Green Gully’s Jonathon Munoz makes a desperate attempt for goal. 69231 Picture: EMILY LANE
By Dejan Kalinic
GREEN Gully has qualified for its second straight Victorian Premier League grand final after a 3-0 win against Hume City – days after coach Lubo Lapsansky resigned.
The Cavaliers, led to the finals series by Lapsansky, had Ian Dobson in charge in their major semi-final as Joel Nikolic, Mile Medjedovic and Mathew Sanders found the net to book their place in the decider at AAMI Park on 3 September.
Gully general manager Raymond Mamo confirmed Lapsansky’s departure.
“Ian Dobson had full control of the squad. Lubo Lapsansky informed me on Thursday morning that he didn’t want to coach. He wasn’t interested in coaching on for next year,” he said.
“As such, because of his business and he has gotten really busy at work with his business, so he’s decided to resign.”
Dobson, a National Soccer League championship-winning coach, was previously the technical director of coaching.
The former Melbourne Knights boss was also alongside Paul Harris when he led the Cavaliers to the title last season.
Mamo said the club regarded Dobson as the most talented coach in Australia.
“It’s just fantastic to have a person of that quality and we regard Ian as the best coach in Australia and there’s no doubt about that,” he said.
Even without Lapsansky, the Cavaliers continued on their merry way and needed just 10 minutes to go ahead at home on Saturday.
A corner from Graham Hockless was headed home by Nikolic, his first goal of the season after coming off two serious injuries.
Gully was comfortable for most of the first half, before Hume began to press after the break.
Cavaliers goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic was twice forced into strong saves to maintain what has been an incredible run without conceding in the league.
Roganovic, who hasn’t had to pick the ball out of the net in the VPL since 25 June when Hume hammered Gully 4-0, has not had his defence breached in 655 minutes.
Green Gully all but sealed the win 10 minutes from time when defender Medjedovic prodded in after a corner led to a goal-mouth scramble.
Sanders ensured there would be no amazing come-back when he also got on the scoresheet in stoppage time.
Hume goalkeeper Lupce Acevski pushed forward to add another number in attack for a corner, only for a swift counter-attack from Green Gully to leave Sanders open to place into an empty net.
Mamo was delighted with the result, which sees Gully earn the week off before a grand final clash against the winner of Hume City’s battle against the Oakleigh Cannons.
“They were fully focused and they knew there were just one game away from being in the grand final and it was just an awesome performance from everybody that took the park,” he said.
