By Greg Blake
As with all addictions, once it’s in the blood there’s a constant craving for the good stuff. Six straight wins simply wasn’t enough for this new breed of Heidelberg United heroes. Joe Guest putting the Cannons ahead 69 minutes into an arm-wrestle with the Warriors on Friday night was season-defining, for Alexander that is.
What followed that goal was eleven minutes of chest-beating, heart-thumping and fist-pumping football to answer a question twelve weeks in the making. Does this team have the requisite character?. Against quality. Far from home. Oh, you bloody bet they do. Guest’s goal invited a response. Within five minutes fresh-into-the-game Jay McGowan zeroed in on a goal-line rebound and replied by cleanly smashing home a decisive equaliser.
A handful of minutes later Fletcher Fulton’s supremely weighted pass hit Max Bisetto on the run and Brodie Boyce’s mangled challenge put Bisetto on the deck, drew the shrill whistle of the referee and ended with the ball on the penalty spot and the game on the line. Bul Juach nailed the penalty. And with that Heidelberg United climbed to the NPL summit and defiantly planted the flag.
John Anastasiadis’ side is young, edgy, beautiful, talented and explosive. We knew all that. Now add resilience to the resume. And after years of Alexander slipping on Oakleigh’s banana peels, this was a win for the ages. To be savoured.
Oakleigh’s boutique Jack Edwards Reserve is nice. Clean, good food, pleasant people. Flash new grandstand on the go. What made this night so much sweeter is that Jack Edwards Reserve is also Heidelberg United’s Bermuda Triangle. It’s Black Hole. A House of Horrors. Since the turn of the century Alexander had won there just three times – in 2010, 2015 and 2018. So Friday night’s come-from-behind win cleansed the soul.
Since coach Chris Taylor transformed the Cannons from capable to championship calibre they’ve rag-dolled the Warriors more often than not. The Cannons do the practical things consistently well and rely on quality of manpower. On Friday night Chris Taylor’s side preempted potential danger. There’ll be no rag-dolling tonight. Get men behind the ball and wait for a mistake or two to open the door.
This dulled Heidelberg’s explosive potential, but the mistakes came. From Oakleigh. None fatal. Driven largely through Anthony Lesiotis’ crisp, decisive and deadly accurate distribution the Warriors led the count at half tine in commanding field position, possession and chances, but not where it actually counts.
Toward the half hour the door creaked open. Max Bisetto manoeuvred a wonderful steal to earn the chance at close range and closing only to drive his shot into the arms of diving Oakleigh keeper, Nick Feely. Bul Juach had a crack, Jordan Hall affected the block. And Sebit Ngor tested Feely as the Warriors found traction.
And a minute before a scoreless interval Lesiotis spotted up Fletcher Fulton’s gallop down the left, Asahi Yokokawa got a touch on his cross and Jamal Ali nearly pulled off another blind side late run goal but his side-foot fader did just that and flew wide of the post.
Emboldened Oakleigh’s gear-shift up to aggressive on restart opened the game up and Alex Salmon might have scored before a sizzling Ali, Ngor, Ali, Juach combination down the right flank ended with the mercurial Ali’s final shot cleared off the line. And Feely pulled off a save to stop Bisetto’s ambitious drive from a distance.
Then Joe Guest’s 69th minute header really kicked off the party. And what a shindig it turned out to be. The gate-crashing Warriors arriving late, but in time to grab the last six-pack out of the ice-bath and enjoy the night. I believe it was a coming of age celebration.
There wasn’t a lot between the two sides on Friday night, but the comeback was thrilling and, more importantly, this victory against this particular team – at their place – lights a clear path to NPL finals and perhaps potentially more, come September. Although a cup and league home double to come inside the next seven days is the more immediate focus.
Bonded and brilliant. A band of brothers. Refuse to lose.
