By Greg Blake
The 1992/93 National League Cup final was barely three minutes old when Alan Scott produced one of those once-seen, never forgotten goals. At full pace, and with the calm and balance of a slalom skier, Scott’s thrilling glissade swept him past two startled defenders to the top of the penalty area. As a third challenger lunged, Scott unleashed a laser beam right-footer which whistled past a diving goalkeeper and sailed inches inside the left hand upright.
The moment set the heart racing and adrenaline pumping. It was an emphatic statement of intent. On this night at Marconi Stadium, this once-maligned Heidelberg United Alexander team had found their hill to die upon. The Warrior’s opponent, Parramatta Meltia Eagles. were coached by Aussie legend, the late Rale Rasic, won the knock-out cup in 1990/91 and weren’t about to toss in the towel. And this final was a thriller.
But first, rewind back to less than four months before the cup final to once again better appreciate why it is that Alexander supporters celebrate success more robustly and for a little longer and louder than most. Triumphs are rare and precious. And with Alexander they often happen when least expected and in the most unusual ways.
Coming into Christmas 1992, Heidelberg United were already dismissed as also-rans in the national competition. By Christmas Day, Alexander had won just once – away back in round two -in its opening eleven games of the 1992/93 summer campaign. The natives were getting restless.
The late Peter Tsaklis was quite the character. Reactive, animated and always passionate, this was Tsaklis’ second spell as Alexander president. And never one to shy away from controversy, Tsaklis – presumably with the support of his board – announced that senior coach, Gary Cole, would be replaced, at least for the time being, by recently retired Scottish-born former Socceroo, Garry McDowall.
Socceroo Cole’s club record 115 goals and legend status was matched only by goalkeeper, Jeff Olver. Six days before Christmas Olver played in his club record 381st senior game, a 1-3 loss on the road against Morwell Falcons. It was his last appearance for the Warriors. When Olver turned up for training the following Tuesday evening he was handed a letter from the club which essentially asserted that he couldn’t cut it any more and his time with Alexander was up.
Cutting two bona fide all-time greats – whose respective club records still stand to this day – was considered ill-advised. A pre-Christmas spot of un-neccassary blood-letting. A knee jerk reaction. Whether it was good luck or good management which revived a once lost season, Tsaklis always smiled and claimed the latter in years to come.
But you wouldn’t have backed Alexander to turn the season around with Monopoly money at this point. Thankfully a desperately hopeless Brisbane and a Preston side which entered the season with match points deducted for crowd-related issues kept the Warriors from languishing at the foot of the ladder.
Skippered by Gary Brattan, on paper the squad was rich with potential. The redoubtable Scott, Joe Palatsides, speedster Brian MacNicol, Ange Goutzoulis, George Slifkas and Peter Bordignon were well established. For George Georgiadis, teenage newcomer, Danny Gnjidic and now finally first-choice goalkeeper, Mike Chatzitrifonas, 1993 was to be the making of them.
Phil Stubbins was in career-best form. Derek Hunter had been joined by fellow Scot, Ally Dick, pre season. David Clarkson’s form was outstanding following his return from a stint with English Second Division side, Brighton. And even plagued by a nagging knee problem, Dougie Hodgson was still a fearsome asset when fit to play.
There was no remarkable transition under McDowall, yet something stirred on Boxing Day. The Warriors hosted, ironically, Parramatta Eagles and little ‘Mighty Mouse’, Michael Michalakopoulos, played his first game and scored his first goal in Alexander colours. Further goals from Clarkson and Stubbins gave the Warriors a 3-2 victory, their first win in three months.
They followed up with an away draw at Adelaide City and a home defeat against Marconi, those two sides going on to play-off in the 1992/93 grand final. On Wednesday, January 13 the Warriors hosted ladder leaders and eventual minor premier, South Melbourne, in the first leg of their amazing cup journey.
Derek Hunter notched a hat-trick and big Dougie Hodgson scored his one and only career goal for Heidelberg United as the Warriors routed Hellas 4-1. The sleeping giant was waking. While McDowall expressed his enthusiasm for keeping the coaching role long term, the club were going hard to lure former Red Star Belgrade and Yugoslavia champion, the late Drago Sekularic, to the club.
‘Seki’ had previously won NSL Coach of the Year honours in 1986, after he led Footscray JUST from the bottom of the ladder in 1985 into the 1986 Southern Division Grand Final. A number of Alexander players expressed support for McDowall, but Sekularic was quietly secured with a starting date towards the end of February.
Despite losing Hodgson for the remainder of the season – big Dougie going in for knee surgery – McDowall’s tenure ended in spectacular fashion. His final three games in charge started with a round 21 route of Sydney Croatia, the Warriors 3-0 win enough to cost the Sydney club a finals place.
One week later Michael Michalakopoulos scored both the goals to sink his former club, South Melbourne, in a famous 2-1 victory at Middle Park. It was the last time Alexander would win at the sadly now demolished venue. In McDowall’s final game the Warriors ensured that they would be steering clear of relegation concerns by coming from behind to beat Preston 2-1.
An Ange Goutzioulis double on either side of half time won the day, Mike Chatzitrifonas pulled off a couple of match-saving stops and Clarkson was a unanimous choice for man of the match. It was his last game as a Warrior. He was off to join Hong Kong’s Happy Valley club.
McDowall made a dignified exit, leaving a message to the playing group. “You look at the South Melbourne game and we were right there with them,” he told the press. “We won it on merit. I’d like to continue on and the right stuff’s there to continue with.”
Sekularic was handed the car keys as the season began a three-week hiatus to accommodate Australia’s hosting of the the 1993 World Youth Championships. Legend has it that ‘Seki’ had the Alexander squad training six nights a week prior to the return leg cup game away against Hellas, on March 21.
Hellas led by two goals before a George Slifkas penalty on half time and second half strikes by Michalakopoulos and MacNicol ensured Heidelberg would advance to the semi finals. Hellas scored again late to level at 3-3, but the Warriors rolled home 7-4 on aggregate.
With neither finals or relegation at stake, the resumption of the league season was much less a concern than a March 31 date with destiny, against Adelaide City in a cup semi final. Coached by twice coach of the year, Zoran Matic, the Zebras were in the middle of a decade of finals appearances, which had secured three national titles and a pair of cup wins, the last success just one year beforehand.
But Heidelberg’s rags-to-riches season continued with a gritty 1-0 win under lights at the old Olympic Park, the winner from Phil Stubbins coming 70 minutes in and sending the Warriors into its fourth NSL Cup final. The only sour note was Palatsides’ send off late after a second yellow card.
Alexander’s regular season ended with a 1-1 draw away against Parramatta Melita Eagles. Not that it mattered. The big ticket item was seven days away, when the same two teams would go head-to-head in the 92/93 cup final.
Going into just his sixth game as Warrior coach, Sekularic – already without Clarkson and Hodgson – would have to work without Bordignon, potential match-turner Stubbins and Palatsides, who boasted extensive big game experience and had played in every game that season. All three were suspended.
Thus it was that a 16 year-old Andy Vlahos was called in as one of two substitutes and just-turned 20 year-old defender, Peter Tiktikakis, was called up for his very first start at NSL level. He didn’t disappoint. Indeed, not a single player did on the night of the final.
Scott’s remarkable goal to open the final was likely his best in Heidelberg colours. He scored very rarely. And likely he had better games. After all, he played 238 games with Alexander and he remains a club legend.
But oh, that one moment, those seconds after the ball hit the back of the net and Scott wheeled away pumping his fist, that was a one-off and iconic. Highlight reels, history books and Alexander lore. His moment set the standard for the final and not a single player out there in the yellow and black that night didn’t lift in its wake.
Heidelberg’s opening half was poetry. Parramatta had no counter for the pace of MacNicol and Michalakopoulos down either wing, Goutzioulis danced and dashed, Slifkas was terrific in the absence of Stubbins and skipper Bratten was a leviathan leading the defence.
Bratten locked in on unpredictable but often brilliant former Socceroo, Marshall Soper. Soper was frustrated at every turn, much to the delight of Heidelberg supporters who could still recall consecutive cup final defeats at the hands of Apia – in a game Alexander led but lost – in 1982 and Sydney Olympic over two legs a year later. Soper was opposition in both those finals.
Heidelberg might have been further ahead at half time in the 1993 final, but the scoreboard and a breather offered Rasic’s side renewed hope and Parramatta stormed back and tested Chatzitrifonas more than once and were finally rewarded with an equaliser with ten minutes left on the clock.
With barely three minutes to play, an exhausted MacNicol launched into one final driving run, galloping from wide left and and angling deep into Parramatta territory before releasing for Michalakpoulos. Little ‘Mighty Mouse’ drove at the byline and squared into the hot spot where sub Danny Gnjidic cleverly laid off to allow Slifkas to launch from the edge of the penalty area, his shot smacking off a defender before looping and spinning its way over the line for the match-winner.
Heidelberg United reached the final again two years later, but lost. In all Alexander played in an NSL record five knock out cup finals and won just the one. This one. The legends team of the late 1970’s and early 80’s finished top six or better pretty much every year also lost three cup finals, in ’79, ’82 and ’83.
The club’s final five years in the national competition weren’t terrific, with their best finish a dismal ninth. But even the legends couldn’t pull off what this remarkable 1992/93 outfit could. An NSL Cup win against the odds. When least expected. From turmoil to triumph in four short months.
The cup final team was: Mike Chatzitrifonos, Gary Brattan, Alan Scott, George Georgiadis, George Slifkas, Derek Hunter, Brian MacNicol, Peter Tiktikakis, Mike Michalakopoulos, Angie Goutzioulis, Ally Dick (Danny Gnijidic 73). Sub not used – Andy Vlahos
