By Mark Gojszyk (@hahahamark)

Heidelberg United has brushed past a 10-man Northcote City, claiming a 2-0 win at John Cain Memorial Reserve.

Les Doumbalis smashed home a rocket minutes into the contest, before Northcote’s comeback was made harder as Marino Gasparis was sent off on the stroke of half time for handballing Kaine Sheppard’s goalbound shot, with Dan Heffernan converting the penalty.

Heidelberg raced out of the blocks when Rueben Way’s initial shot from a short corner was partially cleared, with Doumbalis smashing in the rebound from the edge of the area.

The hosts were quick to bounce back and should have scored an equaliser when Evan Kounavelis dribbled into the box and found Marino Gasparis alone in the six yard box, but his header landed safely in the arms of Griffin McMaster.

Jonathan Bounas was the next to spurn a clear-cut opportunity, taking a touch from a cross before McMaster rushed out to smother the chance.

Marino Gasparis was in the thick of the action, taking a nice turn in the middle of the pitch and playing the ball to James Kalifatidis, whose shot flew over the bar.

There was a sense of deja vu down the other end as Doumbalis again took a shot from 18 yards out after a spilled corner, though his right footed strike was hit straight at Theodoridis.

Mitchell Bissinger was another Northcote player to miss an effort on goal, sending an overhead kick over the bar after McMaster spilt an aerial delivery into the box.

Yet all of the hosts’ efforts proved to be in vain just before half time when they again failed to clear their lines from a corner, allowing Kaine Sheppard to get a shot off destined for goal, which struck Gasparis’ arm on the line.

He was sent off for denying a certain goal, and Dan Heffernan made no mistake with the penalty.

Heidelberg should have extended its lead moments after the break when Jamie Cummings played Heffernan through on goal, who was too cute with a shot that didn’t trouble Theodoridis.

Despite being down to 10 men, City kept trying to get forward, with Nick Kokolakis’s long shot tipped wide by McMaster, before Kalifatidis miscued a header from the proceeding corner. S

heppard was agonisingly close to getting on the scoresheet himself, thumping a volley into the woodwork from Cummings’s cross.

The remainder of the contest rather straightforward for the visitors, who were content with knocking the ball around and denying Northcote an easy route on goal.

Vasilevski almost sealed the contest in spectacular fashion, smashing a volley - in similar fashion to Sheppard - agonisingly wide from Cartanos’s delivery. 

 

MATCH DETAILS

Northcote City 0 defeated by Heidelberg United (Doumbalis 3’, Heffernan (p) 45’) at John Cain Memorial Reserve

 

Northcote City: 22. Chris THEODORIDIS, 12. Jordan WILKES, 20. Nick KOKOLAKIS, 5. Gregory LOMBARDO (6. Aaron WARD 72’), 11. Evan KOUNAVELIS, 8. James KALIFATIDIS (15. Aron HANDAKAS 69’), 7. Jason HAYNE, 10. Marino GASPARIS, 23. Jonathan BOUNAS, 3. Mitch BISSINGER, 17. Nicholas BAVCAR (4. Jacob ELIOPOULOS 7’)

Unused Subs: 16. Todd Dekker, 1. Mason INTERLANDI

Yellow Cards: Kounavelis 10’, Bounas 45’, Lombardo 65’

Red Cards: Gasparis 45’

 

Heidelberg United: 23. Griff MCMASTER, 2. Jamie CUMMINGS, 13. Luke BYLES, 17. Steve PACE, 8. John VOULGARIS (24. Andrew CARTANOS 61’), 10. Jack PETRIE, 3. Les DOUMBALIS (11. Jakob Williams 48’), 7. Reuben WAY (5. Daniel VASILEVSKI 69’), 21. Andreas GOVAS, 22. Kaine SHEPPARD, 14. Dan Heffernan

Unused Subs: 1. Christopher MAYNARD, 12. Kenjok ATHIU

Yellow Cards: Heffernan 16', Cummings 61’, Byles 90’

Red Cards: None