By Josip Zilic
The race for the NPL2 Wes title comes down to the final round after North Geelong and St Albans both continued their winning ways in the penultimate round.
North Geelong will go to Ballarat to take on an inspired Red Devils who last week dispatched Whittlesea Ranges 8-1 in what can best be described as a fiery debacle.
Whittlesea still had a chance of promotion prior to the match, but three quick goals from Ballarat followed by three red cards to Whittlesea only served to open the match up and sealed their fate.
Ballarat are playing to prove a point and have three linchpins that provide a headache for any opposition in Nelson Salvatore, Michael Trigger and Dejan Mitrovic.
North Geelong will approach the game with knowledge that anything less than a win will put them in a playoff to continue to push for promotion, a win and a St Albans loss to Whittlesea will mean North Geelong go up as their goal difference is superior.
Last weekend’s 3-0 win over Moreland was a timely reminder to the faithful at Elcho Park that their side has progressed well in the return to NPL2 and developed a resolve in defence to allow their creativity and goal scoring to flow.
Opening the scores on in the 15th minute was Matt Thorne who cleverly waited just wide of goal as tearaway winger Nicholas Jurcic took on his opponent to open him up and unleash a cracking shot from 25 metres, the keeper Stefaan Sardelic couldn’t get his gloves around the ball and Thorne was on hand to push it home for the opener.
In the second half, Moreland came to life and pushed the Warriors deep into defence, however that resolve wasn’t to be breeched and instead they turned the wins of possession into waves of attack.
Jurcic was again able to get past his opponent to square a pass into the box with 10 minutes to go; Sardelic and his defenders all confusingly glanced at each other as Rudi Saglam popped up to nudge the ball into goal after tripping beforehand.
Two minutes later, Vito Cichello took his good run of form further by cruising past three opponents before entering the 18-yard box and slotting the ball under the advancing Sardelic for the third.
Saturday’s game is at 3pm at Moreshead Park, Sebastopol.
