By: DAMIR KULAS

Dandenong City has secured its third win in as many weeks with a 1-0 victory over local rivals Kingston City on Saturday afternoon.

Dario Matkovic’s 26^th minute strike sealed all three points for Aaron Healey’s men as Kingston City dropped more ground on leaders Melbourne Victory.

A cagey start to the contest saw both teams struggle to create any meaningful attempts on goal with Ben Osei-Safo’s tame shot the only real chance of the opening 20 minutes.

The game burst into life when a fantastic run forward from Dandenong City right-back Brad Clarke saw his cutback into the box meet Matkovic, who positioned himself well before launching his shot past Fraser Maclaren in Kingston goals.

The hosts almost doubled their lead five minutes later when the dangerous Keegan Ziada cut inside from the right before seeing his shot reflexively tipped over by Maclaren.

Kingston came close to an equaliser on the stroke of half-time when a corner found the feet of James Karvelis, but he couldn’t convert.

Upon the resumption of play, Osei-Safo flashed a dangerous shot across Damir Salcin’s goal as the visitors went in search of an equaliser.

Up the other end of the pitch, David Di Lorio met Matkovic’s corner but could not direct his header toward goal.

The Kingston City defence were finding Ziada difficult to handle as the winger had another effort parried away by Maclaren.

The visitors then had two decent opportunities through their own dangerous winger as Stelios Konstantinidis beat his marker and forced Salcin into making a good save away from goal.

Ziada then did well on the left hand side after an accelerating run forward and teed up Matkovic, but the veteran hand his toe-poke saved by Maclaren.

A fantastic ball inside his own half by Dandenong City captain John Carroll found striker Goran Jozeljic but he could not direct his powerful effort on target.

A couple of half-chances from headers by the visitors failed to materialise into anything threatening as Kingston went in search of an equaliser.

A foul on Matkovic saw the former Melbourne Knights winger force Maclaren into another fantastic diving save 20 metres from goal.

Kingston brought on striker Gino Defeo and youngster Damian Iaconis in their attempts to find an equaliser and the latter met McIlory’s flick on before skying his effort over the bar when finding Defeo in the middle would have been a better option.

A foul by Andy Jerez on Iaconis presented Defeo an opportunity for the set-piece in injury time, but the Englishman’s effort went straight into the arms of a grateful Salcin as he confirmed his clean sheet and the three points for the home side.

Match details:

Dandenong City 1 (Matkovic 26) defeated Kingston City 0 at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex

DC: 1. Damir Salcin (GK), 2. Brad Clarke, 6. John Carroll, 7. Keegan Ziada, 8. Dario Matkovic (19. Senahid Tokakic 88’), 10. Sean Seavill, 11. Andy Jerez, 12. Shaun Filipovic, 15. David Di Lorio (5. Alex Rojas 82’) 18. Chris Sanita, 20. Goran Jozeljic (16. Simon Storey 63’)

Unused Subs: 4. Robert Wynne, 42. Anthony Casset (GK)

Yellow Card(s): Di Lorio 36, Filipovic 63, Jerez 90

Red Card(s): None

KC: 1. Fraser Maclaren (GK), 2. George Stavridis (22. Steve Fergadions 81’), 4. James Karvelis, 5. Nicholas Teichmann, 6. Nicholas Modaffari, 7. Ben Osei-Safo (14. Damian Iaconis 66’), 8. Deniz Sabanovski, 9. Sean McIlroy, 11. Stelios Konstantinidis, 16. Nicholas Stanatiou (18. Gino Defeo 75’), 19. Andrew Doig

Unused Subs: 3. Kemal Curan, 13. Douglas Lindberg (GK)

Yellow Card(s): Osei-Safo 33, Stavridis 66

Red Card(s): None