South had little time to mope over the midweek loss to Palm Beach Sharks in the FFA Cup when they took on Oakleigh Cannons in the final of the 2015 Dockerty Cup. While South had the home ground advantage, Oakleigh had the benefit of rest and a strong wind in the first half. The nominal visitors - the venue was designated as a neutral venue - had the best opportunity of the first half, when Lambros Honos was released with a through ball; however he could only direct his shot directly at Nikola Roganovic.
The second half was afflicted by heavy rain, but South handled the conditions with aplomb. Milos Lujic opened the scoring, being the recipient of a magnificent backheel pass from Leigh Minopoulos, and he doubled his tally soon after, heading home from a Nick Epifano cross. The game was ended as a contest when Minopoulos received a pass at the back post from Iqi Jawadi, and squeezed the ball home between the post and an Oakleigh defender. The expected tiredness never came, and South could have won this game by more.
In the end, three goals were more than enough to see South win its eighth Dockerty Cup title. Milos Lujic became the first South player to win the Jimmy Mackay Medal, for best afield in the Dockerty Cup final.[1]
Lineups[]
South Melbourne: Nikola Roganovic, Tim Mala, Michael Eagar, Luke Adams, Nick Epifano, Mathew Theodore, Milos Lujic, Brad Norton, Iqi Jawadi, Leigh Minopoulos, Stephen Hatzikostas . Coach: Chris Taylor. Goals: Lujic 47. 51, Minopoulos 59.
Oakleigh Cannons: John Honos, John Black, Steve Pantelidis, Kofi Danning, Tremayne Sadler, Mirjan Pavlovic, Jake McLean (Dusan Bosnjak 53), Sean Rooney, Adam Le Cornu (Theo Papageorgiou 73), Matthew Foschini (Aron Wilford), Lampros Honos. Coach: Arthur Papas
Milestones[]
This was South's 12th Dockerty Cup final, its eighth title, and its first title since 1995.[2]
Milos Lujic became the first South player to win the Jimmy Mackay Medal.
Match reports[]
smfc.com.au: South win eighth Dockerty Cup in convincing fashion
South of the Border: Redemption, of a sort
References[]
- ↑ http://www.smfc.com.au/south-win-eighth-dockerty-cup-in-convincing-fashion/
- ↑ The Dockerty Cup had been in recess from 1997-2010, with the exception of 2004.