Werribee City has found its winning formula and is refusing to go away quietly.
The Bees are no longer pushovers in the PS4 National Premier League 2 west after making some important moves to bolster their stocks during the transfer window.
After a hellish April in which they went goalless and point-less across five matches, the Bees have turned their season around with three wins and a draw from their past five games, including Saturday’s impressive 2-0 victory over Brunswick City on the road at Dunstan Reserve on Saturday.
The threat of relegation no longer hangs over the heads of second-last Werribee City.
Only one side will be relegated to the state leagues and last-placed Bendigo City is odds on, a massive 14 points in arrears of the rest of the teams.
Bees coach Sergio Sabbadini said the addition of players with big-game experience had seen his side re-evaluate its goals, with the avoidance of relegation no longer considered a pass mark.
“We’ve added a bit of depth and experience, which is what we’ve needed all year, and it’s made a big difference,” he said.
“We can try to go out there and win every game and we think we can beat all of them as long as we bring our A game.
“We’ve set ourselves a target of trying to finish mid-table.”
Key signing George Slefendorfas has already had a major impact just two games into his time with Werribee City. The Papua New Guinea international was the cornerstone of Saturday’s win, constantly dragging in two defenders with his control on the ball and serving his teammates on a platter with spot-on passes to finish with two assists.
“He’s mature at 29, he’s experienced and just knows where to go and when to go,” Sabbadini said.
Darcey Den Ouden was the main beneficiary of Slefendorfas’s play, scoring a double.
Den Ouden, a young speedy forward with loads of potential, has scored six goals in 17 games since arriving in the summer.
Goalkeeper Tommy Dunn, Italian import Leo Parrella and Nick Bavcar, three other new recruits, have also endeared themselves to the Werribee City faithful.
The most intriguing addition is Parrella. The midfielder has played under-21 and reserves football with Vicenza in the Italian Serie B and first team football with Sambonifacese in Serie C.
Werribee City returns to Galvin Park on Sunday to face Sunshine George Cross.
In state league 2, Hoppers Crossing returned to the top of the ladder after a 3-0 hammering of Essendon United at Grange Reserve on Saturday. The Reds scored all three goals in the second half, including a double from Daniel Sweeney.
In state league 4, Point Cook gave up top spot after a narrow 2-1 loss to North Melbourne Athletic at Ron Barassi Snr Park, while Truganina Hornets lost 3-0 at home to Bell Park.
