by Greg Blake
Elusive and compelling Jamal Ali is Heidelberg United’s new whispering death. His 57th minute goal against Preston on Friday night might have been the game winner. Roaming forward with the stealth of a Navy Seal, Ali might well have had two others on the night.
Ali’s goal came as he snuck in to the near post to edge home Mo Aidara’s cross to take charge of the scoreboard. However journeyman Luc Jeggo belted home a screamer for Preston 80 minutes into a gripping, pretty much had-it-all Heidelberg v Preston derby.
On a night which finished 1-1, Ben Collins was a giant for the Warriors, Aidara was brave and deliciously stylish, and a couple of times the elusive Ali looked like a jet skier weaving neatly through bathers in the shallows as he scooted through the lines.
A late cavalry charge by Alexander ended the second half much as the first, with a flurry of chances testing Preston’s overworked goalkeeping hero, Bon Scott, who combined with uncharitable woodwork to hold back the tide and maintain the 1-1 scoreline.
Scott was resolute. At the other end Yaren Sozer was twice the centre-ring showstopper. The first time was with a dazzling twist mid-flight to his left to double hand Jason Romero’s disputed Preston penalty kick around the post to safety ten minutes from half time.
Preston started to stoke the furnace after half time and but for Sozer, might have taken the lead. Stepping up spectacularly again, it took Sozer’s elegant brilliance to turn away an otherwise goal-bound Oliver Kubilay effort on 52 minutes.
By half time the game was already worth the 16-year wait for the return of derbies like this, crammed with an excess of white-knuckled tension, high anxiety and hold-your-breath moments.
The game started with the throttle open and was still roaring going into half time as Warrior Bul Juach and Preston keeper Bon Scott charged headlong towards a potential bone-rattling head-on collision with each other.
That moment typified the game, but perhaps not the methodology. Heidelberg maintained as much calculated calm as possible given the pressure of the occasion and they attacked Scott’s goal frequently, without success.
Preston committed to attacking anything in yellow and black early on, and the half time numbers told the story. Two yellow cards and seven fouls against Preston tripled their total of shots on goal at the break.
It took about ten minutes of the game for the first push and shove to break out between players ‘flying the flag’ for their respective teams. It was great stuff. Competitive and passionate, it was as good a game to watch as we’ve seen in NPL Victoria this season.
