Round 7: North Geelong (2) v Geelong Rangers (1)
Derbies are a tense and torrid affair and this one was no different. It had goals, end to action, mistakes, skills and atmosphere.
The day took on a serious note before the commencement of each match, as the club received news that morning that one of it’s much loved and dedicated foundation members Mr Stipe Tabak passed away after a battle with illness. From the North Geelong Soccer Club we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Tabak family and although Stipe was not there in body, we feel his presence here. May he rest in peace.
A great day for local soccer, as the teams from Under 6 to Under 15 took part in North Geelong Warriors v Geelong Rangers matches throughout the day and you could see they were excited to be there on the big stage.
The atmosphere changed tune at 1pm as you could sense the importance of the occasion beginning to take hold on the pitch. Reserves action was in full swing, the Warriors were showing grit and determination. They put in a massive team effort and kept their opponents at bay all day. Midfield pressure and clinical finishing resulted in their second win in a row as well as their second clean sheet in a row. Goals to Mark Alic, Tommy Gavran and 2 to Marinko Pausak gave the Warriors an emphatic 4 nil victory and a sign to the club that they are as serious about the season as their senior team peers.
That brought on the seniors. You could feel the mood swing from anxious anticipation to nervous tension. Both teams looking to take out the victory. Warriors to consolidate top spot and keep the pressure on those looking to take top spot off them, Rangers to edge closer and return to the winners list.
The match didn’t disappoint, both teams had patches of domination where they could have taken the lead. Rangers were pressuring the passing game of the Warriors and the Warriors were stretching the Rangers defence. Early opportunities fell to both sides. Troy Hardy and James Blackburn had shots brilliantly saved by Zilic while Cervinski and Zadworny missed time shots just passed the bar. However the first half drew to a close with the scores at 0 –0 and lots to look forward to.
It was Rangers who came out of blocks harder in the second half and looked to settle early. They were threading balls long into gaps and getting the ball into the box for their target man Hardy. They got their reward when Hardy with the ball at his feet, tapped it once and unleashed to notch up the lead. This woke the Warriors into action and they responded two minutes later from great ball by Cervinski who found Robert Zadworny to put the game back in the balance.
The pressure kept ebbing and flowing from both teams and Rangers were unlucky to not be up another couple of goals if it wasn’t for keeper Zilic who was brilliant all day.
With 10 minutes to go, a through ball found Cervinksi running onto it, to fortunately slip the ball past the advancing Marinovic in goals. With time still left to equalise the Rangers went at it and had several chances, the stumbling block for them was their finishing and the Warriors custodian in goals Daniel Zilic. The referee’s whistle bought the match to an end and another Warriors victory to keep them settled in top spot.
It was always going to be tough being a derby match, it was never going to be a blow out, whether the better team won on the day is debatable, but the ability to stand firm in a tough hitout will reinforce to the Warriors that they have the self belief to march on and keep winning.
