All set for Greek derby

GREGOR MACTAGGART

April 23rd, 2010

THE Greek derby between Hellenic and Darwin Olympic is the highlight of this weekend's third round of Habitat Premier League action.

The traditional rivals will meet for the first time in season 2010 tomorrow night from 7pm at the Darwin Football Stadium.

Both sides have enjoyed enterprising starts to the new campaign with Hellenic unbeaten following a 1-1 draw with Casuarina and 4-0 demolition of Port Darwin.

Olympic opened the championship season by thumping Mindil FC 6-0, but stumbled in Round 2, losing 3-2 to Casuarina.

The Reds boast a strong recent Derby record with their only loss in the last four years coming in June last year.

Pedro Stefanidakis (Hellenic) and Mitch Amidy (Olympic) shape as their team's respective trump cards.

League leaders Nakara Azzurri-University Rangers can prove whether they are contenders or pretenders against Casuarina.

Wins over Palmerston and Mindil FC have catapulted the newly merged entity with a bullet to the top of the charts, but the reigning premier Rowdies are a different test.

The form of Robert Povey has been instrumental in Nakara's strong start, while Owen Linehan is chasing a goal for the third straight week, as too Casuarina skipper Scott Piper.

Kick-off is 5pm tomorrow.

Buoyed by its first win in more than a year, Palmerston face Port Darwin tonight from 8pm.

The Satellite City club has unearthed some future stars in Peranus Kum and Agus Magai, while the experience of Michael Prentice at the back has been important.

Port's chances of a swift return to the winner's list rests on the shoulders of skipper Dylan Dale.

Mindil FC and Darwin Dragons close out Round 3 on Sunday at4pm in what promises to be a keenly fought clash considering both sides haven't registered a point this season.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/23/142111_ntsport.html

Olympic's big night out Greek derby win

GREGOR MACTAGGART

April 25th, 2010

DARWIN Olympic earned bragging rights until June after a 3-1 Greek derby win over Hellenic at Darwin Football Stadium last night.

The Reds fully deserved the three points, outplaying their fiercest rivals virtually from start to finish.

Olympic didn't waste any time taking the advantage with the deadly Ross Tsounias capitalising on a half chance in the seventh minute.

But not even that could wake Hellenic from its slumber and the Blues paid the penalty when Reds skipper Mitch Amidy put his stamp on the derby at the 31 minute mark. Amidy would not have hit any more goals sweeter than his 25-yard screamer that rocketed past Hellenic keeper Yianni Tsaknis and into the back of the net.

Having taken a 2-0 lead into the main break, Olympic continued to blunt Hellenic early in the second stanza on the back of the efforts from the twin towers of Edson Dos Reis and Matthew Moseley.

Olympic made it three when Amidy bobbed up to put away a miss-hit shot from substitute Billy Kathopoulis in the 60th minute.

And while captain Nick Fertiklis got Hellenic a consolation goal from a header 10 minutes later, the Reds faithful were celebrating a long way from the full-time whistle.

Dos Reis, Moseley, Amidy and goalkeeper Themeli Magriplis were the standouts for Olympic, with Robbie Kilmartin and Fertiklis a couple of Hellenic's better players.

Casuarina came back from a goal down to beat University Azzurri 5-3.

Azzurri served it up to the reigning premiers and led 2-1 midway through the second-half when Moses Jackson scored his second. But the Rowdies scored four goals in the last 30 minutes to extend their unbeaten start to the 2010 Habitat Premier League season.

And after going more than a year without a win, Palmerston made it two on the trot with a 1-0 win over Port Darwin on Friday night.

Michael Prentice scored the only goal of the game late in the first half to move the Satellite City club into the top four.

PALMERSTON 1 (M Prentice 42) d PORT DARWIN 0; CASUARINA 5 (S Piper 19 pen, T Casimiro 63, I Mukhlis 74, D Potae 89, L Rodrigues 90+3) d UNIVERSITY AZZURRI 3 (M Jackson 22, 61, E Avrio 90+2 pen); DARWIN OLYMPIC 3 (R Tsounias 7, M Amidy 31, 60) d HELLENIC 1 (N Fertiklis 70).

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/04/25/142491_ntsport.html