Warragul thump Springvale
Warragul thumped South Springvale 6-0 to move to third spot on the state league 1 ladder following round four.
The big win saw United leapfrog its opponents on the ladder.
Warragul, with talent to burn, lined up with Jake Richardson in goals, the talismanic center back duo of Robbie Stephen and Matt Gauci and the ever ready left and right backs Dayne Dodenciu and Adam Ahmadzai.
A quality midfield consisted of the hardest working player in the league Nathan Lugton, club skipper and medal magnet Thomas 'TBomb' Ahmadzai and the in form addition of the versatile Ash Ross.
The dominant presence of the big number nine and crowd favourite Rory Wagner was partnered by dangerous wingers Jacob Vitale and Joel Baldwin.
United kicked off and from start to finish totally dominated their opponents and took an early lead through gun new signing Joel Baldwin.
Baldwin provides the team with that x-factor up front and headed home his third goal of the year after some Jacob Vitale trickery and perfectly timed left foot cross.
It was Jacob 'V-Train' Vitale who was the superstar for the United on the day and the 18 year old was a late inclusion to the starting line up following Steve Masselli's late scratching through injury.
Vitale, still well below 100 per cent and battling flu, put in a jaw dropping performance.
After teasing the Springy backline with his phenomenal pace, the smiling assassin calmly tucked away two well placed strikes before the break.
Reminiscent of the great Usain bolt pulling up with 20 to go, at times it seems that Jacob has another couple gears to go, such is the ease of his movement. This kid absolutely flys.
With a commanding 3-0 lead it could have all gone pear shaped for United late in the first half as Matt Gauci was pinged for a handball in the box, awarding Springvale a penalty.
Gauci was unlucky to then be shown a red card as the referee, incorrectly in the minds of all the spectators, sent Matt off the ground leaving Warragul with 10 men.
Step up Jake Richardson. You could have heard the cheer from the moon when Richardson dived to his right and saved the controversial penalty kick.
It was United's day and they swiftly turned what should have been a 3-1 score line to 4-0 at the break as Rory Wagner calmly slotted home a penalty of his own at the other end after Baldwin proved to much of a handful and was brought down in the box. At halftime the rooms were buzzing. Coach Peter O'Dea delivered the lads some words of wisdom before re-shuffling his 10 man line up, bringing in polished veteran Paul 'PC' Cooper after Adam Ahmadzai's hamstring said 'no more for me thanks'.
With a man down the message was clear ...'consolidate, protect the lead and hold them out' but Warragul could smell the blood. Warragul could have rolled Springvale with half a dozen men on this day.
Vitale was on fire and destroyed Springy's back line time and time again with his dashing runs.
A fifth for United seemed inevitable and it came through the best on ground in Vitale, who rounded out a brilliant hat-trick.
Exhausted with flu he'd done enough and was replaced with a standing ovation by Jason Dodenciu early in the half.
Matt Maselli joined the party off the bench and chipped in with an opportunistic left foot poke making it six and striking a dagger into the hearts of Warragul's hapless opponents.
With 90 minutes up the referee blew the whistle, ending Springvale's torture and an afternoon they'll never want to remember.
Best players- Jacob Vitale (3), Nathan Lugton (2), Jake Richardson (1).