Craigieburn City is showing it won’t be a pushover in its first season of state league 5 north soccer.
Ten rounds into its debut season, the side is fourth on the ladder and has got points in eight matches.
Despite copping its second loss of the season on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Thornbury Athletic, City has made a positive start.
City coach Michael Loche said that going into the season it was difficult to envisage where the side would sit.
“It is really hard to gauge where you are at without playing,” he said.
“We did bring in some players who have already been playing FFV, so that helps.
“As the season has progressed, we are getting better and better and getting to the level we want to be at.”
“We were in front with five minutes to go against RMIT, who are the top side, and [we] became the first side to take points off them.
“In the back half of the season, I give us a chance. You don’t win it in the first half of the season but you can lose it. We just need to have consistency over the whole 90 minutes.”
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Loche said young players such as Ali Altanhan and Arnold Kumar stepping up had helped the side’s depth.
Heading into the second part of the season, City will spend at lot of time playing at home, which for this season is the Northern United ground in Broadmeadows while the council prepares new facilities at Craigieburn.
“Playing heaps of home games back-to-back will hopefully help with our consistency,” Loche said.
There were some very one-sided results in other state league 5 north matches, with Meadow Park defeating Keon Park 8-3 and Greenvale United smashing Reservoir Yeti 6-1.
In state league 2 north-west Sporting Whittlesea defeated Heidelberg Stars 4-1, while Hume United lost to Geelong 1-0.
Upfield had a handy 2-0 win over Lalor United in state league 3 north-west, while Whittlesea United drew 1-1 with Williamstown. La Trobe University won the battle of the universities, defeating Melbourne University 2-1.
Epping City remains undefeated in state league 4 north after beating Mill Park 2-1, while Plenty Valley Lions and Bundoora United had losses.
