Berisha’s apprentice hungry for strike pairing
SUPER-SUB Kenny Athiu believes he and Besart Berisha could do damage as a front two.
The duo has never played together, with most of Athiu’s appearances coming as a late sub for the A-League’s record goalscorer, such as last week.
While Berisha’s 89thminute bicycle goal secured a 2-1 win, Victory coach Kevin Muscat noted Athiu’s impactful few minutes in closing out the game.
Athiu’s first 90-minute appearance for Victory was last week’s 2-1 Asian Champions League win over Shanghai SIPG in a strike pairing with Pierce Waring.
While a start is a longshot in tonight’s semi-final against Sydney FC, the former Heidelberg United striker felt it could work if they’re chasing the game.
“We haven’t played together yet. I think we would play well together,” he said.
“It was great to get my first 90 minutes, boosted the confidence for finals and I enjoyed playing with Pierce. It (front two) is an option for the boss if he wants to use it.
“We’ve done a few sessions where we have been in the same team and we’ve combined pretty well. I can hold up the ball for Bes.
“We do have a system at Victory that we do play with only one striker. It would be when we’re chasing a goal, a desperate end.
“Ever since I got there I always look at Bes, the way he trains. He used to help me a lot with small details like positioning and where to run. He’s been helping me a lot.”
Athiu has had 10 games (one start) and 242 minutes for two goals in both competitions. He’s also won a penalty and caused havoc.