Corio cops scare but moves clear at the top of ladder
STATE LEAGUE 2 SOCCER CORIO has jumped to the top of the State League 2 standings after defeating Mill Park 4-3 at the Darebin Sports Centre on Tuesday night.
The Eagles led 4-1 at the break and were seemingly cruising to an easy victory, but a second-half fightback by the Melbourne side had the Corio camp sweating until the final whistle.
Even a day later, Corio coach Ante Didulica was feeling his heart in his mouth. “Determination plus perseverance equals teamwork. And it was precisely that which was the key in our win against Mill Park. Our unbelievable teamwork and team spirit got us over the line,” he said.
The Eagles started brilliantly with Jasko Ikanovic finding the back of the net on the quarter-hour mark, before Keegan Linderboom equalised for Mill Park less than five minutes later. English import Curtis Bateson soon restored Corio’s dominance on the scoreboard with his 16th goal of the season on 25 minutes.
A Billy Argyros penalty conversion in the 42nd minute, followed by Ikanovic’s second right on the half-time break saw the visitors head into the sheds 4-1 up at the interval.
Mill Park’s Larenzo Princigalli pulled one back just minutes after the resumption in play, before Linderboom threatened the outcome of the game with his second of the evening in the 72nd minute.
Corio hung on to win and jump one point clear of second-placed Fitzroy City and two points clear of third-placed Hoppers Crossing with two rounds remaining.
Corio president Mario Gregorio admitted to “suffering a minor heart attack” in the moments before the final whistle and yesterday was full of praise for the team.
“We are on top and the championship is now ours. Only we can lose it ourselves from here,” Gregorio said.
“Simply put, if we win both our games we will finish on top and get promoted to next year’s State 1. That’s been the club’s goal right from Round 1 and it would be a great achievement for a small club like Corio to be playing amongst the elite State League clubs in Division 1 in 2020.”
Corio is away to eighthplaced Moreland United on Saturday before rounding out its season with a potential title decider against Fitzroy City at home.