by John Fotinos
For all the flamboyance of its past two wins by a combined 14 goals, Heidelberg United employed a more pragmatic method of carving out a hard fought victory at Knights Stadium.
Perhaps it was coming against a team finding its groove again after a slowish start to the season, or a surface less suited to the ‘Bergers expansive style of play, or the desire to give club great Sean Ellis a memorable result in his 200th game – perhaps a combination of all these factors.
Such highly competitive matches can be decided by moments – a flash of brilliance, a great save, a goal saving challenge, a fortuitous bounce & even a collective effort to will themselves to the finish line.
The ‘Bergers showed many of these elements in the win over the Knights. Nicholas Olsen’s winner from a Nikolaidis assist was a finish worthy of comparison to the 200 gamer himself. But, that doesn’t paint the entire picture by any means.
Coach John Anastasiadis summed it up aptly:
“From Josh (Pin) to Yaren (Sozer), even to the boys that came on in the second half, it was a team defensive effort. It was great to be part of a performance like that in a game where there were a few things that went against us from the start – with losing Kaine (Sheppard) from the outset, up against a team that played well & on a surface that made it difficult for us.”
Final Result:
Melbourne Knights 0 – 1 Heidelberg United (Olsen 62’)
