The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 75

NiVil 17 April 1994 THE SUNDAY AGE SPORT 27 Brothers lead KmiigMs9 charge SOCCER By Laurie Schwab I io Ul pi vi 01 VV tl'rl til it io ai 01 to for the on ionship last year but is in Australia's under-23 squad for the next Olympic Games. So too are his Knights teammates, Damian Vojtek, Vinko Buljubasic, Frank luric and Juric, who is playing on loan to Fawkner. Their Olympic squad-mates include South defenders Mike Valknis and Kevin Muscat. It goes without saying that South Melbourne disagrees with the Cervinski brothers' appraisal of today's game. Paul Trimboli, whom David marked last Sunday, said South outplayed the Knights in the first le8- Steve Tasios, restricted by a virus a substitute appearance last Sunday, will be in from the start today and goal-scoring winger Con Bout-sianis, recovered from injury, is also expected to be selected.

South's ace is sweeper Mehmet Durakovic, whose absence last Sunday surely contributed to the 1-2 result. At first, an ankle injury threatened to sideline Durakovic the entire finals series, but the injury has been responding well to intensive treatment. Will it be a Knights-South Melbourne final, regardless of today's result? Not according to the Cervinski brothers, who said Adelaide City would be in the grand final for third successive year. The brothers predicted that Adelaide would atone today for its 0-1 loss to Sydney United last Sunday and Marconi would turn the tables Sydney United, which won their SPARE a thought for David Cervinski after the National Soccer League semi-final at Olympic Park today. While his Melbourne Knights teammates celebrate their passage into the grand final or regroup after yielding to South Melbourne, Cervinski will be getting ready for work.

He will have time for a couple of hours' sleep at his home in Torquay before heading back to Geelong to start night shift at the Ford plant at 11pm. Match days are the hardest, particularly during the finals. On other days I can cope," Cervinski, a maintenance fitter, said. He would love nothing more than to play soccer full time but financial commitments particularly to his new seaside home preclude such indulgence. He is intent, however, on making sure that he reports for work tonight with a kick in his step.

To that end, he is looking to his brother, Adrian, for a repeat of the goal-scoring feat that buried South Melbourne 2-1 last Sunday. Today's match will settle the tie. The winner on aggregate advances to the grand finalon 1 May and the loser will get a second chance in the preliminary final. If all goes to plan David, 23, and Adrian, 20, will be the only brothers in a NSL champion team apart from John and Rob O'Shea, who shared St George Budapest's 1983 triumph. Neither sees logic in South Melbourne's claims that the Knights will fall today.

"It should have been 4-1 rather than 2-1 last time," Adrian said. "Mark Viduka was unlucky with a great header that hit the crossbar and the referee was wrong in disallowing one of my goals just after half-time." Adrian boosted his season's tally to 1 1 by scoring twice. But when he put the ball into the net a third time, referee Richard Lorenc ruled he had brought the ball down with his arm before scoring. "I chested it. He was behind me, so how could he have seen it?" Adrian said.

Defender David, who played his best game last Sunday since joining the Knights from North Geelong late last year, made the point that tirst-ieg encounter j-i. Title In sight: David (left) and Adrian Cervinski have a common goal, although they will play contrasting roles for TODAY'S matches with likelv win-Melboume Knights today. pictura: jim hoofer ners jn capitals: first-leg encounter 2-1. Andrew Marth, so I could see myself spending the whole season in the reserves, he said. "I even talked to our coach, Mirko Bazic, about my chances, telling him that maybe we shouldn't be wasting each other's time.

"Then Vlado Vanis got suspended a couple of times and Bazic gave me a chance and pushed Marth from defence to the midfield. I made the most of that chance and Marth proved to be one of the league's stars in his new position." Adrian, who has represented Victoria with his brother, missed selection for the World Youth Champ able to play on the counter-attack and we can overcome their marking," David said. Although he won the 1993 Bill Fleming Medal as Victorian Premier League player of the year and was the best player of the 1992 grand final won by his former club, North Geelong, David Cervinski has found it more difficult than Adrian to establish himself among soccer's elite if only because he is a defender. "In my first few weeks with Croatia (parent club of the Knights), there were heaps of experienced defenders such as Theo Selemidis, George Hannah, Vlado Vanis and the Knights won the first leg with a mediocre performance. "Mark Viduka, Ollie Pondeljak and Josip Biskic had an off day, so imagine what will happen to Hellas if they fire," David said.

"Biskic is determined to turn the tables on Paul Wade, who marked him last week, while Viduka does not go two games without scoring." The brothers agreed that because it was up to South Melbourne to take the initiative today, the Knights probably would fashion their play on long forward passes aimed at exploiting the speed of Pondeljak and Viduka. "We ve got the luxury of being National aoccar toafua MmWwwto, aacond lag: MELBOURNE KNIGHTS South Melbourne at Olympic Park, 3pm; Sydney United ADELAIDE CITY at Marconi Stadium 3pm; MARCONI Sydney Olympic at Parramatta Stadium, 6.30pm. Victorian Premier League, 3pm: Springvale BULLEEN at Ross Reserve, Noble Park; Fawkner Altona Gate Vardar at Smith Reserve, Fawkner: PRESTON MAKEDONIA Tho-mastown at Connor Reserve, Reservoir; Green Gully Werribee (draw) at Green Gully Reserve, St Albans. State League, first division, 3pm: Broadmea-dows Oakleigh (draw) at Laura Douglas Reserve, Broamdeadows; WESTERN SUBURBS Bentleigh Greens at Ralph Reserve, West Sunshine; Caulfield Ringwood Wllhelmlna (draw) at Princes Park, Caulfield. $13m price tag on striker Local crew sets course for Atlanta YACHTING By Kevan Wolfe NORWICH has told cash-rich clubs such as Manchester United to write a cheque for $13 million if they want to buy striker Chris Sutton.

If Alex Ferguson declines to pay the record-breaking fee, Norwich will stage a mid-year auction for its 21 -year-old star. SOCCER S): Port Melbourne PAUL Stewart has begun talks to land a permanent place with Crystal Palace which is destined for promotion to the Premier League. FULHAM, chaired by Jimmy Hill, has dismissed reports that it is seeking Coventry boss Bobby Gould to replace manager Don Mackay, who was sacked three weeks ago. Stata 4: Firsts: South Wantlma 0 Yarravtlle Westvale 2 Sunshine Height 1: Oande-nong 0 Geelong Brighton 2 Cranboume North Coburg UT 0 Geelong Rangers Malvern Crty 1 South Springvale 0: Frankston 3 CorioGeelong Lengwarrln bye. Reserves: South Wentlma 2 VarravHIe Westvale 3 Sunshine Height 3: Dandenong 2 Geelong 11; Brighton 0 Cranboume North Ccburs UT 3 Geelong Rangers Mai-, vem City 2 South Springvale Frankston 13 CorioGeelong Lsngwarrin bye.

Prttr 1: nrsts! wllllamstown 1 Melton 1: Hektelberg City 0 Brandon Park SprtngvaK Cond 3 lalor 4: Ballarat 6 Momington Berwick City 1 CoburgMoretand Gienroy 2 Old Scotch North Sunshine Ea 1 Mon-DulkO. Reserves: Wllllamstown 5 Melton 1: Heidelberg City 1 Brandon Perk Springvale Cond 4 Lalor Ballarat 3 Momington Berwick City 4 CoburgMoreland Gienroy 0 Old Scotch North Sunshine Ea 2 Monbulk 3. Prov 2: Firsts: North Gienroy 1 Knox Park Wantlma 2 Meadow Park Keysborough 0 Lyndale United Brunswick City 2 East Nunawadlng Hoppers Crossing 0 Mttcham United Monash Unl 4 Breaskfa United Yalloum bye. Reserves: North Gienroy 7 Knox Park Wan-lima 1 Meadow Park Keysborough 3 Lyndale United Brunswick City 1 East Nunawadlng Hoppers Crossing 2 Mrtcham United Monash Unl 4 Breeslde United Oi Yalloum bye. Pre FtntK Erwood City 2 CoUMgwood City 1: Remington Falcons 1 East Kew South Varra 10 West Preston Unl of MeB bye.

Reserves: Erwood City 4 Collrngwood City Flernlngton Falcons 0 East Kew South Van 4 West Preston um or Mat) bye. Prev NH: Photc Kellor United 3 Northern United 1. Reserves: Kellor United 3 Northern United 0. They are on a special diet and weight-training program supervised by the Victorian Institute of Sport. After each training session, they go straight Into an Intensive series of exercises, which are followed by a meal of bananas, rice and mung bean sprouts.

"Lex pushes us hard," said McMahon. "But without him we would not be training at our full potential. He has shown us what needs to be done and what it takes to get there." King said: "If we were left to ourselves we could quite happily stay at the top in Australia. Lex's coaching is going to lift us higher than that He Is giving us the motivation to push ourselves really hard." The preparation for Atlanta over the next two years Includes competing In Europe at the major regattas such as Spa, Keil Week and the 470 Class Worlds In Finland In August. Both King and McMahon feel that the international experience will give them the edge they need for selection for the 470 berth in the Australian team for Atlanta.

The pair will compete in the Olympic Group grand prix at Albert Park Lake this weekend. TWO young Victorian sailors have Olympic-gold in their sights after beating Australia's best at the Sail Sydney 94 Regatta at the Easter weekend. Tom King, 21, and Owen McMahon, 22, downed New South Wales pair Aaron Links and Joel Moodle in the 470 class in the last race of the 10-race series. Third was another Victorian pair, Craig Cobbins and Andrew Batty. the regatta was used by the Australian Yachting Federation to select a 50-strong team for the Inaugural International Yacht Racing Union World Sailing Championships at La Ro-chelle, France, in July.

King and Cobbins and their crews will compete with fellow Victorians Jenl Lldgett and Addy Bucek, Barcelona Olympic representatives, who dominated the women's 470s. Katie Holroyd and Ann Selby-Smlth, from Victoria, finished third. Victorian Melanle Dennl-son was top qualifier in the women's Laser Radial s. The road to success for King and McMahon. Sharks (Psarros) 1 draw Croydon City Don (Malcolm) 1: Sunshine Georges (Papas 3 Lewis Mangos) 5 St Albans (Ivanuslc) North Geelong Warriors (J Skoko I Skoto Oktu-Ilea Dimovski) 4 Albion Redsoxs 0.

Rsssrvas: Croydon Crty Oons 2 Port Melbourne Shams St Albans Saints 2 drew Sunshine Georgies North Geelong wanton 1 Albion Redsoxs 0. Stata One; Doncastef Rover 1 Frankston Pines Knox City 3 drew Richmond 3 West-gate 2 Bell Park Western Suburbs 0 Bentleigh Green Northcote City 1 drew Box HHI International 1. Rsoervee: Doncaster Rover 2 Frankston Pines Bell Pent 2 drew Westgate Western Subuibs 2 drew Bentleigh Green Northcote City 2 drew Box Kill International 2. Stata two: wavedey City 0 drew Clarlnda Lalor United 7 South Caulfield Moored bam 1 drew Clifton Hill Nunawadlng 0 drew Regent Bulla East Brunswick 1 drew Spring-vale United Sunbury United 2 East Richmond 1. Reserves: Waveriey City 3 Clarinda Lalor United 1 drew Caulfield 1 Clifton Hills 3 Mooroolbark Regent Bulla 4 Nunawadlng City Springvale United 1 East Brunswick tvanboe Altona City Chelsea (abandoned); East Richmond 1 drew Sunbury United 1.

Stat 1: Fusts: Moorabbm city 1 Seaford United Pascoe Vale 2 Melbourne city FHzroy City 1 Essendon City 1: Eltham Oia-mond Valley 1 South DwKlenong Rosana 3 SarWrtngham City Kellor Eagles 0 South Werribee Ooveton 0 Artone East 1 1. Rinmi: MoorabWn City 6 Seaford Untied 1: Pascoe Vhle 1 Melbourne city FHzroy City 2 Essendon City Eltham Diamond Valley 3 South DarvJervong 3: Rosanna 2 Sandrtngham City Kellor Eagles 2 South WerTtbee Doveton 4 Altona East 1. Eye on gold: Owen McMahon and Tom King train on Port Phillip In conditions more like those in Europe: John Dransfleld and 'John lagger. he pair realised that they had a chance for Olym been carefully planned by their coach Lex Bertrand. King, 1991 World Mirror champion and McMahon, the 1989 Australian Sabre champion, teamed up in a 470 only In the 1990 Victorian championship.

They finished seventh but last year won the Australian title, beating three-time Fireball world champion, pic selection and now are on the water five days a week training or competing. Bertrand has the boys on an intensive fitness campaign. No pies and soft drink at the club canteen after a race for these two..