Knights out to end Thunder hoodoo in NPL Victoria

It’s another big week of NPL and our Game of the Week takes us to Knights Stadium as Melbourne Knights look to end their 3 year NPL Victoria hoodoo against Dandenong Thunder on Friday night.

Last week NPL Victoria made its long-awaited return after 348 days, but with the celebratory opening round done and dusted it is now back to the week-to-week grind of league football for all teams.

Both Knights and Thunder come into the clash on the back of tough first week assignments and have plenty to play for beyond the three points in Round 2 as they jostle for early position in what promises to be another fiercely contested season.

Prior to last year’s COVID lay-off, the sides battled out a 3-3 draw at the same venue – the most recent of a litany of high-scoring clashes that have seen the two clubs share in 17 goals over their last three meetings.

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Last Friday night, a ten-man Knights made a winning start to their campaign after narrowly dispatching Port Melbourne SC on the road via a 17th minute winner from Gian Albano – the first goal of the competition’s return season.

However, that good work may well be brought undone if they fail to follow-up with an equally big showing in their first home game of the season under new coach Steve Bebic, who is aiming to return the Knights to the Finals for the first time since 2015.

Key to their fortunes will be the rapidly growing partnership between Albano and dynamic Mohammad Sumaora, whose mazy run and cutback was crucial to delivering the opening round win.

At the other end of the park, the Knights will also be eager to build on last round’s hard fought clean sheet, with off-season recruit Thomas Manos already proving his value with a crucial second-half penalty save to secure the points.

But their task will be made all the harder by the absence of suspended defender Nikola Jurkovic after his dismissal against the Sharks, putting extra responsibility on the shoulders of skipper Ayden Brice to keep his backline tight and orderly.

 

Similarly, their Thunder opponents, once again guided by head coach Sam Elmazi in 2021, were also steeled by their opening round derby clash with Dandenong City after securing a dramatic injury time draw.

New Argentinian signing Nahuel Bonada kept his nerve from the penalty spot in the 95th minute to notch his club’s first point of the campaign, but all hands will need to be on deck if the Thunder are to avoid leaving Knights Stadium empty-handed.

Key to their chances will be much-hyped off-season signing Josh O ‘Hanlon - formerly of Irish Premier League powerhouse Cork City - finding his scoring boots for his new club after a steady showing on debut last week.

While midfielders Paul Kuol and Giuseppe Marafioti could also be the game-breakers for the visitors after both finding the net in last year’s trip to Knights Stadium.

 

However, it is at the back where the Thunder’s new backline combination of Paul Wilson, Jamal Ali, Mersim Memeti and captain Harry Ashcroft will need to quickly further their understanding if they are to keep the Knights at bay.

A look to history may well prove the spark the Thunder need to get the home – with the club undefeated against the Knights in five NPL Victoria meetings since their return to Victoria’s top flight in 2018.

Feature image courtesy of NPL Victoria

Match Details

Melbourne Knights v Dandenong Thunder
Friday, 5 March 2021
Venue:  Knights Stadium
Kick-off: 7:30PM (AEDT)
Stream: NPL Victoria Facebook and NPL Victoria YouTube

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This article was originally published on the National Premier Leagues website.
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