Picture: Graeme Furlong

By Bryce Clayton

Springvale White Eagles has claimed its third win of the season with a 4-3 win over Nunawading City at White Eagles Stadium on Saturday.

Goals to Milan Jovanovic, Trent Hansen, Anthony Selemidis and Brandon Jansz was enough for the home side, with an Emile Damey double and a late Patterson strike not enough for Nunawading.

It was the White Eagles that started the better of the two, with a host of early Nunawading mistakes going unpunished in the first four minutes.

Dejan Erakovic’s shot was well saved by Keegan Coulter in the second minute, but the pressure continued to mount early on the defence of the away side.

Another huge opportunity came in the sixth minute, when Coulter came out to the edge of the area and left an open goal, only for Brandon Jansz’s cross to be cleared by the last defender.

But there was nothing Coulter or his Nunawading defence could do when Jovanovic smashed the ball home from just inside the area.

Finding himself with space, Jovanovic let rip into the bottom right corner to give the home side the lead after 16 minutes.

Despite being outplayed for the first 22 minutes, the away side had multiple chances to equalise.

Within a two-minute period three chances went begging, with the highlight a dangerous counter attack which saw Daniel Patterson’s chance cleared wide.

The game then opened up radically, with chances coming virtually every minute.

And Springvale made Nunawading pay for its mistakes, scoring twice in two minutes to make it 3-0.

Hansen let rip from nearly 45 yards to make it 2-0 after Coulter came off his line, and Selemidis made it three just a minute later with a lung-bursting run that saw him dribble around Coulter and place the ball into the back of the net.

Nunawading was given a lifeline right on the stroke of half time as Damey struck home from inside the area, finding the top left corner in stoppage time.

The away side continued with momentum after half time, dictating the majority of play in its forward half.

And it only took 14 minutes before itwas game-on once again.

Damey received the ball out wide before taking on multiple White Eagles defenders and firing home after a deflection into the bottom right corner.

The White Eagles could have extended its lead in the 65th minute as a penalty was awarded for a rash challenge, but Coulter stepped up and saved the penalty to his left to keep Nunawading well and truly in the game.

The pressure and urgency began to rise with both sides desperate for the win, and a second penalty to the White Eagles meant another chance to end the game.

Jansz stepped up once again and this time sent Coulter the wrong way, doubling the home side’s lead with 13 minutes remaining.

Nunawading continued to push as it desperately searched for a point, and Patterson almost pulled one back as his shot cannoned into the gloves of Jeremy Sandoval and into the crossbar.

The continued pressure paid off for the away side, with Patterson finding himself with space in the box and firing home into the top right corner in the 91st minute to give Nunawading a glimmer of hope late on.

But it was the White Eagles who held on for just its third win of the season with a 4-3 victory.

MATCH DETAILS

Springvale White Eagles 4 (Jovanovic 16’, Hansen 33’, Selemidis 34’, Jansz 77’) defeated Nunawading City 3 (Damey 45+1’, 60’, Patterson 90+1’) at White Eagles Stadium [HT: 3-1]

Springvale: 30. Jeremy SANDOVAL, 2. Jordan BALLERINI, 6. Slavisa SARIC, 23. Nenad NIKOLIC, 7. Keletso MTHEMBU (3. Shahab FAKAZI 88’), 9. Brandon JANSZ, 22. Anthony SELEMIDIS (14. Aristian SEKULOVSKI 83’), 15. Milan JOVANOVIC, 16. Ryan BABARE, 18. Trent HANSEN, 21. Dejan ERAKOVIC (28. Edmon BENJAMIN 71’)

Unused Subs: 1. Nikola POPETROV, 33. Damjan DRAGISIC

Yellow Cards:2. Jordan BALLERINI 67’

Red Cards: N/A

Nunawading City: 1. Keegan COULTER, 21. Felix DIMITRAKIS, 31. Dylan FACCI, 11. Daniel PATTERSON, 41. Emile DAMEY, 5. Peter EVANGELAKOS, 44. Samuel ANTONIADIS, 9. Jordan SIAMOA (10. Ivan Skorich 46’), 16.Spencer EGAN-TANNER (4. Ben Harvey ROBINSON 71’), 8. Ming-En CUI (17. David MOROVIC 77’)

Unused Subs:22. James LOTERZO

Yellow Cards:1. Keegan COULTER 62’, 5. Peter EVANGELAKOS 77’

Red Cards:N/A