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|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....
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.
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|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
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|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.
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|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......
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|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.......
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|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.......
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|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.
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|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.
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|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.
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|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.
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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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This is an
independent site from the Official Preston Lions FC Website and any views or
opinions stated within this site does not in any way reflect the
views and opinions of the Preston Lions Football Club. |
|
Site
Visitors
Since 1-1-2003
|
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Website
created
and
maintained
by
Nome
Risteski
Copyright
© 2003
Nome
Risteski
All Rights
Reserved. |
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First Team 2009 |
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Head Coach
Z. Gagula |
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N. Cuculevski |
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A.Stojanovski GK |
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G. Gruevski
GK |
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D. Salcin
GK |
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B. Georgievski (VC) |
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M. Miskas (DVC) |
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Z. Popovic
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B. Micovski
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I. Kolevski
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L. Koceski |
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M. Ladnjak |
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T. Tolevski |
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I Filopovic |
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R. Najdovski |
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M. Hana |
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S. Wilson |
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M. Curo |
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J. Dolevski |
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D. Dajdovski |
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D. Jovanski |
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V. Konstandinovski |
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B. Tenovski |
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A. Branov |
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K. Coceski |
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K. Mitrevski |
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