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Lion's Goal Scorers 2009
 3 - Hana
 2 -B. Georgievski
 1- R. Dolevski
 1- M. Bosevski
 1 - Filipovic
 1- Konstandinovski
 1- Kolevski
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

|29-06-09| Article From FFV Website....

 Preston (2) v Richmond (1)

Hana (2) PL

Lujic (1) RE

MOTM: Micovski (PL)

Crowd: 400 Unofficial

Richmond visited BT Connor Reserve to face bottom of the league Preston Lions yesterday.

For the home side, Aleksandar Stojanovski came into the starting line-up as goalkeeper following an injury to Damir Salcin in the four-nil loss to Green Gully. Kliment Coceski also came into the team in place of Michael Miskas.

The Eagles gave senior starting debuts to Enes Sivic and Stuart Wilson, with Dimitri Tsiaras and Richie Cardozo out through suspension.

Five minutes into the game, a great ball from Lorenz Kindtner released Gary Wales out wide on the left, but the following cross flew over the head of Milos Lujic. Blaze Georgioski tried his luck from thirty yards shortly after, his effort going well over the bar. A good ball up the line from Sivic allowed Lujic to turn Chris Jones but he was unable to keep his cross in play.

In the sixteenth minute, Igorce Kolevski blasted a shot over from outside the area after receiving the ball from a throw-in and turning sharply. A corner from Wales was headed away to the far post where Lujic volleyed a cut-back to George Goutzioulis, who in turn volleyed a shot over the crossbar.

Wales over-hit a cross when played in out wide on the left by a good ball from Wilson approaching the half-hour mark. Bale Micovski did well to get into a good position in the penalty area a minute later, but his pull-back from the right was eventually cleared. A head-clash saw Terry Antoniadis leave the field to have a deep cut attended to and the momentum was all with the home team as the first half came to a conclusion.

In the thirty-sixth minute Preston went the closest so far to grabbing the only goal, a shot screwing wide from one striker to the other, who then also mishit a shot. Three minutes later, Martin Hana was less wasteful, finishing well after Micovski had crossed from the right to put the Lions ahead. The late rally saw the Lions deservedly enter the break holding their 1-0 lead; a first win of the season well within their sights.

The second half saw play fluctuate from end-to-end. In the fiftieth minute Hana dinked a ball over the top of the defence for Georgioski to run onto; the subsequent chip clearing the crossbar. Lujic pulled the ball back to Antoniadis after making a run down the left. The ball was played into the feet of Wales who then laid it back for Wilson to shoot, which just went wide of the post. A great ball from Micovski from the right towards the penalty spot allowed Hana to double the Lions lead in the fifty-seventh minute.

On the hour mark, Peter Zois denied Hana in a one-on-one situation near the penalty spot. Goutzioulis shot wide from twenty five yards three minutes later. When Hana switched the ball from right to left to find Ivan Filipovic in plenty of space in the sixty-fourth minute, the resulting shot was easily saved by Zois.

A run down the left from Tom Milardovic began the build-up to Richmond pulling a goal back in the sixty-fifth minute. Milardovic passed to Goutzioulis who then found Wales. Wales played a good ball inside to release Lujic, who finished powerfully for his second goal since signing from Oakleigh Cannons.

A flick from Wales sent Lujic away on the left with fifteen minutes remaining, but he was fouled with the free-kick amounting to nothing. Goutzioulis again tried his hand from outside the area three minutes later, but his shot flew just wide of the top corner. Substitute Vladimir Kostadinovski proved a handful for Richmond's defence with his pace on the counter-attack in the final minutes. He hit the side netting when pushed wide by Stuart McCluskey after almost getting through to be one-on-one with Zois.

The end came shortly after, with the Lions restoring some pride by notching their first win of the campaign. They will hope to continue their revival in another home game in the next round, against Oakleigh Cannons. Richmond will next face South Melbourne at home, a stern test indeed for a side in the midst of a severe form slump.


Preston Lions line-up: A. Stojanovski, I. Filipovic, B. Micovski, I. Kolevski (D. Jovanovski 88'), R. Dajdovski, M. Hana (V. Kostadinovski 86'), B. Georgioski, A. Branov, C. Jones, B. Tenovski, K. Coceski.

Yellow Cards: Georgioski 44' Tenovski 74 Micovski 88' Filipovic 89'

Richmond line-up: P. Zois, T. Antoniadis, S. McCluskey, G. Wales, G. Goutzioulis, E. Sivic (D. Black 76'), S. Wilson, T. Milardovic, L. Kindtner (M. Catalano 55'), M. Lujic, A. Viola (T. Uskok 82').
 

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|21-06-09| Article By Simon McKluskey From Preston Website....

 Green Gully (4) v Preston (0)

Delev (2) GG

Nikolic (1) GG

Vargas (1) GG

Sanders (1) GG

MOTM: K. Delev (GG)

Crowd: 150 Unofficial

Two goals to Pablo Cardozo and Andy Vargas in the opening fifteen minutes, coupled with goals to Joel Nikolic and Matthew Sanders sealed a comprehensive 4-0 victory for Green Gully over the Preston Lions at Green Gully Reserve.

Although the game resulted in a 4-0 victory to the Cavaliers, the scoreboard could easily have read as a higher scoring game, with both teams playing an open brand of football and creating numerous chances on goal.

Taking advantage of a stiff breeze which the Cavaliers were kicking with, Green Gully midfielder Kole Delev cracked onto a left foot strike from twenty yards, but had his ball tipped out spectacularly by Lions goalkeeper Damir Salcin in the fifth minute. The Cavaliers made no mistake five minutes later when Delev delivered a precise cross to find an unmarked Pablo Cardozo on the back post, heading home the opening goal of the afternoon. Cardozo should have had a double in the space of minutes, when Steve Burton’s cross found the forward alone a few yards from goal, only to send his shot high over the bar.


The Cavaliers soon redeemed themselves, with Andy Vargas capitalising on Preston’s inability to clear the ball deep in their own half. Vargas intercepted a pass, advanced solo into the box and finished with a low strike past Salcin to double the Cavaliers lead.

The Lions were struck a blow late in the first half, losing the services of Damir Salcin after thirty five minutes. Salcin was taken off in a stretcher after heavily colliding with Matthew Sanders, running quickly off his line to courageously deny Sanders his first goal for the afternoon. In another blow for the Lions, reserve goalkeeper Aleksandar Stojanovski’s first touch was picking up the ball from the back of his net, as Joel Nikolic connected to a pin point pass from Pablo Cardozo, striking a cracking goal from eighteen yards into the roof of the Lions net.

The Lions responded positively in the second half, holding the bulk of possession for the opening fifteen minutes and creating a string of scoring opportunities. Michael Miskas’ shot from six yards out was charged down by Steve Burton, whilst Blaze Georgioski tested Cavalier’s goalkeeper Steve Tilovski a few occasions from long range. Despite Preston’s early dominance, the Lions failed to capitalise on the scoreboard and Matthew Sanders ensured Preston paid the ultimate price, latching onto a half volley from twenty yards and firing past a full stretch Stojanovski to beat the keeper on his near post.

Both Green Gully and Preston were unlucky to score towards the end of the game. Andy Vargas’ free kick into the box appeared to be handled by Michael Miskas, but claims for a penalty were turned away be referee Perry Muir. In the eighty fifth minute, Ivan Filipovic stuck a set piece from twenty yards, which appeared goal bound, only for Steven Tilovski to tip the ball over the bar in mid air.

The win ensured the Cavaliers remain in the hunt with the top half of the ladder in pursuit of a finals birth. Despite convincing winners on the scoreboard, Green Gully coach Peter Ollerton was not completely satisfied with the result. “The first fifteen minutes was the best part of our game, where we were up 2-0, but I thought after that we got dragged down to their level. However, there were some glimpses of form after that, which showed in the finishing of some of our goals.”

Although deflated by another defeat, Preston coach Zeljko Gagula remained positive about Preston’s future, stating “It’s disappointing not to get something out of the game. This has been the story of our season where we play well in patches, but with no experience, it’s hard putting a result together. We are destined to get relegated this season, but I’m remaining positive and motivated and am beginning to restructure for a quick return back to the Victorian Premier League next year. I am determined to ensure that a situation like this never occurs in this club’s history again.”

Green Gully will be looking to push towards consolidating a spot in the top five when they travel away to Mansion Stadium Friday night in a derby with the Melbourne Knights, whilst Preston continue to search for that illusive first win of the season when they entertain Richmond at B.T Connor Reserve this Sunday.

In the Under 21's, Green Gully came up against a determined Preston outfit, who ran away with a 0-3 upset.


Green Gully: S. Tilovski, S. Burton, D. Fak (M. Medjedovic 89’), C. Drake, K. Delev, J. Fleming (D. Ferreira 77’), P. Cardozo, M. Sanders, R. Ollerton, A. Vargas, A. Behich, J. Nikolic (A. Behich 77’)

Yellow cards: Diogo Ferreira (80’), Joel Nikolic (78’)
Red cards: Nil

Preston Lions FC: D. Salcin (A. Stojanovski 35’), D. Branov (K. Coceski 70’), C. Jones, R. Najdovski, M. Hana (V. Kostadinovski 65’), B. Georgioski, M. Miskas, B. Tenovski, B. Micovski, I. Filipovic, I. Koceski

Yellow cards: Bobby Tenovski (25’), Michael Miskas (72’), Ivan Filipovic (75’)
Red cards: Nil

 

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|16-06-09|  Article  From Preston Website....

 Sth Melb (6) v Preston (2)

De Nittis (2) SM

Zoric (1) SM

Payne (1) SM

Tavsanioglu (1) SM

Youssef (1) SM

Konstandinovski (1) PL

Kolevski (1) PL

MOTM: De Nittis (SM)

Crowd: 400 Unofficial

South Melbourne notched another comfortable win this season against Preston Lions in Round 14 of the Victorian Premier League at Bob Jane Stadium last Sunday.

Three goals in each half by South Melbourne secured all three points against its rival, with goals from Zoric, Payne, Youssef, Tavsancioglu, and a double from De Nittis. South now occupy third position on the ladder.

Preston's horrible season continues on, although Lions coach Zeljko Gagula can take some heart in the fact that the Lions have in recent weeks started to score freely. Goals came from Igorce Kolevski and new recruit from Lalor SC Vladimir Konstandinovski, both in the second half.

However the injury toll continues to rise as Lupce Koceski was substituted due to injury in the 40th minute, with scans latter on revealing damage on his knee which most likely will see him missing the rest of the season. Thomas Tolevski was also substituted early in the match due to injury.

Next week the Lions will face Green Gully Cavaliers, the only side that the Lions have managed to steal points from this season. The match will be played at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday 20th June 2009 with kickoff from 4.00pm for Seniors and 2.00pm for Under 21's.

South Melbourne: Tommi Tomich, Shane Nunes, Rhodri Payne, Steve O’Dor, Gianni De Nittis, Joseph Youssef, Fransesco Stella, Rama Tavsancioglu, Fernando De Moraes, Goran Zoric, Sebastian Petrovich
Goals: De Nittis (2), Zoric, Payne, Tavsancioglu, Youssef

Preston Line FC: Damir Salcin, Ivan Filipovic, Bale Mickovski, Igorce Kolevski, Michael Miskas, Thomas Tolevski, Robert Najdovski, Martin Hana, Peter Mitrevski, Blaze Giorgoski, Lupce Koceski, Andrew Branov
Goals: Konstandinovski, Kolevski

 

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|26-05-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 Preston (2) v Magic (4)

Filipovic (1) PL

Hana (1) PL

Recchia (2) AM

Curcija (2) AM

MOTM: Recchia

Crowd: 600 Unofficial

Preston’s season seems to be getting from bad to worse as the weeks go by, having lost another 3 experienced players

from its playing roster, club captain Mitch Bosevski going to Hume City, Robert Dolevski going to Fawkner Blues and vice captain Blaze Georgievski going back overseas to Macedonia.

Preston did manage to add to its playing list in the form of attacking player Martin Hana.

Altona who is having some of its own internal problems tested and probed the inexperienced young Lions outfit but apart from some early jitters the Lions gave the Magic as good as they received.

Preston was much the better team early on as Filipovic and Arsovski controlled the middle of the park with determination, and young forwards Hana and Micovski were more than just a nuisance to the Magic defense with their running and harassing, but apart from some half hearted half chances from both sides the majority of the first half saw each team cancelling the other out.

37 minutes into the first half big Magic defender Anthopoulos was outsmarted by the diminutive Preston forward Micovski which ended in Laurie pulling him down to the ground earning the Lions a penalty as a result, which Filipovic made no mistake when he sent Roganovic the wrong way to put the Lions up 1 goal to nil.

The half got even better for Preston when in the 44th minute Hana making his debut for the Lion’s out sped the Magic defense to the ball to easily slot it past a dismayed Roganovic in the Altona goal, and more importantly giving the Lion’s a 2 goal lead with the interval on seconds away.

Preston should have gone up 3 goals to nil in the 47th minute when Micovski broke clear from a static Magic defense but his shot on goal was well deflected by Magic keeper Roganovic for a corner which was wasted by the Lions.

This was as good as it would get for the inexperienced Lions which were not used to be in a leading position, and Magic made them pay dearly in the 62nd minute when their defense was breached, Damir Salcin was a lucky man as he brought down the Altona forward giving a penalty away but only receiving a yellow for the misdemeanor, Curcija made no mistake from the spot kick to give Altona a lifeline with 28 minutes to go.

Altona could so easily have been on level terms when they took a 22 metre free kick which Salcin could not hold and the resultant shot by Magic saw the ball blasted well over the bar from less than 6 metres out.

But this was a stay in execution only and Magic got what their efforts deserved and that was the equalizer through captain Recchia who rose unchallenged from a corner to on 71 minutes.

Preston coach Gagula was having kittens on the bench as he saw his charges completely stop and hand over the 3 points to Altona when Curcija and then Recchia scored in the final minutes to give away in the end to what looked like a comprehensive victory, when in reality Preston simply imploded when they should have consolidated and should have taken something from this game.

 

 

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 |19-05-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Knights (5) v Preston (1)

Draper 4  (MK)

Groenwald 1 (MK)

MOTM: Draper

Crowd: 500 Unofficial

Melbourne Knights have all but doomed an unconvincing Preston outfit to relegation from the VPL without any resistance at all from a poor Preston outfit.

Preston must now win almost all their remaining games of the season to have any chance of surviving and at least 2 teams above them need to lose most of their remaining games in the same period, which is mathematically impossible when you consider that Preston have only gained 1 point in the first half a season of football so far.

Man of the match Draper was the instigator of Preston's downfall as he scored 4 goals with the help of Groenwald to thrash the Lion's 5 goals to nil.

Fro his first in the 19th nminute to his 4th in the 68th minute he was a constant menace and only he knows as to why he didn't get more, Groenwald added to the scoring in the 52nd minute to give the Knights a comprehensive victory over a down and out Lions team.

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 |15-05-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Whittlesea (2) v Preston (1)

Santilli 1  (WZ)

Symeoy 1 (WZ)

Bosevski 1  (PL)

Crowd: 300 Unofficial

Whittlesea should have taken the lead as early as the 3rd minute but Apostolikas blasted well over the bar from 6 metres out. Whittlesea were the better side but only just, as the young Lions outfit did unsettle them on several occasions.

24 minutes into the game the Zebras had the ball in the the Preston goal, but to the delight of Preston's coach Gagula the assistant referee had kept up with the game and flagged offside accordingly.

Igor Arsovski should have scored not long after, but his effort cannoned of the woodwork to keep the scores even at nil all.

Whittlesea did manage to score through  dubious circumstances, as the Preston players were appealing a handball of the Zebra keepers clearance, the ball was played forward as the referee waved play on, the ball was then played through to what looked like an offside O'Hare, as the Lions were also appealing the offside which the referee and his assistant didn't want a bar of, O'Hare crossed the ball to Santilli who easily beat stranded keeper Salcin to give the Zebras the lead minutes before halftime.

Things got much worse for the Lions as they went 2 nil down 11 minutes into the second half, through Symeoy.

Bosevski was unlucky not to have score from 2 quality strikes from distance, but as has been in recent weeks Preston cannot buy a goal.

Preston did get that elusive goal well into injury time when Bosevski cleverly chipped Zebras keeper Gerohristodoulos from 18 metres out for the Lions first goal in 9 games.

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 |15-05-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Preston (0) v Heidelberg (7)

Ederaro 3  (HW)

Gasparis 2 (HW)

Hockless 1  (HW)

Jones 1 (HW)

 

Crowd: 600 Unofficial

MOTM: Ederaro

One of Preston's biggest rivals has driven the proverbial nail in its VPL status as they easily demolished them 7-0 at BT Connor Reserve, watched by the smallest crowd seen there in over 30 years, and the score could have easily been even higher if it was for some fantastic saves by Salcin and some poor shooting by Heidelberg in front of goals.

Hockless got the ball rolling for Heidelberg when he scored in the the 29th minute, Preston were holding their own until  this point, but as in previous weeks they completely fell apart without  to give Heidelberg free reign all over the park.

Man of the match Ederaro got his first in the 33rd minute even though he was surrounded by no less than 5 Preston defenders to give Heidelberg a goal lead, 7 minutes later he got his 2nd to consolidate the game for the Warriors.

Gasparis come on for injured Aliliovic after he received a nast gash on his head which needed stitches. Gasparis a former Preston favourite didn't take long to make matters worse for his former team when he was supplied by Ederaro to score in the 43rd minute.

The game was well and truly over by now and the only thing everybody at BT Connor Reserve were thinking was how many Heidelberg would eventually score. The scoring finished in the 65th minute by which time Edararo got his hattrick 50 minutes in, Jones made it 6 nil on 55 minutes,and Gasparis got his second on 65 minutes to make it 7 nil.

Some woeful Heidelberg finishing and some great saves from Salcin kept the score at 7 goals to nil.

PRESTON LIONS FC: D. Salcin (GK), C. Toleski, M. Bosevski (C), I. Filipovic (Mitrevski), M. Miskas, L. Koceski, R. Dolevski, K. Coceski  , B. Micovski, I. Kolevski,  , M. Ladnjak  


Subs not used: Stojanovski, J. Dolevski, D. Jovanovski
 

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 |04-05-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Dandenong (4) v Preston (0)

Di Iorio 3  (DT)

Korcarevski (DT)

Crowd: 800 Unofficial

MOTM: J. Di Iorio

Preston came into this game with the knowledge that a loss would almost condemn them to relegation, and missing 3 members of its starting 11 would not make the day any easier as Georgievski out with injury, Miskas and Salcin both missing due to suspension.

Preston  gave a good account of itself for 32 minutes of the game, then everything fell apart as they conceded a goal when inexperienced keeper Stojanvski coming of his line and was easily rounded by Di Iorio to send Dandenong 1 goal up.

Dandenong got their 2nd right on the stroke of half time when Korcarevski slotted easily past a rattled Preston defence.

As in previous games the Lion's capitulated all to easily, as the Thunder found themselves 3 goals to the good as Di Iorio got his 2nd and Dandenong's 3rd in the 57th minute as he again easily rounded keeper Stojanovski.

Preston almost got a consolation goal through subsitiute Jason Dolveski making his senoir debut but the woodwork came to Dandenong's rescue.

Di Iorio got his hat trick on 65 minutes to give the Thunder 3 points it deserved and condemned Preston to the foot of the ladder with 1st division football looking a ralitye even at this early stage of the season.

PRESTON LIONS FC: A. Stojanovski (GK), C. Toleski, M. Bosevski (C), I. Filipovic, L. Koceski, R. Dolevski, I. Arsovski (84' K. Coceski), B. Micovski, I. Kolevski, R. Najdovski,, M. Ladnjak (63' J. Dolevski)

Subs not used: A. Kitanovski (GK), D. Jovanovski
 

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 |27-04-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Preston (0) v Sunshine (1)

Petrevski 1  (SG)

Crowd: 500 Unofficial

Sunshine overcame a resilient Preston side 60 minutes into the game when when former Lion's favourite Sapazovski scored from the penalty spot to further dampen Preston's 2009 VPL season.

Preston was much the better team for long periods in this scrappy game. The weather conditions did little to lift the enthusiasm of the few brave souls that came to watch the game.

The way the the Preston outfit went about their game must have given new coach Zejlko Gagula some optimism about his chances of possibly turning around Preston season, but losing Georgievski as early as the 3rd minute to a hamstring problem would not help his cause.

The damage was done by 2 former Preston players in the end, Mancevski must have thought that he had scored when he lobbed stand in keeper Stojanovski onlt to see Miskas make the save of the game, unfortunately for Miskas and Preston he was not the keeper. As he received his red card Sapazovski dutifully scored the penalty to give the Georgies the 3 points.

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 |23-04-09|  Article From Official Preston Lions FC Website....

Zejlko Gagula Appointed As Preston Lions Coach

The Preston Lions Football Club wishes to announce that it has appointed Zeljko Gagula as the new senior coach for the remainder of the 2009 Victorian Premier League season.

Gagula returns back to the Lions after serving as the Assistant Coach in 2007 when the Lions finished the season as Premiers and Champions of the Victorian Premier League. Gagula had also served as coach of the clubs Under 21 Youth Squad in 2005 and 2006.

"The club is in a very difficult position and should not be there. Preston Lions is a big club with the biggest supporter base and although its going to be hard work we can only improve on our current position" stated Gagula.

"I will work hard to build confidence in the squad and to get the boys to not only to play for themselves but for the shirt as well".

Gagula's appointment comes after Zoran Trajceski had elected to relinquish his role as senior coach after the Round 7 loss to Hume City. The club wishes Trajceski all the best in his future endeavours.

After playing away from home for the past four weeks, the Lions will meet Sunshine George Cross in Round 8 of the Victorian Premier League this Sunday at BT Connor Reserve from 3pm for Seniors and 1pm for Under 21's.

 

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 |22-04-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Hume City (6) v Preston (0)

Petrevski 2  (HC)

Baser 1  (HC)

Opazo  1  (HC)

Ucarli 1  (HC)

Harry 1  (HC) 

Preston lasted 12 minutes before they succumbed to the pressure Hume was applying as their defence was breached by Tansel Baser to go up 1 goal to nil from a Sterjovski cross.

Robert Dolevski could have and should have equalised almost immediately when presented with a glorious opportunity but put his shot wide of the goal.

Hume City was in control of the game in the first half, but Preston would have felt aggrieved not to be level.

Georgievski showed some endeavour in the beginning of the 2nd half but that's as good as it got for Preston.

15 minutes into the 2nd half former Preston hero Petrevski got the ball rolling when he scored Hume's 2nd goal with a powerful header from an Erdogon cross to give Preston that sinking feeling.

Things got even worse when Preston Keeper Damir Salcin got himself sent off in the 65th minute.

Hume were 3 goals up when Ucarli neatly chipped the Preston Keeper to put the game beyond the Lions.

Opazo got himself on the scoresheet 2 minutes later.

Petrevski scored Humes 5th in the 88th minute after some relentless pressure from Hume.

The icing was supplied by Harry  a minute later as Hume demolished Preston 6-0.

 

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 |14-04-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Altona (4) v Preston (0)

Recchia 2  (AM)

Curcija 2  (AM)

Crowd: 1,000 Unofficial

MOTM: Carl Recchia (AM)

 

Preston looked like a team going through the motions of a beaten team even before the first kick of the ball in this rescheduled game with Altona Magic.

Altona came into this game with a well earned win against Gully the week before and weren't about to let a very poor Preston team get in their way.

Carl Recchia scored for Magic in a very disputable fashion in the 23rd minute, but try as they might the Preston appeals fell on deaf ears and the Magic were 1 goal up.

6 minutes later an innoxious cross from the right saw Curcija score his first and Altona's second to add more misery to the Preston team, coach and fans alike, and the way the Lion's were playing the game looked well and truly over.

Curcija got his 2nd goal of the game when the ball fell to him some 25 metres from the Preston goal and with no pressure on him he lobbed the ball over a dumbfounded Damir Salcin in the  Preston goal to give the Magic a 3 goal lead with some 50 minutes of play left.

Magic keeper Raganovic pulled of 2 world class saves from 2 piledrivers from Preston captain Bosevski coming from 2 freekicks awarded to the Lions for fouls some 30 plus metres out, but this was the only resistance Preston gave in a very poor first half display.

The Lions tried valiantly to stay in the game after the break, and although they kept Altona at bay for the entire 2nd half it was inevtable that Altona was going score and they did this on 90 minutes when Recchia the Altona captain got Altona's 4th.

 

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 |05-04-09|  Article 

 

And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Oakleigh (3) v Preston Lions (0)

Diaco 2  (OC)

Damianos  (OC)

Crowd: 250 Unofficial

MOTM: Damir Salcin

 

Oakleigh set about their game with the intention of not letting the Lions settle early or have time to think about what they wanted to do, and should have taken the lead as early as the 2nd minute,  were it not for Preston’s keeper Damir Salcin who was alert to the danger and pulled of a great save from a 1 on 1 situation.

This happened to be a stay of execution only as a minute later Igor Kolevski brought down an Oakleigh forward in the penalty area, the referee pointed to the penalty spot amid appeals and protests from the Preston bench and players alike, those protests were waved away as Diaco put the ball past Preston’s keeper Salcin.

The goal shocked the Preston team to the core and they found themselves 2 goals down in less than 6 minutes of play when Oakleigh were awarded a free kick some 30m out wide on the left flank, Diaco got his second goal when his cross cum shot went directly into the goal past a static Preston defence.

Diaco was creating havoc as he harassed the Preston defence with his hustling and bustling, and with Damianos running the middle of the park Preston was being ran rugged.

Diaco should have done much better when his 20 metre shot from in front of goal went over bar 10 minutes in.

The turning point from Preston’s point of view in this contest was made by the referee in the 15th minute when he waved play on amid appeals for a penalty on Georgievski when he was blatantly brought down from behind, but in the end all they got was a corner instead, much to the disgust of Preston coach Zoran Trajcevski.

Oakleigh’s number 11 could have sealed the game for Oakleigh in the 25th minute when he missed the whole goal from 6 metres out with no defender anywhere near him.

Oakleigh were in total control of the game by this stage and should have scored on a further 2 occasions, once in the 36th minute when the ball was played across the 6 yard box and 3 Oakleigh forwards watching it but not attacking it, and the second in the 40th minute when Damianos was fouled 20 metres out in front of goal, but Damir Salcin pulled of another brilliant save to keep the Lion’s in the match.

Preston was a better team in the beginning of the 2nd half and gained some control of the middle of the park, but could not make any headway in front of goal at all. At best Preston was only an annoyance to the to Oakleigh defence with only half chances coming their way with Dolevski and Bosevski at the centre of them.

Damir was again in the thick of things when in the 55th minute he denied Oakleigh another certain goal as he was faced with another 1 on 1 situation.

Oakleigh’s #17 should definitely have scored for Oakleigh but his free header from the penalty spot floated inches over the bar giving the Lions some hope of salvaging something from the remainder of the game.

Bosevski having made some room on the right side saw his shot easily saved by Oakleigh’s keeper.

Karpeh having just been introduced could have made an immediate impact when he went past a static Miskas, but the shot weakly which Salcin saved easily.

Oakleigh did put the game beyond the Lions reach in the 83rd minute when Damianos put the ball over a gallant Salcin after some impressive work on the flank by Oakleigh.

Oakleigh’s penalty appeals for a handball in the 85th minute were waved away, and seconds later Karpeh butchered another great opportunity when he went past Miskas yet again only to shoot straight at Salcin from 12 metres out.

Karpeh was having a nightmare of a time with getting caught offside at every attack Oakleigh had, and to add to his misery he beat Miskas yet again with 2 minutes to go but his shot across Salcin’s goal was well wide of the mark.

Oakleigh had 2 goals disallowed for offside in as many minutes but Karpeh’s nightmare continued in front of goal .

Oakleigh should have scored more than they did, but their inability to take their chances saved Preston from what could have been another hiding.

The Lions lack depth and experience and unless they address this problem ASAP then they will  definitely be playing First Division football next season.

Images From Oakleigh v Preston To Follow.

 

|28-03-09|  Article  And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Richmond (5) v Preston Lions (1)

Crowd: 700 Unofficial

Kalambokis 2 (RE), Cardozo 2 (RE), Catalano (RE)

Georgievski (PL)

  Preston came crashing back down to Earth with another dismal performance, as Richmond inflicted another 5-1 defeat on them in their 3 successive meeting.

In what must be described as an abysmal performance by a team lacking self believe, confidence, ambition and heart. Preston has produced an effort equaling the disaster of 2 weeks ago when it went down to Sth Melb 7-1.

On performance over the last few weeks it looks like last weeks effort against GGully was a flash in the pan, and last nights effort against Richmond is going to be the norm.

The first 75 minutes of the game Richmond dictated the flow of the game with Preston little less than idle passengers, as Richmond went by them with embarrassing ease. Lorenz Kindter ran the show for Richmond unimpeded and at times was just passing on instructions from the middle of the park without a Preston player in sight.

Once Richmond scored their first goal through Kalambokis the contest was effectively over, Preston heads went down with the resignation of defeat. from this point on most of the Preston players went missing in action, at times when Preston managed to get the ball the player in possession had nowhere to go or pass as his team mates did not want to get involved.

Richmond's second goal by Catalano was the definite nail in Preston's proverbial coffin. There was no way back for the Lion's because at best the entire team has only one goal in them and they all new it.

Preston finds itself in a precipice, if the team does not pick itself up immediately it will find itself in the lower leagues as some high flyers from previous seasons have, and this time they might not find themselves a way back in as was the case in previous times.

Having said all the above take nothing away from Richmond as they deserved taking all three points, they had commitment, dedication, tactical know how, cause and a never say die attitude as was shown throughout the game by the way they were always the first to any ball that needed winning.

Overall Richmond went on to score 5 goals, 2 more by Cardozo and another by Kalambokis, while Preston got a consolidation goal through Georgievski in the 90th minute to make the final score 5-1.

To compound things even further for the Lion's they have lost tall defender Popovic with a torn hamstring further limiting them inplaying stocks.

For More Images Click Here.....

Match Report From Richmond FC Website

 

|26-03-09|  Article  By Nome Risteski....

 

Richmond v Preston Lions FC

 

Preston go into tomorrow night's game against Richmond with a touch of trepidation, as last years double by Richmond over the Lions will surely be hanging over their heads.

But young Lion's outfit can take heart from the fact that their performance over GGully was not expected following what happened the week before, and again nobody is giving them any chance of taking anything away from Richmond which may work in the favour of the Lions.

Richmond has proved to be a bogey team for the Lions but their coach will have no doubt taken this into account, and if they played like they did against GGully then I would expect the Lions to at least get a draw from this game.

 

|23-03-09|  Article And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Preston Lions (0) v Green Gully (0)

Crowd: 1,000 Unofficial

MOTM: Damir Salcin (P)

Preston bounced back to gained valuable confidence by getting a result against Green Gully following the drubbing the week before against Sth Melb.

The game against Green Gully was a complete contrast to the game the week before, in the sense that the Lion's dished out as good as it received, and were unlucky not to have taken the lead as early the 7th minute when Tilovski saved an effort by Oksuz.

Salcin was having an inspired afternoon for the Lions as Sanders found to his detriment.

Salcin's counterpart Tilovski was also having a pretty good day at the office as he denied a Miskas header from less than 12 yards out.

It was Salcin that kept Preston in the game as he denied GGully several opportunities to go in the lead.

5 minutes into the second half Preston Captain Bosevski was denied by Tilovski when he got in the way to stop the rocket like shot from going into the GGully net.

Damir Salcin again saved Preston from going down as he frustrated Cardozo and Behich followed by a shot by Ivesic, although Salcin could not hold onto the original shot the rebound was again cleared to safety by the Preston defence.

Overall a draw was probably the fairest result on the day when either team could have taken all points had they been more clinical in front of goal.

The draw gives Preston renewed hope that they are not out of just yet and if they play like they did against GGully they will definitely trouble a lot of teams over the coming months.

For More Images Click Here......

 

|19-03-09|  Article And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

 

Preston Lions v Green Gully Preview

 

Preston come into this clash with Green Gully on the back of one of its worst ever defeats in its 50 year history.

Green Gully are hugging the top position of the league as usual having been unbeaten so far this season.

Though things look quite gloomy from the Lions point of view, they can take heart from the fact it cannot get any worse, and one game does not make or break the season, there are plenty of games left to lift themselves up.

Every body knows it is a big ask of the young and inexperienced Lions team to get something out of Green Gully, but they have shown glimpses that are capable of doing just that, and maybe they can use last weeks nightmare to their advantage as nobody is giving them a just against Green Gully.

 

For More Images Click Here.......

 

|15-03-09|  Article And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

Rampant  Sth Melb Demolish Preston Lions 7-1  

Preston Lions:
D. Salcin, M. Ladnjak, M. Miskas, Z. Popovic, C. Toleski, I. Arsovski, I. Filipovic, R. Najdovski, R. Dolevski, B. Micovski,  B. Georgievski

Crowd: 1,500 unofficial

Dolevski (PL), O’Dor (Sth), Zoric 4 (Sth), Youseff (Sth), No.  18   (Sth) 

Preston started the game the best possible way by scoring in the 1st minute when Dolevski latched onto a loose ball in the penalty to sent BT Connor Reserve in raptures, unfortunately this was all the celebrating that the home team and fans were going to do.

Sth Melb then took total control of the game with some strong work ethic from defence all the way to attack.

Preston tried valiantly to hold Sth Melb off but it was inevitable and a matter of time before the Lions cracked as Sth’s domination was going to yield dividends.

Damir Salcin was the only thing between Sth Melb and the goal as he courageously saved a 10 metre shot from Youssef.

O’dor should have done better 15 minutes in when he headed over the bar from a free kick from the right with only the keeper to beat.

Preston was finding it very hard to contain a rampant Sth Melb outfit as they chased shadows trying to get a hold of the ball, and the few occasions that they won it had problems keeping it for any length of time which in itself was a frustration not helping them.

The inevitable happened in the 27th minute when O’Dor converted the  constant pressure applied by Sth Melb to equalise. The goal knocked the stuffing out of the Lions and Nunes should have made the score in favour of Sth but he blasted well over the bar.

Sth Melb pressure on Preston was now relentless and it is quite amazing how they failed to score in the 37th minute as Preston was in total disarray but somehow managed to clear the ball when it looked like Sth Melb would score.

Zoric was the next culprit to miss a glorious chance from only 12 metres out as he blasted his shot well over the bar with only Salcin to beat.

To clearly show Sth Melb’s superiority it took Preston 38 minutes from the time they scored to their next meaningful shot on goal.

Sth made their superiority count when in the 45th minute they scored their second through Youssef from a great 20 metre shot giving Salcin no chance. Salcin kept Preston in the game in injury time as he saved bravely to save Miskas’s blushes as he lost the ball in the penalty area.

Da Moraes couldn’t finish an exquisite move which saw some great interpassing by Sth Melb, but his effort was just wide of the goal.

Sth Melb then lifted a gear and in particular Zoric who curled a great shot over Salcin in the 55th to give Sth a 2 goal buffer.

Zoric got his 2nd in the 63rd minute after some greater interpassing by the Sth Melb midfield and forward line.

Zoric then turned provider in the 78th minute when his cross from the right was blasted past a helpless Salcin by Sth # 18.

Things got from bad to worse for the Lions as Sth Melb kept up the pressure and were awarded a penalty which Zoric blasted into Salcin but the rebound fell straight to Zoric for his 3rd.

Zoric then completed his Man of the Match performance by scoring the goal of the game with a scorcher from 25 metres out in the 88th minute.

 

For More Images Click Here.......

 

|08-03-09|  Article And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

Preston Makedonia v SM Hellas

Possible Preston Lions Line Up:
D. Salcin, M. Bosevski, M. Miskas, Z. Popovic, C. Toleski, I. Arsovski, I. Filipovic, R. Najdovski, R. Dolevski, B. Micovski,  B. Georgievski

 

One of the biggest games of the season not only for Preston Lions or Sth Melb but the VPL is going to be played out of BT Connor Reserve this Sunday from 5.00pm.

Sth Melb have not had a great start to the season with 2 losses from 2 starts with no points to show, Preston themselves have not had a great start eithervbut are showing promising signs of team spirit and strength, this for a team that is totally unrecognizable from last season with a player exodus during the preseason. 

Preston having its game abandoned after 55 minutes last Sunday gives the Lions something to build on, and a win on Sunday will definitely give them the edge that Trajcevski is looking for from his young charges.

As we all know team form does not amount to too much in these derbies between Preston and Sth Melb as previous seasons have shown, it is the grit and determination if its players and supporters which usually win out on the day.

It is fair to say that Preston has not had a good run against Sth Melb on home soil over the years but a win for the Lion's on Sunday will go a long way in  giving it young players the impetus to jump start their season as well giving them the confidence to continue.

Although a loss to either team will not be the end of the world it will make life difficult in season 2008.

Preston welcome back Captain Michael Bosevski, his inclusion should give the Lion's some stability and strength especially his runs down the right flank.

 

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|08-03-09|  Article And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

Lights Ruin Game At Paisley Park Yet Again

Crowd: 1,200 unofficial
 
Altona Magic:
 N.Roganovic, P.Riccobene, C.Anthopolous, S.Laurie, S.Bozinovski,  A.  Fadljevic, P.Siveski, N.Kalmar, C.Recchia, P.Cergovski, M.Curcija
 
Preston Lions:
D. Salcin, M. Ladnjak, M. Miskas, Z. Popovic, C. Toleski, I. Arsovski, I. Filipovic, R. Najdovski, R. Dolevski, B. Micovski,  B. Georgievski

 

Just as the Lions were in the ascendancy in the second half the lights went out at Paisley Park yet again. The frequency that this is happening at VPL venues over the last few seasons is becoming very tiresome for the paying public.

Preston came into this fixture with some confidence having just been beaten by the Knights the week before, they knew that they should have taken something from that game having had pushed the Knights for much of the match, but Altona was a different proposition and the Lions new that they would have to work to keep them at bay.

Altona showed why it will be a force this season with some confident play, but Preston should have taken the lead on 2 occasions but Georgievski shot weakly allowing the Magic to stay in the game.

Altona also had some chances early on and Cergovski should have also scored when he was put through by Kalmar but his effort was easily saved by Salcin in the Preston goal.

Altona had some half chances but Preston’s defence stood up well to the onslaught and when Altona lost the ball in Preston’s half Filipovic played Arsovski on the right flank, Arsovski then put Georgievski through on goal but his weak effort was easily saved by the Magic keeper.

With 2 minutes to go in the first half Salcin incredibly saved an acrobat shot from Kalmar from 6 metres out, and a minute later pulled of the save of the game from Tasevski from Magic to keep Preston in the game.

The second half barely got started when 10 minutes in the lights went out. 15 minutes later an announcement advised that the game was over and alternative date would be set for the reply.

For More Images Click Here.......

 

|04-03-09|  Article And Foto's By Nome Risteski....

Lions Pegged Back In Injury Time By The Knights

 Crowd: 1,500 unofficial
 Georgievski (PL)
 Watson 2 (MK)
 
 
Preston almost did what nobody believed possible and nearly took all three points against a very strong Knights outfit at BT Connor Reserve.
 
All the doom and gloom Connor Reserve in recent weeks was quickly put aside as the young Lions wearing the traditional Preston Makedonia tops of Red and Black in its 50th Year   were marshalled well by new captain Bosevski and impressive new debutant Filipovic.
 
Preston was the the better fo the teams as they pushed forward and were very unlucky not to have gone ahead when a  Dolevski chip cannoned of the crossbar with Knights keeper Ozdemir rooted to the spot.
 
When Georgievski put Preston in the lead 75 minute it looked like Preston had done the impossible, but for some dubious refereeing decisions Preston would likely have taken all  three points.
 
Trajcevski played his part in the defeat with some naive tactical changes but in all the defeat can be laid at the feet of the referee who looked lost throughout the match.
 
The Knights completed their comeback some 5 minutes into injury time (still a mystery as to where he found that much time to begin with) when a defensive blunder handed  the Knights second goal and all three points.
 
On this showing Preston might be world beaters but they will give any team in the league a run for their money as they showed courage and determination not expected from them especially by their own fans who stayed away in their droves.
 

For More Images Click Here.......

 

|27-02-09|  Article By Nome Risteski....

Will The Lions Make An Impact In 2009

 Preston has entered its 50th year in the Top Flight of Victorian Football  in what appears to be in total disarray. It has lost its coach John Markovski under dubious circumstances followed by a mass exodus of players which made the core of its team. 
 
The upheaval at the club has made its huge following very nervous as no reasons are given for what has eventuated at the club.
 
The only saving grace for the club has been in appointing a coach very quickly as this will give the club some edge in possibly salvaging something from the season which is a sentiment not shared by its fans.
 
The mood amongst Preston fans is not a good and all blame is being channelled towards the Committee.
 
Preston must win its opening game of the season against the Knights as only a win will give the Preston Committee some room to breath, a loss will surely bring some response from the legion of Preston fans who are unhappy with events unfolding down at BT Connor Reserve.
 
Zoran Trajcevski has the unenviable task of trying to give the Lions something to look forward to, but one feels he is for a lot of pain in what looks like being a long season for himself and the Lions of Preston.
 
Contrary to what is being said and written Preston still has some depth and quality in its squad, and with a bit of luck will give many a side a run for their money, as long as the fans and supporters show unity.
 
Mitch Bosevski has been awarded the captaincy following a great season in 2008 when he was recruited from Fawkner and will undoubtley lead by example.
 
Bache Georgievski is the vice captain and his experience and skill will be a huge assett as his influence will be much needed to keep in check the younger players in the team.
 
Gone are John Sapazovski a great stalwart of the club, captain Tony Sterjovski, Nick Schwal Preston player of the year, Les Anastasiou, Lupce Acevski, Vince Pititto and young Steven Masalkovski.
 
In their place the club has brought in Ivan Filipovic and Goalkeeper Damir Salcin from St. Albans, Marko Lazarevic from FK Rabotnicki (Serbia), Stuart Wilson from the VIS, Nasser Curo from the Knights and  former Preston player Serkan Oksuz from Western Suburbs add to this Zeljko Popovic and Preston does have  depth, but will it be enough only time will tell.
 
 
 

|26-02-09|  Taken from The FFV Website....

 

PRESTON v MELBOURNE KNIGHTS
 
Sunday, 5pm - BT Connor Reserve,
 
The ship has well and truly been rocked at BT Connor Reserve since the Christmas break with the loss of their coach and a horde of key players.

John Markovski’s sudden departure stunned many VPL pundits, and the mass exodus of players which followed has put the Lion in a delicate position heading into the new season.

But to the clubs credit, they have stayed calm, gone through the processes and found an ideal replacement in former mentor Zoran Trajcevski.

He has galvanized the playing list and you can be sure he’ll produce a super competitive combination.

In another incentive to defy the odds, the Lions celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2008.

Melbourne Knights, last year’s runner-up, should be around the mark again and will be focusing on a fast start.

 
 

If you have any news on Preston Lions Makedonia Football Club you wish to pass on just drop an e-mail to the following address.
[  nrenee@optushome.com.au ]

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First Team 2009

 

        Head Coach         Z. Gagula

 N. Cuculevski

 A.Stojanovski  GK
 G. Gruevski       GK
 D. Salcin             GK
 B. Georgievski  (VC)
 M. Miskas (DVC)
 Z. Popovic    
 B. Micovski   
 I. Kolevski    
 L. Koceski
 M. Ladnjak
 T. Tolevski     
 I Filopovic
 R. Najdovski
 M. Hana
 S. Wilson
 M. Curo
 J. Dolevski
 D. Dajdovski
 D. Jovanski
 V. Konstandinovski
 B. Tenovski
A. Branov
K. Coceski
 K. Mitrevski