By Josip Zilic
North Geelong Warriors require a string of wins to lift off the relegation spots and mount a survival challenge. Their cause wasn’t helped with another draw last Friday night against the Knights, however it was a point that will be much needed none the less.
The Warriors go into battle at home on Saturday against Hume City, which has just come off a three-week spell it hasn’t experienced too often with two losses and a draw.
Being such a professional set up, Hume will no doubt be stinging from the recent spell and be looking to inflict some pain on the battle-hardened Warriors.
Hume’s acquisitions this year would have you thinking they would have a lot more goals to their tally with Liam Boland joining the attack with Nick Hegarty and Theo Markelis – but the combination hasn’t quite come together.
The Warriors come into the match after a couple of draws that weren’t for the purists to watch. Regardless they have managed to stem the flow of losses with a point each from their matches against the Saints and the Knights and will need to be at their battle-hardened best on Saturday against Hume – and in front of their home crowd – if they want to notch up their first win of the season.
Against the Knights the Warriors went down early again, as they have in the last five weeks prior to that, this time on eight minutes when Jason Hicks pounced on an initial block from Matt Townley to drill high into the net giving Marko Stevanja no chance to save.
To their credit they managed to level the scores just five minutes later when Ivan Grgic was awarded a goal, after the ball was scrambled around the goal mouth from a Josh Pugh corner and eventually forced over the line.
The Knights seemed to be resolute to sit a little deeper allowing the Warriors to come at them, and on several transitional plays the outlet was Kene Eze – with several charges at goal including a shot that sailed over the bar – the scoring boots were not on.
After the break the Knights were amassing the possession count and able to find pockets behind the Warriors defence, however Stevanja was on song to thwart chances to Robbie Zadworny and Kym Harris to keep the scoreboard steady.
Kick off on Saturday at Elcho Park is at 12.30pm for the table topping under-20s and 3pm for the seniors.
