By David Manuca (@davidmanuca)

Avondale Heights has continued its winning ways at the top of NPL 1 with a dominant 4-2 victory over Sunshine George Cross at Avondale Heights Reserve on Saturday afternoon.

Sunshine took the lead in the first half through Tom Reilly, but its advantage was short-lived as Italian import Arturo Ymeri smashed home an equaliser to make it 1-1 heading into the break.

In the second half it was a completely different contest as Avondale outclassed the away side, racing out to a 4-1 lead before Sunshine scored a consolation goal in stoppage time to make it 4-2.

The win sees Avondale extend its unbeaten run to 13 matches as it pushes for promotion to the top flight.

Sunshine could have had a goal as early as the seventh minute, but a header off a corner from forward Nick Marinos flashed just wide of the post.

The game never reached any great heights in the opening half-hour but the game burst to life on 35 minutes when the away side took a surprise lead.

Marinos won a free-kick and Matthew Oghanna’s perfectly hit cross was met in the box by defender Tom Reilly.

Just five minutes later though, Avondale was back on level terms when Ymeri hit a volley from just outside the box that smashed off the post and in past the helpless Lucas Spinella.

Ymeri had another chance a minute later to put Avondale ahead from a free-kick in a dangerous position, but his effort was easily saved by Spinella.

In the second half Avondale was intent on grabbing an early goal and almost had one when Oleksiy Khrapko dispossessed a Sunshine defender in the area, but his low shot was saved by Spinella.

The game started to heat up 15 minutes into the second half with yellow cards shown to Sunshine’s Jacob Attard and Avondale’s Zoran Pajic.

It took something special from Dean Campelj - a volley from outside the box to be exact - to put Avondale into the lead on 63 minutes.

Burakhan Koca hit the crossbar with a shot from outside the area not long after, but Avondale did end up scoring a third on 78 minutes.

Ymeri was causing problems for Sunshine all game, his class clearly showing when his pin-point cross found Andrew Le Page at the back post to head home for Avondale.

The third goal almost seemingly killed off the game, but Khrapko made sure of the result with four minutes to go with a clinical finish after being played in by Ymeri.

Sunshine scored again in stoppage time through Christopher Oghanna, but it would go down as just a mere consolation.

Avondale Heights will visit bottom-placed Brunswick City, while Sunshine will play away to Whittlesea Ranges on Friday night.

MATCH DETAILS

Avondale Heights 4 (Ymeri 40’, Campelj 63’, Le Page 78’, Khrapko 86’) defeated
Sunshine George Cross 2 (Reilly 35’, C. Oghanna 90’+2) at Avondale Heights Reserve [HT: 1-1]

Avondale Heights: 20. John SCOLLO (GK), 6. Anthony STRAND, 31. Michele CRAZIA, 15. Zoran PAJIC, 33. Dean CAMPELJ, 7. Andrew LE PAGE (22. Stephen BARICEVIC 87’), 34. Oleksiy KHRAPKO, 10. Burakhan KOCA (24. Resit CULCULOGLU 76’), 14. Daniel SLOVACEK (5. Andrew SACCHEZA 84’), 8. Bosin GEORGEVSKI, 11. Arturo YMERI.

Unused substitutes: 21. Ben SGRO

Yellow cards: Ymeri 16’, Pajic 60’, Koca 69’

Sunshine George Cross: 21. Lucas SPINELLA (GK), 17. Jacob ATTARD, 2. Eddie CETKIN, 4. Tom REILLY, 16. Matthew OGHANNA, 5. Christopher DIB, 10. Adrian LOGOZZO, 19. Manuell SADIK (12. Kojo BROWN 73’), 8. Chris OGHANNA, 14. Anthony CASSAR, 9. Nick MARINOS.

Unused substitutes: 1. Anthony MURANA, 13. Chrstopher SUTERA, 15. Jamie MAGRO, 7. James XYBIAS.

Yellow cards: Marinos 39’, Attard 58’, Reilly 67’

Image credit: Mark Avellino