Lance Jenkinson
Short of a victory, Hoppers Crossing got what it wanted out of its FFA Cup clash with Whittlesea United at Grange Reserve on Saturday.
The Reds went down 3-0 to United, a side that sits one league above them in the Football Victoria ranks, but still got the tough examination they desired ahead of Saturday’s season-opening date with Westgate at Grange Reserve.
“Under realistic opinions, we were never going to win the cup,” Reds coach Shaun Barbara said.
“It was exciting to be able to test ourselves against a higher opponent and put ourselves into a more pressured environment.
“It was a good hit out.”
While the better side undoubtedly won on the day, Hoppers Crossing was not without its chances to cause a few headaches for Whittlesea United.
First half chances fell to Liam McDermott, Fabio Albuquerque and Takuya Yoshimi that might have nestled into the back of the net on another day.
“If we took maybe even one or two of those chances, it becomes a very different ball game,’ Barbara said.
“We didn’t and they were quite clinical when they got their chances in front of goal.”
Hoppers Crossing was competitive in patches, but it was not enough against a Whittlesea United team that never dropped off.
The Reds were taken out of their usual rhythm by United’s incessant pressure.
“They were quite intense and put a lot of pressure on us,” Barbara said.
“They’ve got a couple of big boys in their team that forced us to make some uncharacteristic mistakes.
“It was a good test for us in terms of their level of aggression and intent to harass us and force us into mistakes.
“It was a good learning curve, so we’ll take a lot out of the game.”
Washington Takudzwa Bgoni was first class for Hoppers Crossing in goal.
While he conceded three on the day, the Reds could have suffered even further without his intervention.
“Washy was certainly in some ripping form,” Barbara said.
“He made some great saves.”
Barbara is happy with Hoppers Crossing’s build up to the new season.
A big focus was integrating new recruits Alex Martinez, an electrifying midfielder from Westgate, and Yui Kishimoto, a midfield distributor from Japan, into the line up.
Daniel Sweeney’s return from Sydenham Park was also met with excitement.
– Lance Jenkinson
