There was one change made from last weeks 2-2 draw at Oakleigh as Ralph Napoli reclaimed his starting eleven post, at the expense of Matt Cini. Cini was called upon as early as the 17th minute as Tsoumerkas succumbed to a groin injury in the middle of defence.

This early setback seemed to unsettle the home team as it was the visiting Knights who took the initiative and dominated possession throughout the first half. The great ball passing form that the Georgies showed against Oakleigh 9 days before was virtually absent as a flat looking midfield continuously turned the ball over and placed a shaky defence under extreme pressure time and again. It was the Knights who should have scored when from a corner kick a scramble and then a spilled ball by Martin John fell to a Knights player who seemed destined to score, only for a goal line clearance from Cini. The corner kick count ended up Knights 10 to the Cross 0, reflecting the pressure the Georgie defence was in throughout the match.

A 0-0 scoreline at the change was flattering to the home fans, as coach Montemurro made a halftime substitution replacing Kam Simsek with speedy youngster Jonathan Falzon in an effort to create some drive down the right hand side. A third and final substitution was made 12 minutes into the second half as Trevor Conroy was replaced by Nick Kalmar just in front of the back four. The Knights again went closest to scoring when a close range header from yet another corner was deflected against the cross bar.

Disaster struck on 70 minutes when playmaker Vasko Trpcevski received a crunching tackle to his back and could not take any further part in the game. As all three substitutions were already exhausted, the Cross was left in the unusual and unplanned position of being forced to play the remaining 20 minutes with ten men, without having received a red card. It was now backs to the wall as salvaging at draw would be seen as a major achievement under the circumstances.

In a strange twist however, this appeared to lift the under siege Georgies, as in the 79th minute Kalmar suddenly found space through the middle and the move of Falzon to the right paid the ultimate of dividends as his cut back into the penalty area found an unmarked Opazo to squeeze his strike in at the near post. It was now just a matter of holding on, and when the Knights were reduce to ten men themselves after a red card it seemed the long awaited first victory of the season was only a few nerve tingling minutes away.

However cruel fate struck once again, a curse that seems to haunt Georgie fans in the 90th minute of recent weeks, as the Knights won a a very dubious free kick on the edge of the Cross penalty area. The superbly taken dead ball curled over the wall and although John managed to get a fist to the ball the quality and placement of Matkovic's strike ensured it ended up in the back of the net.

The draw leaves both teams in the bottom half of the table with 3 draws and one loss from 4 rounds, although the Cross has the better goals scored record and therefore retains its spot above the Knights.
Overall it was a case of the Cross not playing well at home for the second time in a row. However away form has been sound, and with a weeks rest before the Easter Monday match away at Fawkner on April 9, and with a few key players returning from injury, a stronger refreshed Cross will be seeking that all important first win.

CAUTIONS: TRPCEVSKI 45, JOHN 82, FALZON 89