljic would have pulled one back for his side and sparked hope of a comeback, but it wasn’t to be.

Any hopes of a comeback went away when Dandy City defender Steven Topalovic got booked for the second time and given his marching orders in the 76th minute, while teammate Goran Jozeljic was also shown a second yellow just three minutes later.

Dandenong coach Ivan Duzel was thoroughly disappointed with his team’s performance, calling the performance a “disaster”.

“Performance was an absolute disaster to tell you the truth – this is totally unacceptable from the whole team, not just one,” Duzel said.

“No one performed, it didn’t happen at all and I was furious, nobody’s made me upset like this in my coaching career.”

Moreland coach Danny Gnjidic was pleased with his side’s relentlessness.

“We haven’t been rewarded by hurting teams on the scoreboard and today we took our opportunities,” Gnjidic said

“When you get to this time of year and you haven’t got much to play for, I think to come out with that attitude and with that desire to win the game and be professional and clinical and to defend the way we did – that’s what I was most proud of.”

MATCH DETAILS

Dandenong City 0 defeated by Moreland Zebras 3 (Nikolic 34’ 47’, N. Symeoy 49’) at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex [HT: 0-1]

Dandenong City: Marko Stevanja (GK), John Carroll, Damien Miskulin (Danijel Buhic 70’), Shaun Filipovic (Goran Jozeljic 57’), Steven Topalovic, Dario Matkovic, Sean Seavill, Joseph Sieh, Karim El Hilali (Halil Gur 57’), Simon Storey

Unused sub: Kirby Ziada

Yellow cards: Topalovic 47’ 76’, Matkovic 65’, Jozeljic 75’ 79’

Red cards: Topalovic 76’ (second yellow), Jozeljic 79’ (second yellow)

Moreland Zebras: Nikola Kostadinovski (GK), Simon Symeoy, Johnny Crivelli, Nicholas Symeoy, Scott Robson (Christopher Triantafilopoulos 81’), Daniel Sweeney (Danny Charalambous 69’), Joel Nikolic, Danilo Bonilla-Ospina (James Papadimitriou 77’), Joshua McMonagle-Ihasz, Mile Medjedovic, Bradley Murray

Yellow cards: None

Red cards: None