Young guns have Corio looking up
CORIO will host Cairnlea in a “six-point” game tomorrow with a win possibly thrusting the Eagles as high as second on the State League 2 standings.
While Corio is fifth and trailing Cairnlea (fourth) by a point, up the road in Bell Post Hill Geelong Rangers could do its close neighbour a favour by overcoming third-placed Hume United.
According to Corio coach Ante Didulica, tomorrow’s game heralds the start of a season-defining period for the in-form Hume Reserve outfit.
“Every game for us is a sixpointer over the next two to three weeks. If we can maintain our recent (undefeated) form over the next fortnight, we will be well and truly up there among the top two,” Didulica said.
Corio has not lost since its opening-round clash against undefeated competition leader Whittlesea United.
Although his team has no fewer than four 20-year-olds, he is not concerned about lack of consistency creeping in — a trait often associated with younger players.
“To be honest, it’s not something that bothers me. I believe in them, that’s why they are there,” he said.
“We are giving the youngsters a go and they are delivering.”
One of the side’s emerging young stars has been winger Lachlan McGrath, an ex-Lara United junior who has tasted NPL youth football at North Geelong Warriors.
“Young Lachy’s a cat out of the bag. He really has been firing on all cylinders so far this season, giving us so many attacking options out wide,” said Didulica, revealing he would be faced with a selection nightmare with a full squad to choose from before tomorrow’s showdown.
Rangers coach Stuart Begg, meanwhile, has the opposite problem. Injuries to key players is testing his limited depth at Myers Reserve.
“Last week we had five players out with Paddy Collier, Col Hamilton, Carlin McCloskey, Connor Reddan and captain Michael Bothwell all missing, but our young guys were given the chance and they played amazingly well,” Begg said.
Rangers went down 2-1 away to Cairnlea after conceding a 95th-minute goal.
“But that’s what excites me about this weekend. If we can build on last week’s effort we should do very well,” he said.
Rangers will be boosted by the likely return of Hamilton and Reddan, with McCloskey a 50-50 chance of taking his place against Hume United. TOMORROW NPL2 VICTORIA – R12 NORTH GEELONG v Moreland City (Elcho Park, 3pm) MEN’S STATE LEAGUES R7 State League 1 (Northwest) Clifton Hill v GEELONG (Quarries Park, 3pm) State League 2 (NorthWest) GEELONG RANGERS v Hume Utd (Myers Reserve, 3pm) CORIO v Cairnlea FC (Hume Reserve, 3pm) State League 4 (West) Laverton FC v BELL PARK (Laverton Park Reserve, 3pm) GOLDEN PLAINS v Balmoral FC (Bannockburn Rec Precinct, 3pm) SURF COAST – BYE State League 5 (West) Maribyrnong Greens v DEAKIN DUCKS (Skinner Reserve, 3pm) LARA UNITED v Maidstone Utd (Lara Recreation Reserve, 3pm) Kensington City v BARWON (Newmarket Reserve, 3pm) SUNDAY WNPL VICTORIA – R11 Alamein FC v GALAXY UNITED (HA Smith Reserve, 3pm) Women’s State League 2 (NW) La Trobe Uni v LARA UNITED (La Trobe Uni Lower Fields, 3pm)