Hoppers Crossing escaped with all three points from a tough trip to North City Wolves in the Football Federation Victoria men’s state league 3 north-west on Saturday.
“It was one of those scrappy games,” Reds coach Steve Iosifidis told Star Weekly.
“The boys acknowledged that it wasn’t their best performance but, with any win, it creates a bit of chemistry and confidence in the team, so you don’t want to harp on the negatives.”
The Reds scored from the penalty spot in the dying minutes to claim a narrow 1-0 win.
Dane Garbutt’s desire to chase down an unlikely ball left the referee with no option but to point to the spot.
Tom Orndahl stepped up to score for the Reds but only after the ball had slapped into the hands of the Wolves goalkeeper on its way through.
The victory came at a significant cost for the Reds with striker Alister Smart sustaining a knee injury.
“It might be season over for him,” Iosifidis said. “He’s not one to complain so the minute he goes down you know something isn’t right.”
In state league 4, Truganina Hornets reversed a four-game winless streak with a 1-0 win over Surf Coast, while Point Cook could only make a 1-1 draw with Laverton Park.
In the NPL, Werribee City is still without a win after a 2-0 road loss to Northcote City on Saturday.
