Reds' defence suffers blow

August 1 2008

Shepparton News

A broken arm to Shepparton defender David Davkovski has robbed the Reds of its top central defender heading into its match against Cobram Victory in North Eastern Soccer League this weekend.

The game looks set to go some way to deciding the minor premiership, with Victory leading the table on 43 points to Shepparton on 42.

Davkovski had a lucky escape early in the season when he was cleared of a serious knee injury, but will miss up to six weeks with a broken arm.

Shepparton coach Andy Ingham is putting the onus on his backline to lift in the absence of Davkovski, saying his side could handle Victory's pacy attacking threats.

``Our full-backs Michael Gasparroni and Johnny Radevski get the job done every week,'' Ingham said.

``There's no player in the league quicker than Michael, we can match Victory for pace.''

Despite beating Victory 3-0 in Cobram when the teams last met, Ingham is not forgetting Victory's 3-2 win at Mercury Dve in round three.

On the sidelines to watch Victory's 3-2 win against Shepparton South last month, Ingham said his team was in for another tough contest.

``We'd love to keep the same side but unfortunately with David (Davkovski) we're forced to make a change,'' Ingham said.

``Troy Kennedy played well in the reserves last week, and if his work commitments fit then he'll play.''

Shepparton's league-leading scorer Stuart Vance has been in top form with back-to-back five-goal hauls in the Reds' past two games.

Overcoming shin injuries and returning to more regular training has seen the 22-goal forward hit top gear during the past month.

In the other round 17 match, Shepparton South faces a must-win game against Cobram at Cobram Showgrounds.

South holds third place with 29 points to Shepparton United on 26 and Tatura on 25, both of whom will collect three points from the bye.