Agnew’s late effort real boost to Comets

SOUTHSIDE defender Casey Agnew’s match-equalising effort in the dying minutes of their 2-2 draw with Innisfail is the latest in a string of highlights the young gun has produced in his first full Premier League campaign.

The match-salvaging draw ensured the Comets returned to Edmonton with one competition point, and while both teams cannot make the finals there is still plenty at stake.

For Southside, it is the continued development of the club’s younger players.

While Agnew’s late goal was the perfect birthday present for the rising star, it proved again why he could be one of the Comets’ great success stories in a year on-field results have not gone their way.

Coach Dion Readman has watched as Agnew and a slew of other exciting Southside products like goalkeeper Billy Holiday, Elton Bozkurt and Riley Gadek have grown from fringe Premier League players to regular starters in the region’s top competition.

“Casey’s just turned 18, he’s in Year 12 at school, and he’s learning the role of a centre back,” Readman said.

“He’s become the key CB for us, he’s assigned all of the big jobs and he delivers.

“He’s been training hard – I know he’s been doing a lot more extra work outside of what we do as a club. He’s a coachable player and never gets too far ahead of himself.”

Readman conceded it had been a tough year for the club in a season in which the Comets should have been defending their title.

“It’s been a frustrating year. Hopefully it spurs the lads on to not take success for granted as we have wasted an opportunity this year,” he said.