By ADEM SARICAOGLU
SUNSHINE George Cross put up a good show but still couldn’t slay Victorian soccer powerhouse South Melbourne in the Dockerty Cup on Saturday.
The game nearly went into extra time at Chaplin Reserve, with neither side managing to score the breakthrough goal.
Eventually National Premier Leagues outfit South Melbourne scored the winner with a controversial penalty that Georgies coach Tony Ciantar described as “highway robbery”.
However, despite the disappointing end to the clash, Ciantar was upbeat with his side’s efforts against top-flight opposition and said his boys would learn from the experience.
“I thought our boys’ application was absolutely sensational,” Ciantar said.
“Everything I’ve asked from the boys they’ve given me so far, so I really can’t ask for anything more and the result clearly showed how well they’re applying what I’m telling them to do.”
Ciantar was left with a bitter taste in his mouth after South pursued an attack that led to the penalty.
The play occurred moments after a George Cross player was brought down and the Georgies played the ball out.
Ciantar said South “threw the code of fair play out the window” by not giving the ball back to the Georgies when play resumed.
Despite the circumstances, Ciantar remained positive about his club’s handling of the situation and is now looking forward to continuing his side’s promising start when round two of NPL1 resumes this Saturday away to Avondale Heights.
“It just proves how much South Melbourne wanted to win that game and for my boys that’s what we take out of it,” Ciantar said.
“They did come here with a full squad and to keep them at 0-0 for the whole duration of the game – and we should’ve won during normal play – it put a sour end to the game.
“But credit to the whole football club and my coaching staff for the discipline that was shown after the game.”
