South Melbourne FC made a strong start to the National Premier League Victoria season with a 1-0 away win against Port Melbourne Sharks at the S.S. Anderson Oval.
In front of around 1,400 spectators and an eventful first half, Port Melbourne Sharks were reduced to 10 players in the 18th minute when Nathan Dibb (No. 80) was sent off with a direct red card.
The No. 10 player was lucky to only receive a yellow card instead of a red.
Five minutes later, South Melbourne scored with a close-range shot by Max Mikkola. From then on, the game was one-sided in favour of South Melbourne, who dominated with possession but had few clear chances to score.
On the other hand, Port Melbourne Sharks never created any opportunities to score, with the South Melbourne goalkeeper mostly a spectator throughout the match.
