SOCCER
SEAFORD United hopes that an influx of new players will bridge the gap between a top four finish and promotion.
Paul Williams’ men narrowly missed out on reclaiming their State 4 status last season when they lost their State 5 promotion play-off 3-2 to Old Melburnians.
The locals went into that contest without key players Cory Osorio (work commitments), Josh Vega (illness) and Sam Luxford (injured) and a penalty in the final minute of normal time proved their undoing.
After the season Williams and assistant coach Steven Keenan assessed the outcome and agreed that fitness and depth needed to be addressed.
“They were the two key areas we felt we needed to build on,” Williams said. “As soon as we took out key players the standard of the side dropped and I think the play-off game demonstrated that. “We’ve probably got about 30 people who can play senior football but at the top end calibre of players it would be good to add one maybe two more.”
So far the recruitment net has been cast far and wide. Ten of the 12 newcomers to the senior squad are Backi Barakzoi, Wisey Barakzoi and Adis Plecic (all from Casey Panthers), Mitch Hawkins (Mount Martha), Jacob Hoskins (Donny Hall Cross FC, England), Charley Hunt (ex-Mornington and Baxter), Lewis Tomlinson, Owen McDougall (Rosebud), Beau Sharpe (Rosebud) and Matt Cobb (Peninsula Strikers). Isaac Lifu has been promoted to the senior squad and English defender Saj Sri is expected to sign this week.
Last Friday night Seaford looked good in the first half against Heatherton United especially in transition.
Heatherton plays two divisions higher than Seaford and once Heatherton made changes in the second half and introduced players with NPL and State 2 experience it ran out a convincing 6-1 winner. But that result didn’t faze Williams. “We’ve been working on patterns of play for a while and I think you could see that coming through in the first half. “I remain confident. I’m always confident. “I think a lot of teams (in State 5) have recruited well and we’ve got a couple of new teams (Cleeland United and Endeavour Hills Fire) there as well so it’s going to be very, very competitive again.”
The Barakzois in midfield and defender Hoskin are seen as key newcomers and are expected to have a major impact.
“We’ve set out standards and if we maintain them we’ll be there or thereabouts,” Williams added. “I can’t say any more than that because there are too many unknowns but I’m looking forward to this season and I can assure you that the players are too.”
In VPL1 news Langwarrin started a six-game streak away from home with a come-from-behind win on Saturday to beat Caroline Springs George Cross 2-1. Blustery conditions weren’t conducive to free-flowing interpassing and despite enjoying the bulk of possession George Cross couldn’t find a breakthrough in the first half.
Two minutes into the second period Langy should have taken the lead but after a quick interchange between Tom Youngs and Dante Avian the latter chipped the ball to the back post only to watch Archie Macphee head over.
Langy keeper James Burgess did well to parry Nicholas Sette’s strike from the right of the area in the 65th minute but four minutes later he could do little to stop Jordan Tucker’s glancing header following a corner swung in to the near post.
Now Langwarrin had to chase the game and its cause was helped by a studs-up lunge from big Joseph Aloo-Peters that scythed down Langy substitute James Kelly. Referee Daniel Isaac immediately brandished a red card and the home side was on the back foot. Four goals in four minutes swung the contest in the visitors’ favour. In the 82nd minute another Langy substitute, Joe O’Brien, got a vital touch to a Luke Goulding cross from the right and it was 1-1.
In the 86th minute Youngs was felled inside the area and from the resultant penalty he sent Georgies’ keeper Aydin Sayan the wrong way to make it 2-1 and maintain Langwarrin’s early-season momentum.
In other news former Baxter head coach and Langwarrin technical director Stephen Fisher is heading back to familiar surroundings at Monterey Reserve. Fisher played junior and senior football with Frankston Pines and can’t wait to return. On Friday 17 May he’ll play a prominent role in the round 8 clash between Pines and Heatherton United as Fisher now is Heatherton’s senior assistant.
Here are the results of last week’s friendlies involving local clubs:
Somerville reserves 2 (Jakob Gurney, Ewan Barford) Mount Martha 3 (Max Keogh, Gerry McAleer, Lenny Tate); Brandon Park reserves 1 Somerville Eagles 3 (Jaden Taberner 2, Corey Riddle); Mornington 2 (Ryan Paczkowski, Rory Currie) Boroondara-Carey Eagles 5; Monbulk 1 Peninsula Strikers 3 (Taylan Geylan, Tom Wood, Wayne Gordon); Seaford Utd 1 (Josh Vega) Heatherton Utd 6; Frankston Pines 1 (Ardi Ahmeti) Skye Utd 5 (Nhan Than 2, Marcus Collier, George Jeffs, Daniel Attard); Baxter 7 (Liam Baxter 3, Aleks Dukic, Jack Elliott, Aaran Currie, Dan Disseldorp) Falcons 2000 1; Lilydale Montrose Utd 6 Chelsea 3 (Christian Murray 2, Daniel Vella); Somerville Eagles 1 (Marcus Anastasiou) Albert Park 1; Ringwood City 2 Mentone 0; Mount Martha 0 East Bentleigh 2; Knox City reserves 1 Rosebud 4 (Mark Pagliarulo, Luke Dennis, Dougie Cunnison, Jacob Markulin); Aspendale 6 (Jared Kilmartin 2, Ben Garside, James Macnab, Lewis Marco, Mathew Bruce) Keysborough 1.
Here are some upcoming friendlies:
Thursday 7 March:
Peninsula Strikers reserves v Rosebud, Centenary Park, 6.15pm.
Saturday 9 March:
Somerville Eagles v Blackburn NewHope, Westernport Athletics Track, 11am & 1pm.
Here are this weekend’s Dockerty Cup third round ties:
Thursday 7 March:
Chelsea v Mount Eliza, Edithvale Recreation Reserve, 7.30pm.
Saturday 9 March:
Skye Utd v Fawkner, Comets Stadium (pitch 2) 3.30pm; Mazenod v Mornington, Comets Stadium (pitch 1), 1pm; Lalor Utd v Peninsula Strikers, HR Uren Reserve, 11am; Clifton Hill v Frankston Pines, Quarries Park, 3pm.
First published in the Frankston Times – 5th March 2024
