State League 1 Men’s vs Mazenod
Victory
After
a few challenging weeks, the men’s team was looking to turn around its
misfortunes and put in a good performance. With Mazenod sitting bottom of the
table and Casey in a slump it was set up to be a battle, and that’s exactly what
it was. After a back and forth first half with no team really grasping control
of the match, it was after a defensive error that led to a clearance ricocheting
off a Casey defender and into the back of the net. Not long after, Mazenod
doubled their lead after a sloppy give away in possession and they were quick
to pounce and finish well. Casey had one final chance in the first half when
Dejan Radojicic hit the post from a free kick from just outside the box.
A
response was needed in the second half from Casey, however Mazenod struck a
hammer blow from a free kick in the first 5 minutes of the second half to
increase the lead to 3-0. The Casey team dug deep and turn the tables, piling
pressure on Mazenod and creating problems in the final third. Casey pulled one
back after Rogan McGeorge delivered a corner that was met powerfully by the
head of Erik Panzer, 3-1. Casey continued the pressure and forced mistakes out
of Mazenod and from another set piece the ball bounced out to Radojicic to
strike on goal only to be blocked and fall at the feet of Deaken Napier to poke
home, 3-2. Not long after, some good play and a deflective strike from Bonel
Obradovic brought the sides equal at 3-3. Both teams had their chances in the
final 15 minutes of game, however no team could find a winner and the points
were shared.
The
reserve side were less than convincing in their match after a great run of
form, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Mazenod Reserves. The goal was
scored by Stefan Karac.
State League 1 Women’s vs Brighton
SC
On Sunday, the senior women
welcomed Brighton SC to Comets stadium as the women looked to cement their spot
at the top of the ladder. Comets were missing winger Nadine Jambo through
injury but welcomed back midfielder Bron Maidment who sat out the win at South
Yarra after a hamstring niggle. Courtney Aughtie was a late withdrawal
from the starting line-up and on the bench after illness but a strong squad
should have been enough to see off a Brighton team sitting at the bottom of the
ladder. The game kicked off and it was very apparent that Brighton
were turning up to stifle and stop Comets scoring. With 6 players behind the
ball at all times with the Brighton coach screaming at his players to stay
back. The first 20 minutes of the game was dull with only a handful
of chances being created with Brighton’s intent on killing the game working a
treat. A change of tactics for Comets, switching from four at the back to a
three paid dividends with Courtney Aughtie entering the fray to step up the
tempo in midfield. The result was Comets causing an array of problems for
Brighton with wave after wave of attacks. The pressure finally came too much
with a great strike from the left hand side into the top corner from Jenna
Chandler. Chandler doubled the score soon after and Comets should have
scored at least 2 or three more before a defensive lapse saw Brighton score a
well taken goal from a rare adventure into the Comets half. 2-1 at
halftime. The second half became a scrappy game with Brighton hitting it long
at every opportunity and Comets struggling to regain the early composure. More
opportunities came and went but the tempo had left the game and the ball spent
more time in the air than on the floor. In the last quarter of the game, again
against the run of play, a defensive mix up between the back line and keeper
saw Brighton score an unlikely second and take the game to 2-2. Comets finally
came to life in the final 10 minutes and started to sustain the pressure seen
earlier in the first half. Chandler and Rachel Stirton were causing problems
for the Brighton defense and both unlucky not to score. A foul on Stirton as
she drove into the box saw comets awarded a late penalty. Courtney Aughtie,
stepped up confidently for the kick, giving the keeper no chance and sealed the
three points for Comets. A below par performance from the team, who made life
difficult for themselves but they kept going and got the points to remain at
the top of the ladder. Next up is away at Berwick on Friday night
where the girls will need an improved performance to keep up their winning
ways.
After a tough game last week, the
women’s reserve side bounced back and came away with a 2-2 draw. Both goals
scored by Kristie Farmer.