By Peter Stephenson
Barkers (fifth) hosted Greater Dandenong (12th) at a cold, rainy Kennel. So rainy, in fact, that the main pitch was waterlogged, so the game was transferred to the synthetic surface on the junior side. Barkers were keen to make amends for an inexplicable 1-4 loss to the visitors earlier in the season, and made two changes to the side which drew 1-1 with Knox City. Harry Rushton and Liam Seaye replaced Ross Clark and Ray Markley (both suspended).
The first real chance fell to Dandy on eight minutes, when a close-range header forced a brilliant reflex save from Mark Naumowicz to tip the ball over. Barkers replied with Max Burrows putting a great ball through to Maxim Solovyev on the right, who cut in and shot just past the far post. Then Danny Aye crossed and the ball was headed into the net, but the goal was ruled out for a foul.
Last week they had the unusual occurrence of an Olimpico (goal from a corner) in Olympic month. On 21 minutes, Barkers had a corner on the left, and Seaye hit a beautiful curler straight into the net off the post for 1-0 – extraordinary stuff.
Barkers were now looking good, and on the half hour Solovyev robbed Mohammad Rahimi, then backheeled to Aye. Aye found Rushton in the middle with a little space to shoot, but the shot was blocked. Then Christian Porcaro stole the ball in midfield and went on a run before hitting a long shot narrowly wide. Four minutes before the break, Chris Potter hit a great ball out to Sean Perrin on the left, who hit a floating ball just beyond the far post.
The final action of the half almost saw an equaliser as Dandy’s Muhammad Ali floated like a butterfly but didn’t sting like a bee as his point-blank shot drew a super one-handed save from Naumowicz. Half-time: Barkers 1-0 Dandy. Barkers were on top, with Solovyev in particular causing problems but just not getting the rub of the green. It was also noticeable that the pitch was taking its toll on the players as play was regularly halted for minor knocks that may not have happened on grass.
The second half began with Dandy looking sharp. Three minutes in, a long ball down the right found Ali, who crossed for Rahimi to shoot, but again Naumowicz was alert and saved his team with a good parry. Just a minute later though, the ball came in from the left to an unmarked Rahimi, who finally found a way past Naumowicz from close range to make it 1-1.
Seven minutes later, the bottom side did the unthinkable. Rahimi was in on goal and crossed low into the goal area, but there was a push and a penalty was awarded, which Rahimi dispatched to make it 2-1 Dandy. Two minutes later the visitors’ Sayed Alawi cut the ball back for Samuel Au, forcing Naumowicz to block at his near post. However, the siege now abated.
Just on the hour, brilliant interplay between Solovyev and Porcaro on the left saw Solovyev shoot wide of keeper Andrew Mensah, who stretched superbly to get a hand to the ball, but Porcaro, who had run into space in the centre, was on hand to hit the follow-up home for 2-2, teamwork and persistence at its best.
Back came that man Rahimi to shoot just wide, but Barkers then broke and hit a long ball out to Geordie Scott in acres of space, but his shot ran past the far post. Then Aye put Scott through, but the shot went over. Next, Aye set up Jerome Valadon, but Mensah was out quickly to smother.
Later on, Barkers won a couple of free kicks in dangerous areas but made nothing of them, then Dandy broke and hit a shot just past the post. Right on 90 minutes, Dandy played a short corner on the right, then sent the ball in for Zamer Noor to head over. Then came a very controversial ending to the game.
Barkers attacked through Scott, but he was adjudged to have fouled Mensah and conceded a free-kick. Mensah, enraged, headbutted Scott and was shown a straight red, but refused to leave the field for some time. When order was restored, the referee changed his decision from a Dandy free-kick to a Barkers penalty – surely an error as presumably you have to officiate the first incident (free kick) and not the second, so you’d think a defensive free-kick would apply but still send off the keeper.
Anyway, the penalty was taken by Scott himself and he hit the bar, and that was that. Well not quite, as the Dandy coach made his displeasure known to the referee in no uncertain terms. Full-time 2-2, a frustrating day for Barkers, who did enough to win but failed to complete the job. Barkers stay mired in mid-table in fifth position.
