No Heroics This Time Around - Melbourne Knights 1 South Melbourne 0

Another frustrating day out for all concerned. Turning up to watch South is a bit of a lottery this season. You don't know how the team will be set up. You don't know who'll be on the park. You don't know if the team playing in the blue shirts will be the one that creates chances at will, the one that can fightback to overcome an early setback, the one that will roll over without much of a fight, or something we haven't seen yet at all.

Yesterday it was the timid South. The one that was reticent to make a decision, to take a shot, to make a run. The side started somewhat flat, but was at least able to match it with the Knights, and hold them out for awhile. Maybe we should have even taken the lead, after our best move the day, a scything enterprise across the field ended up with a weak header.

South down and out... again. Photo: Cindy Nitsos.

But once the Knights' goal went in, our heads dropped. Some players, even if they weren't doing well, at least seemed to care about the outcome. Stand up Kyle Joryeff, one of my most maligned players last year, who battled hard on the wing. The rest of the team wasn't so flash. Stephen Weir, so good last week, was well covered by the bigger bodies in the Knights defence.

Marinos Gasparis, who's received so many injuries and knocks this season, just hasn't been able to get back his super form of the early part of the season. Carl Recchia played in defense; while still a capable player in that area, his effectiveness is not nearly what it would be if he was in the middle directing traffic.

Fernando De Moraes came off the bench once more, as did Daniel Dragicevic, who received a chorus of boos from the home side. Kliment Taseski obviously has talent, but whether the tenacity is there can be questioned at times. Steven Topalovic is, like the majority of his teammates, at his best when by playing within his limits, not attempting to dribble past opponents.

An anti-FFV banner lasted a whole 3 minutes before being removed.
Photo: Cindy Nitsos

And that was the comment made yesterday from a fellow fan that most resonated with me. At the end of the day, soccer's not a terribly complicated game. Pass and move, pass and move. Yesterday it seemed all about trying to dribble past opponents while other players remained rooted to the spot.

And by the end of the game, both sets of supporters seemed to be in agreement, by chanting anti-Eddie Krncevic chants. And after yesterday's performance, he'll have even fewer friends to turn to.

Next Week
St Albans at our home away from home, where we've only lost to Northcote, the venue's real home side in nearly two seasons. Dinamo's slim hopes of survival were crushed by yesterday's results. Will they be up for it? Will we?