Bentleigh Greens continued their trophy-laden season by notching its first National Premier League minor premiership with a commanding 4-1 home win over Port Melbourne Sharks on Sunday afternoon.
The league championship is the Greens third piece of major silverware for the campaign, sitting along-side it’s maiden FFV Community Shield and Dockerty Cup triumphs.
With the Premiers Plate already sealed prior to kick off, the reigning champions signed off on an outstanding league season with another irresistible performance on their own patch.
The home side were awarded an early penalty when Dion Kirk was bundled over inside the box.
Kirk’s spot kick rattled the cross bar before the hero from mid-week Ryan Paczkowski was on hand to thump home the rebound on 17 minutes.
Port hit back just a minute later when Alec Goodwin curled home a stunning equaliser from just outside the 18-yard box.
On the stroke of half time the Greens restored their advantage when the in-form Paczkowski doubled his tally when he latched onto a low cross by John Maclean after being un-marked at the back post.
Bentleigh put the result beyond doubt ten minutes into the second half when Ross Archibald added a third – tapping in from point black range after it fell invitingly for the defender after a wickedly swung in corner.
With the three points a foregone conclusion, John Anastasiatis ran the changes, opting to call upon youngsters Brady Quinn and debutant Fin Olsen to show their worth at senior level.
It proved to be memorable bow for Olsen as he netted his first senior goal and the Greens fourth – finishing smartly after a terrific run and cut-back from Kamal Ibrahim.
The rain refused to reign on the league champions parade as they were presented with the Premiers Plate following the final whistle as the jubilant squad celebrated in boisterous fashion inside Kingston Heath premises.
It capped off one of the clubs most memorable week’s in its 30-year history.
For Port it ended a largely underwhelming campaign that culminated in their head coach Eric Vassiliadis resigning following the defeat after 6 successful years at the helm.
The Peak:
Football clubs pride themselves on seeing youth players make the transition into the first team – and the Greens unearthed a gem yesterday in Fin Olsen.
Introduced into the fray with just over 20 minutes remaining, the 20-year old was lively from the outset, confident on the ball and always looking to play little combinations to unlock space.
The young attacker showed he also has an eye for goal, ghosting into the penalty area to get on the end of an Ibrahim cut-back before finishing smartly.
The Trough:
After the disappointment of conceding first, Port quickly restored parity and were full value for it as they looked like heading into the main interval on level terms.
The visitors gifted the initiative back to the Greens when the Port defence criminally failed to track Paczkowski’s run who made no mistake after a driven ball in by Maclean with half time just seconds away.
Usually organised defensively, the Sharks let their guard down today and were punished in ruthless fashion.
The Game Breaker:
Full of confidence and hunger, Ryan Paczkowski has found his groove after netting a double yesterday following his Dockerty Cup heroics last Wednesday evening.
After losing his place in the starting lineup against Northcote City a fortnight ago, the Englishman has bounce back from the disappointment emphatically, showcasing his predatory instincts inside the 18-yard box.
It was the strikers first league goals since round 17, and with top scorer Chris Lucas out long-term, Paczkowski now becomes a key player for reigning champions in their ambitions to retain their crown.
What We Learned:
The all conquering Greens continue to take all before them, and with a host of important players including skipper Wayne Wallace still to return to the fold, they will get even stronger which is an ominous warning to their rivals.
John Anastasiadis’ side will have a full week to rest and recuperate before they turn their attention to the clash with Tasmanian side Davenport in their round of 16 clash in the FFA Cup next Tuesday night.
The Quintuple is still well and truly alive.
Port brings down the curtain on what was a largely forgettable campaign that saw them finish on seven less points than last season and just two points above the relegation play-off position.
With the departure of Vassiliadis, a new era will be ushered in at Plummer St as they seek a drastic improvement on this years output.
Goals have been a major problem for Port all season, so strengthening in the final third will be paramount if they’re to improve in 2017.