It’s like the Titanic sinking. No one thought it could happen. Bentleigh Greens were heading for their third NPL grand final in four year when they had their finals hopes sunk by Avondale.
Greens’ supporters were left dumbfounded at the end of the NPL semi-final at Kingston Heath on Friday evening, after witnessing one of the most extraordinary endings to a game seen in recent years.
With five minutes of extra time remaining, the Greens looked safely headed to yet another grand final after forward Chris Lucas had completed his hat trick to give his team a seemingly unbeatable 3-1 lead against Avondale. After all, Avondale had yet to win against Bentleigh in their eight previous meetings in the NPL , losing seven of those games. They looked headed for their eighth defeat at the hands of John Anastasiadis’s Greens. Having largely dominated the game in terms of chances created, Avondale were frustrated by their inability to convert those chances and find a way past Greens keeper Ryan Scott. They were also frustrated by three delays during the match due to light failures which they felt broke up their attacking momentum. It was all too much for coach Barbieri when the Greens took a 3-1 lead deep into extra time, and he was banished from the dugout after protesting a foul on one of his players.
But that’s when luck turned in Avondale’s favour. With two minutes of extra time remaining, Avondale scored to reduce the deficit to 3-2, when Greens’ sub James Kelly headed an own goal whilst attempting to defend an Avondale free kick into the box. When the assistant ref indicated there was to be six minutes of extra time to be played due to the light failure delay, Bentleigh fans braced themselves for a tense finale. Two minutes later, Avondale won another free kick on the right flank, and the same thing happened. They scored again from the head of another Bentleigh player, this time Tyson Holmes, whose glancing header inadvertently flew past keeper Scott for Avondale’s equalizer. But worse was to come for John Anastasiadis’ men, when they fouled the dangerous Avondale winger Stefan Zinni on the edge of the box. With penalties looming, Avondale were just one free kick away from a historic Grand Final. Up stepped Avondale’s Argentine midfielder Jonatan Germano to curl a right footer around the wall and past Ryan Scott for the match winner.
Earlier in the game, during normal time, Chris Lucas had given the Greens the lead just before the break from a Tyson Holmes assist, only for the visitors to hit back soon after half time when Joey Katebian finished an Elvis Kamsoba cut back. Scores remained locked until near the end of the first period of extra time when Holmes again fed Lucas for the Greens’s second before Lucas added a third to seemingly make the match safe for Bentleigh from a Kelly cut back, for a 3-1 lead.
The Greens’ lead however, not only evaporated but their Grand Final dreams were in tatters all in a matter of minutes, from their inability to defend the Avondale set pieces. They’ll now have a few days to lick their wounds and regroup in readiness for their FFA Cup quarter final against Heidelberg United on February 26th.
The Bergers kept their doubles hopes alive by making it through to their second NPL grand final in a row, after overcoming a stubborn Oakleigh Cannons in a penalty shoot-out semi –final at Olympic Village on Friday. A 61st minute Jack Petrie strike cancelled out Dusan Bosnjak’s 39th minute penalty goal for Oakleigh. The Bergers prevailed 5-3 in the penalty shoot-out.