Throughout the 2024 NPL SA season, Front Page Football looks at each week's big winners and losers from the action-packed South Australian top flight. Below are our picks from Round 18.
Andoni Natsiopoulos (left), Ninko Beric (right), and FK Beograd head coach Adrian D'Aloia (centre) celebrate a derby victory over the Adelaide Croatia Raiders. (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Winners
Natsiopoulos stars in Beograd's derby triumph
FK Beograd captain Andoni Natsiopoulos missed out on his side's loss to the Adelaide Croatia Raiders earlier in the season due to injury. The midfielder made up for lost time after reclaiming the ball in the midfield with a timely challenge before his burst through the middle of the park put him in position to open the scoring with a perfectly placed finish that found Vincent Barbaro's bottom corner.
The hosts doubled their lead 16 minutes later, and once again, a driving Natsiopoulos run was vital, as he set up teammate Antoni Trimboli. Raiders were given a lifeline when Katsuyoshi Kimishima pegged a goal back late in the first half.
Another storyline resumed in the second half after Raiders introduced Frank Busasa off the bench, with the winger causing controversy with his provocative celebration after scoring the winner in the reverse fixture. Natsiopoulos wasted no time getting physical with Busasa, with his teammates following suit to make it a tough outing for the winger. The match was eventually sealed by Panagiotis Manidakis, who has continued impressing since moving to Beograd.
But undoubtedly, the man of the match was Andoni Natsiopoulos, who provided a dictionary definition of a captain's performance in the derby.
FK Beograd captain Andoni Natsiopoulos put in a commanding performance as his side claimed a big derby win. (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Olympic within striking distance of safety
Croydon FC entered their match against Adelaide Olympic without key players Andre Carle and Bol Mapor. A winless run for Croydon against Olympic stretching back to September 2020 seemed likely to continue, especially with the latter desperate to claw themselves away from the relegation zone.
Despite that, it was Croydon who opened the scoring when Daniel Bradshaw-Scott's fourth-minute strike rebounded off the crossbar and into the path of Jaiden Diamantis, who opened the scoring. Teeboy Kamara equalised 15 minutes later, after a Rastko Ljujic free-kick caused chaos in the box.
An Ibrahim Bigirimana handball in the box allowed Binyam Kebede to give Olympic the lead before half-time. Kristi Vangjeli's side sealed the win late in the second half, with Marco Torriani adding another goal to his impressive season before new signing Pasia John made it 4-1.
While Olympic remain in the relegation zone, this win means that they are within three points of 10th place with four weeks of the regular season to play.
Jets bounce back to end City's winless run
The Modbury Jets' Federation Cup Final loss was disappointing for everyone involved, but being within striking distance of the league's top spot meant Maurice Natale's side had no time to feel sorry for themselves. In their way in Round 18 was Adelaide City, a side that, after a poor first half of the season, came into the weekend unbeaten since mid-May.
The Jets struck first at Oakden after Hamish McCabe's wide dribble into the box and subsequent pass found Francesco Schimizzi, who set up Giuseppe Macheda for a thundering strike that put Modbury in front. Just after the half-hour mark, the Jets found a second when goalkeeper Ryan Neild took the direct route to Luca Trimboli, who controlled the ball well and found Hamish McCabe. The forward's quick-thinking pass found Schimizzi, who added a goal to his earlier assist.
The scoreline would not change, and due to the MetroStars stumbling on Saturday, Modbury regained their spot at the top of the NPL SA ladder.
Despite a dispiriting fortnight, which included a draw with bottom-placed South Adelaide, dropping to second place, and a Cup Final loss, the Jets still look hungry for success in 2024.
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Losers
South Adelaide on the brink
South Adelaide's last encounter with Adelaide United saw Anthony Rideout's men run into a stacked Young Reds side. Despite a strong fight, they eventually fell short to a stunning Panashe Madanha goal.
In Round 18, the fixture dealt the Panthers with an Adelaide United team including players fresh off their A-League Men break. This fact could not be ignored, with Yaya Dukuly opening the scoring within two minutes. Luka Jovanovic joined his teammate on the scoresheet with a poacher's brace before half-time.
Jonathon Rideout clawed a goal back after the restart, but it did not stop Jovanovic from completing his hat-trick. Captain Robert Parker recorded a consolation for South as the Young Reds returned to the winners' list.
With four games to go and 12 points up for grabs, South Adelaide find themselves 10 points and considerable goal difference away from safety, with a minor miracle required from here for them to avoid relegation.
Goalless draw sees Metro drop to second
A dramatic 10-man win against Croydon FC combined with Modbury's high-scoring draw against South Adelaide placed the MetroStars at the competition's summit at the end of Round 17.
After a week's break, Danny Graystone's side took on the Para Hills Knights. They aimed to replicate their 5-0 win earlier in the year to maintain their superiority in the competition's pecking order.
MetroStars' fluency in previous weeks was disrupted by a gritty Para Hills side that is undoubtedly starting to feel the heat in the relegation race as Adelaide Olympic begins finding form. This stalemate meant neither side could find a breakthrough, with a draw meaning that MetroStars surrendered first place back to Modbury, while Para Hills are now only three points away from 11th-placed Olympic.
Comets and Campbelltown fail to close top two gap
With the Adelaide Comets dismantling Campbelltown City back in Round 7 before the Red Devils defeated George Tsonis' side in the Federation Cup Semi-Final, their Round 18 clash promised entertainment at the top part of the ladder. Notably, after MetroStars dropped points, both sides were keen to close the gap to the top two with a win.
The Red Devils opened the scoring through an unlikely hero after Connor Centofanti intelligently intercepted the ball before being rewarded for his follow-up run by a brilliant Yohei Matsumoto cross. Anthony Mavrolambados drew Comets level heading into half-time after the Campbelltown backline misjudged the weight of a through ball.
With the first substantial attack of the second half, Stelios Zacharakis put the Comets ahead with a well-placed header before a defence-splitting pass by Joel Allwright allowed Marc Marino to draw the Red Devils level.
Nathan Andijanto restored the Comets' lead before Yohei Matsumoto rounded off the scoring in an enthralling 3-3 draw. While the neutral would have been entertained, both coaches would be ruing that their sides are still locked on 29 points, five away from MetroStars in second.
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