By Tara Murray
Mill Park is hoping to finish the FFV state league 2 north-west season on a high.
After a season that hasn’t lived up to expectations, coach Paul Agathouli is confident they can take their game to another level in the remaining rounds.
Agathouli said the team had been in all but one game, but had been unable to get the score on the board.
He said the transition into state league 2 had been difficult for some of the playing group.
Mill Park, which played in state league 4 last season, merged with state league 2 side Sporting Whittlesea in the off season.
“It’s been a big step,” Agathouli said. “It’s not the club collectively, but the playing group.
“Most of the guys have played state league 2 before, but it’s that transition from last season to this year.”
While the transition has taken some time, Agathouli said they had also been their worst enemy at times.
He said they had also had their share of bad luck – having conceded the winning goal in injury time at the end of a couple of games.
Long term injuries to players before the season had hurt, as had suspensions during the season.
“We had high expectations this season,” Agathouli said.
“We pretty much shot ourselves in the foot through suspensions.
“The team is too good to be where we are at the moment. We’re better than our ladder position.”
On Saturday, Mill Park lost to Westgate, 2-1.
All three goals were scored in the first half.
Adrien Portier scored for Mill Park.
Mill Park currently sits 10th on the ladder, four points clear of the relegation zone.
Agathouli is hopeful the team can get a run going in the remaining matches and move up he ladder.
“We haven’t won two games in a row,” he said. “We want to string some wins together.
“There’s only been one game where we were really beaten. The team is full of potential.”
Agathouli said while the senior team was struggling with the move up, things were going well off field. He said the club was running smoothly and the junior program was strong.
In other matches, Hume United defeated Westvale, 2-1.
Kyung-Min Shin and Enes Gurkan scored in the second half to seal the win for Hume.
In state league 3 north-west, Epping City defeated Moreland United 4-0 and Upfield lost to Sebastopol Vikings.
In state league 4 north, Plenty Valley Lions and Craigieburn City had wins, while Lalor United had a draw and Greenvale United suffered a loss.
