AROUND THE GROUNDS
CORIO DEF ALTONA EAST 3-1
CORIO’S 3-1 triumph over Altona East at Paisley Park on Saturday helped the Eagles narrow the gap to just two points at the top of the table — with the added bonus of a game in hand — after State League 2 leader Hoppers Crossing was held to a 1-1 draw later in the evening by Fitzroy City. Recent signing Josh Talev opened his account for his new side in the 18th minute to nullify a goal scored by the home side just moments earlier. The remainder of the half was a poor showing by the visiting Eagles, but they managed to hold on until the break. The second half was a much-improved performance by Ante Didulica’s men, with defender Ayrton Redmore and Darcy Rapa finding the back of the net in the 78th and 90th minutes respectively. After four weeks on the road, Corio returns to Hume Reserve this weekend as it hosts fifthplaced Westgate in a must-win game.
GEELONG RANGERS DEF WESTERN SUBURBS 5-0
THE Rangers returned to Geelong with all three points after an emphatic 5-0 drubbing of Western Suburbs at Ralph Reserve on Saturday. From the outset, the visitors showed who was in charge of the State League 2 encounter, maintaining the intensity until the end. Max Waugh, James Hidic, Carlin McCloskey, Habib Shakouri and Conor Reddan all scored singles for the Rangers, with four of the goals coming in a rampaging second half. “It was a great performance from the boys who set the standard all week in training. Habib led the line brilliantly and worked tirelessly all game and deserved his goal,” Rangers coach Jimmy Blackburn said.
SURF COAST DEF MELBOURNE CITY 2-1
IT WAS indeed a crazy game at Banyul Warri Reserve on Saturday as Surf Coast recorded a tough come-from-behind 2-1 win over second-last Melbourne City. With the visitors leading 1-0 and with just five minutes to go, it appeared the upset of the season was about to take place. An 85th-minute penalty conversion by Jordan Swaney, however, sparked hope for the home side. An own goal just three minutes later miraculously saved Surf Coast’s season as an extremely lucky home side ran out narrow winners. According to assistant coach Rob Casha, Surf Coast not only used up its “get out of jail” card but also won the lotto on Saturday night. The Torquay side remains in top spot on the State League 4 standings, just two points clear of secondplaced Altona North.
GOLDEN PLAINS LOST 3-1 TO ALTONA NORTH
NOT much was expected of Golden Plains as the second-last placed Eagles travelled to Duane Reserve to take on the high-flying Altona North, who occupy second spot behind Surf Coast on the State League 4 table with a game in hand. But the Bannock burnbased Eagles gave the league heavyweights one almighty scare. The visitors trailed 2-1 at halftime and conceded one more goal in the last 45-minute period to eventually go down 3-1 in a spirited, fighting performance. Sarbablu Bani was the Eagles’ lone goalscorer. Golden Plains coach Sean Howe was extremely disappointed after the match. “We conceded some very soft goals. Two were from unmarked headers and one from a misjudgment. I’m very happy with the overall effort but also very mad at the same time. It hurts, but that’s football,” he said.
BELL PARK LOST 3-0 TO SPRING HILLS
BELL Park returned from Springside Recreational Reserve on Saturday night with nothing to show after losing 3-0 to ninth-placed Spring Hills in a performance the All Whites would rather quickly forget. “It was a poor result for us,” coach Michael Spasevski said after the game. “Two goals that we conceded, unfortunately came directly from goalkeeping errors and the third goal was from a free kick given away unnecessarily. We weren’t able to find a goal as we struggled to maintain possession and turned the ball over way too easily.” Despite the poor showing in what was a vital game to win, the All Whites remain in fourth spot on the State League 4 standings, but it doesn’t help their chances of fighting for the lone promotion spot.
LARA UNITED DEF BALLARAT SC 2-1
LARA United recorded its first win under new coach John Karounos, defeating fifth-placed Ballarat SC 2-1 in a thrilling State League 5 encounter at Lara Recreation Reserve on Saturday. Angus Gittins scored the home side’s opener in the 35th minute to make it all square at 1-1 at the break. Midway through the second half, Justin Wilson scored his first goal of the season in what would eventually prove to be the matchwinner in the 66th minute. Karounos was understandably elated with his team’s performance after the game. “At last, a great win. It was due after the last two weeks’ effort. The boys left no petrol in the tank. We missed two early chances to lock the game away, Ballarat put us under immense pressure but the boys hung on to win,” he said.