Lalor United is motivated to go one step further this year.
It finished second in FFV state league 4 north last year and missed out on promotion after losing a play-off.
This year it wants that top spot – and so far things are going to plan.
Lalor is on top of the ladder, four points clear of Darebin United.
On Saturday, it had a day out against RMIT, winning 6-2 with new recruit Anthony Colosimo scoring four goals in his first game for the club.
Ali Alabsawi and Kingsley Njoku were the other goalscorers.
Speaking before the match, Lalor coach Tony Sterjovski said there was massive belief and hunger in the playing group.
“We’ve been building to where we are,” he said. “We had a really good year last year, but missed out on going up.
“For the boys, there’s unfinished business and the hunger is unbelievable.”
He said the ambition for this year was to make sure they did everything they could to become a better side.
He said things were going well off field, and they wanted to reward everyone with a title and promotion.
“There’s one view and one vision,” he said. “We want to win games, win the league and get promoted.”
Sterjovski said a couple of mid season additions, including Colosimo, would help add depth to the squad.
Lalor has the best defence and attack records with 10 rounds to go, and Sterjovski said they weren’t looking at doing anything different.
“I believe the second half of the season will be a lot harder than the first,” he said.
“Nothing changes … We’re going to keep training hard and stick to the game plan … and hopefully we will lift a trophy.”
In other results, Greenvale United had a 2-2 draw with Northern Falcons.
Greenvale sits fourth on the ladder, now only goal difference behind third-placed Craigieburn City.
City suffered a surprise 2-0 loss to Plenty Valley Lions on Saturday. The Lions sit sixth.
In state league 2 north-west, ladder-leaders Whittlesea United had a 2-2 draw with Corio, while it was the same scoreline between Brimbank Stallions and Mill Park. Hume United had a 1-0 loss to Cairnlea.
