By Peter Stephenson
A dull cold day at Brighton’s Dendy Park saw Mooroolbark Soccer Club’s men’s seniors (fourth) visit league leaders Hampton East Brighton. Barkers had never lost to HEB, and made two changes to the side which had beaten North Caulfield 5-1, with Ben Cooper and Chris Marshall making way for Ray Markley and Mark Naumowicz.
The first chance fell to HEB on six minutes. A crossfield ball was played to the right, and a low ball was played into the box, where Delfin Esara had to stretch to get his shot in, but it was just wide. HEB soon imposed their physical game upon Barkers and had much more of the territory in a tight opening.
Barkers’ best chance of the half came on 22 minutes, when Steve Nittoli had space to shoot, but a toe poke hit the post, when a cleaner hit might have hit the target. Three minutes later, Nittoli conceded a free kick in his own half for a foul on Esara. Mackie Simmons stepped up and curled the kick over the bar.
Just after the half hour, Liam Burford played the ball inside from the left to Simmons. He took the ball wide then crossed to the far post, where a soaring header from Miguel Diaz went just wide.
Seven minutes before the break, Barkers won a free kick 10 yards inside the HEB half. Aaron Porcaro played the ball into the box, and it was cleared out to Christian Porcaro, who hit a long punt over the bar. Half-time: HEB 0-0 Barkers, with Barkers relieved to still be level, having been under siege for most of the half.
It took less than two minutes into the second half for HEB to break the deadlock. The ball was played down the left wing, a defender failed to cut it out, and the ball was crossed low for the unmarked Diaz to hit the ball across the wrongfooted Naumowicz into the net for 1-0 HEB.
Barkers almost hit back immediately. A free kick on the left from Ross Clark was played out to A.Porcaro, who hit a shot through a crowded penalty area that went just wide. Then a sucker punch from HEB. On 53 minutes, the ball was crossed from the left to the far post, it was headed down and across goal, and Burford was on hand to head the ball into an empty net with Naumowicz stranded.
Barkers’ response came from Clark, who managed to wriggle free of markers before hitting a low shot from 20 yards which was comfortably saved by the diving Bernard Paris. Ten minutes later, HEB once again hustled Barkers off the ball, and Richard Morrissy crossed from the right for Simmons to blast the ball home for 3-0 HEB.
It wasn’t until 12 minutes from time that Barkers really tested Paris. Sean Perrin put a good ball through for Geordie Scott, who turned and hit a goalbound shot which Paris did well to turn over the bar. Then Barkers won a free kick in midfield. It was played forward, and Maxim Solovyev found himself with only Paris to beat, and neatly headed over him into the net to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Within a minute Solovyev hit the ball into an empty net, but the referee had seen an infringement, possibly by Scott on Paris, and the goal was ruled out. The rest of the game saw the unsavoury spectacle of repeated auditions by the Brighton Thespian Society, but by then they had put the game beyond Barkers’ reach. Full-time: HEB 3-1 Barkers.
There’s no question that HEB deserved the points – they were hungrier and more aggressive than Barkers. They repeatedly banged on the Barkers door and knocked it down three times, while Barkers only began to penetrate at the other end when it was too late.
