South Melbourne was a class too good for Melbourne Knights in a four-nil victory at Bob Jane Stadium on Saturday evening, keeping up its challenge for a top-two finish, and casing Knights coach Ian Dobson to question his team's passion and desire. The loss likely consigns Knights to its worst ever finish in the top flight.
Michael Curcija netted a double. His first came midway through the first half with a deflected shot which looped over Knights' goalkeeper Vilson Knezevic. Kristian Sarkies increased the lead with his debut NSL goal just before the break.
Curcija put away the third shortly after the re-start in a goal made by Sarkies. Scott Tunbridge scored the fourth in the game's last minutes.
South Melbourne coach Stuart Munro said, "The main difference today was the ambition of our players. We're pushing for a Championship, (and seeking) to finish as high up in the league as possible."
It wasn't the margin of the loss, but its manner that most upset Knights' coach Ian Dobson. "There was no battling and no passion in the first forty-five minutes," he said. "At least in the second half we tried to compete."
Dobson was seething with anger at the performance of many of his team. "We had half a team of performers who tried to do what was asked of them, and another half that didn't. It was one of the low points of my coaching career."
"A number of players didn't have that desire and passion today," he said. "I'm not used to this as a coach. We didn't play with that passion and desire."
This was billed as the last derby between these two great rivals, as Melbourne Knights had declared it would not be an aspirant for a place in next season's national competition. Both teams had tasted Championship success in the 1990s, and although Knights had fallen away over the last three seasons, South was still operating at contender level. But relative league positions rarely matter in derbies, whether they be in Melbourne, Manchester, or Madrid.
To add to the hothouse atmosphere, Knights players had been promised releases from their Knights' contracts to allow them to obtain employment with other clubs immediately after this game. This then was not only the last Melbourne derby - it was also the last time some would be playing for Knights.
"You can never tell with derby matches," said Munro. "(Tonight) was a unique situation ... being (Knights) last national derby - so you always knew they'd be keyed up for the game."
Perhaps recognising the potential for difficulty that would arise from the combination of these influences, FIFA-accredited referee Mark Shield was appointed. As it was, the action on-field was kept under control by the participants. Only some sporadic off-field action required a response from the authorities
A tight first half saw few chances created. Curcija had a third-minute effort on the turn pass narrowly by the post, and Daniel Vasilevski's free-kick from 25 metres eight minutes later required an agile low near-post stop from Michael Theoklitos.
But just after the first-half's midway point, Curcija opened the scoring after good lead-up work from Sarkies and Sam Poutakidis.
Sarkies, now making a central midfield position his own, had fed Poutakidis, linking up wide on the right. Poutakidis in turn centred low to Curcija who had his back to goal, looking for an opportunity to turn and shoot. With a twist, he was free, and his shot took a deflection off the unfortunate Steve Pantelidis who attempted to block, to loop over the now stranded Knezevic and across the line.
Shortly after, Curcija spurned an excellent chance to double his tally, heading wide from eight metres. Massimo Murdocca had taken advantage of a fast break to play the ball wide to Vince Lia on the right. Lia's cross was perfectly flighted, but Curcija was wasteful.
But South's second arrived five minutes before the break with a debut goal from Sarkies which will remain in the memory for some time. Seemingly out of nothing, the youngster - who only just turned seventeen earlier this year - bent a long-range right-foot shot past the diving Knezevic with the skill and panache of a player with many more years' experience.
"(Sarkies) is a terrific player, and he's just getting better all the time," said Munro.
The coaches each made a double-change at the break. Dobson swapped Daniel Vasilevski and Henry Fa'arodo for Nicholas Marinos and Serkan Oksuz. Munro had changed Poutakidis for Steve Laurie and Vaughan Coveny for Scott Tunbridge.
"I want to keep everybody on their toes," said Munro. "I think I've got a good squad of players. The guys that came in did very well."
Dobson's changes had a different impetus. "I was extremely disappointed at half-time. I've got to say it was one of the lows in my coaching career. (The changes came because of) a lack of performances and lack of desire. There could have been another four players along with those if I'd had another four subs (available)."
Tunbridge was instantly effective. Spotting the opportunities available to his right on a break up the left he sent a diagonal ball to Sarkies at the edge of the penalty-area. Waiting for movement in front of him, Sarkies made a shimmy of his hips, completely wrong-footing his marker, and allowing him space to slip a ball through to Curcija who blasted home from eight yards.
Knezevic prevented a fourth midway through the second-half by touching onto the post a Con Boutsianis free-kick rocket from 25 metres after Massimo Murdocca had been brought down by Adrian Leijer.
Melbourne Knights' chances were few by comparison and opportunistic, rather than crafted. Tomi Razov latched onto a partly-cleared free-kick taken from wide on the right for a spectacular attempt on the volley from 25 metres. It whistled only just over the bar.
South had two fine chances within minutes. Curcija met a cross from Ante Kovacevic with a powerful header which went close, but beyond the post.
Then it took the combined attentions of Knezevic and Isyan Erdogan to scramble clear a header from Tunbridge that looked likely to creep in low at the post after Kovacevic had headed on a corner.
Erdogan then set up sharp chance with a hard low cross across the face of goal which Oksuz did well to meet, but was unable to direct it goalwards, such was its speed of arrival.
The South defence was then compelled to scramble clear from inside its own six-yard box after Vargas' free-kick was launched into a sea of players. Andrew Marth was highest to, it but it fell into a mangle of players before a frantic South leg battered it into safety.
Tunbridge completed the scoring a minute from time, following up a shot from Boutsianis, only parried by Knezevic, leaving Tunbridge an easy side-foot home from inside the six-yard box.