The visitors profited from a first-ever South goal from former Chelsea and Melbourne Victory man Joe Keenan.

A strong defence proved unbeatable as the Knights struggled to create any good chances in the attacking third.

Although the home side looked the more dangerous early, it was South who had the best chance of the opening exchanges.

A cross from the impressive Keenan found Daniel Vasilevski free at the back post, but his header went over the bar.

Both teams consolidated possession impressively in the first half hour but neither was able to find a decisive pass in the front half.

Knights left-winger Kevin Townson was causing South skipper Rama Tavsancioglu trouble with his pace early on.

There were warning signs for the Knights after 27 minutes when Keenan exchanged passes with Fernando De Moraes before shooting over the bar.

A minute later, South was ahead after a superb strike by the 27-year-old.

Central midfielder Sebastian Petrovic set Keenan off down the right, before he stepped inside his defender just inside the area and sent a low curling shot past a helpless Antony Loncaric and into the far corner of the net.

The visitors had another decent chance two minutes later, but central defender Steven O'Dor put his header wide from a De Moraes cross.

South was proving the much more likely side in attack but striker Gianni De Nittis' free header from a Vasilevski cross was straight at Loncaric.

The ever-dangerous Keenan won a free kick in a dangerous spot just outside the area after 38 minutes.

De Moraes stepped up, but he scuffed the set piece wide.

The Knights should have been on level terms after 41 minutes.

Midfielder Ben Surey put Jacob Colosimo behind the defence, but his left foot strike did not have enough power and was comfortably saved by Peter Zois.

The home side was struggling to be damaging in the attacking third with French striker Jean-Charles Dubois being tightly marked.

De Moraes had two good opportunities straight after the break.

First, De Nittis put him behind after a shocking back pass fell to his feet, but his shot only managed to hit the side netting with Loncaric advancing.

He then had another opportunity that was this time deflected over the bar.

Dubois won a free kick after 55 minutes and Townson was desperately unlucky not to send the Knights level.

His strike was inches wide from the top corner with Zois beaten.

With a quarter of an hour to play, South could have sealed the points.

Superb build up play started by Vasilevski and involving De Nittis and substitute Joseph Youssef, resulted in a Vasilevski chance but he shot over the bar from six yards when he should have scored.

The Knights created another chance after 77 minutes.

A long pass from Thomas Skara found substitute striker Gazmend Ajdini but his lob over the advancing Zois went over the bar.

The home side had another chance three minutes later after a scramble from a corner, but defender Anthony Bran's shot from close range went wide.

But the Knights struggled to create the decisive chance and South scored a deserved victory to maintain its unbeaten start to the season.