The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 35

9 27 DECEMBER 1998 THE SUNDAY AM MAG DGT) DDTC7 um? llvKIIMI KliI I I jl I II II lVPI SPOIirSUNDAYSOCCER 1 J' Al Former Knights champion Andrew Marth is happy with his decision to head to Optus Oval, reports Patrick Mangan. DF one player exemplified the spirit that took unfashionable Melbourne Knights to five grand finals between 1991 and 1996, it was surely Andrew Marth. Scorer in three of those games, North Sunshine's Captain Marvel became, if anything, an even more influential character at the club as the good times dried up in the past couple of seasons. Mark Viduka, Joe Spiteri, Steve Horvat and Danny Tiatto had got their transfers to Europe when, last season, Marth produced possibly his most memorable performance in a Knights shirt. Against South Melbourne at Knights Stadium, with the home side already down to 10 men after Ransford Banini was red-carded, goalkeeper Joe Didulica had to leave the field injured.

No one among the Knights' fans was surprised to see their captain don the gloves as a replacement. Repelling a wave of attacks with his unconventional but effective goalkeeping technique, Marth all but secured a famous victory for the undermanned Knights until South captain Paul Trimboli buried a last-minute penalty to make it 1-1. The disappointment of two points lost didn't detract from Marth's heroism on the day. When his contract expired at the end of last season, the Knights' colossus signed for up-and-coming Carlton. Blues officials, describing Marth as "someone you can build a team admitted that the 29-year-old midfielder would have been top of their shopping list had he been available the previous season.

With Carlton humming along nicely as the season reaches its halfway mark, and the Knights, conversely, struggling in the bottom three, it's not surprising Marth is satisfied with his decision to head east to Optus Oval. "After spending nine seasons at one club, I needed a new challenge," he said. "Carlton did really well last season and are a huge show to get up there again this season. "At the time, I thought Carlton was a better option with regard to Eva to tb firtura: Andrew Marth, enjoying his new challenge with Cartton after nine seasons with the Knights, championship reckoning, Marth is delighted to be back playing for a team with genuine -tide aspirations. He.

seems quietly confident when asked whether the Blues would be looking out for any Olympic player in particular today. "No, not at all," he said calmly. "If a player does stand out in the first 20 minutes, we'll assign someone to him. But there's no major concerns there." having a better team, and I think I've been proved right so far." Marth believes he had achieved, more or less, all he could at the Knights, but his exit was hastened by what he perceived as a lack of ambition from some of the club's administrators. "I think certain committeemen thought, 'Well, as long as we reach the she we'll be happy', but I'm the type of player who always wants to win championships, no matter who I'm playing for.

"New players were brought in (to replace Viduka, Spiteri etc), but they didn't bring in any real quality. They brought in fringe players, rather than quality players who would have boosted the confidence level in the squad." Carlton is sitting in third position, just three points from top spot A win today against Sydney Olympic, the only club to beat the Blues home and away last season, is vital, says Marth. "It'll be a difficult game, but it's three difficult games in a row Marconi last week (which the Blues won 2-0), Sydney Olympic, then Perth away. It'll really test our character." After a couple of seasons out of the LVJ, U. JiUVH Nortltvnt kit A Otfcr fbttuits The table aaaa1 avJHIPaWaaBj aaa; ap V.i i Cwftonv Sydney North Swfrwv Ovri Som i.y&t WDt Aftt 1 EOOnMir rWnk 3)nV Suncorp SlidKiwi 7pw Tha Soutfi rrnchint has found tonw.lniproNiwt rowlts.in', Perth Glory 1 1 7 2 2 14 23 II 6 3 2 2 It 2H Uit in front of an.ojopocbMl 0s! iDNvtHttt ft afMfcjfi ftrtt Is Mr mi URMtttvM fe.Smon.

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