By JOSIP ZILIC
NORTH Geelong Warriors’ will seek improvements in the defensive aspects of its game for its National Premier League clash with Pascoe Vale tomorrow.
The match follows last weekend’s classic arm-wrestle with Hume City, which the Warriors lost 4-3.
Pascoe Vale will visit Elcho Park after its first win of 2015 last week, a 1-0 defeat of Oakleigh.
The Warriors’ home form has yet to produce premiership points in 2015, so Micky Colina will be keen to reward the faithful and develop a reputation for Elcho Park as a fearsome place for visitors.
In-form Warrior Robbie Zadworny, who took his season’s goal tally to five last weekend after scoring two against Hume City, will lead the way for the other forwards to get in on the action.
Zadworny opened the scoring in the Hume loss with a 19th-minute header from a Juso Julardzija corner.
The lead lasted until the 42nd minute when Hume equalised through Shane Rexhepi.
At the restart Hume pressed hard and within three minutes Jai Ingham finished a Calvin Mbarga darting run and through-ball.
Then in the 56th minute the Warriors were given reason to rejoice when Zadworny popped up again to head home and level the scores 2-2.
With the match entering the final 10 minutes, it was Hume’s Ingham again capitalised on a Mbarga through-ball to put the home side up 3-2.
Not to be outdone, the Warriors stepped up their performance with the youthful energy in Tomo Trbuhovic and Nikola Jurkovic to offer some drive.
The pressure paid off when Zadworny was upended for a penalty in the 94th minute, which skipper Matthew Townley coolly dispatched in what spectators thought would be the final play of the day.
Hume City had other thoughts at the restart, surging into the box where a header across the goal resulted in a scramble for Petar Franjic to nudge the ball over the line for the 96th minute sealer.
The Pascoe Vale game at Elcho Park will kick off at 3pm for the under-20s and 5pm for the main game.
