True rivalries can be hard to find in the lower reaches of the Football Federation Victoria state leagues.
Clubs in the state league 4 and 5 competitions tend to be either be expansion clubs in a development phase or clubs that have bottomed out after playing at higher levels.
One rivalry that is starting to build is the western suburbs battle between Truganina Hornets and Altona North.
Hornets coach Sergio Lunedai, a one-time reserves coach at Altona North before leaving to start up Truganina, reckons there is added feeling each time the clubs face one another in state league 4 as they will do at Duane Reserve on Saturday.
“That’s like a derby for us,” Lunedai said.
“There’s a bit of history between each other.
“Every time we play, it’s heated, it doesn’t matter what position in the league you are, whether it’s first, second or third, or last.
“These games when you play Altona North, it’s always special.”
Truganina will go into the match with confidence after claiming its first win of the season on Saturday.
The Hornets rolled North Melbourne Athletic 2-0 at Arndell Park, scoring a goal in each half and keeping a clean sheet with a makeshift goalkeeper and defenders Felipe Alvear, the stand-in captain, Riley Tognolini and Reece Mamic at the top of their game.
It was the performance of goalkeeper Neil Ward – an emergency selection from the Hornets masters team after the top two keepers were unavailable – that got tongues wagging at Federation Boulevard on Saturday night.
“We didn’t have [captain and regular goalkeeper] Dylan Tiatto because of the red card from last week,” Lunedai said.
“My other reserve goalkeeper was out with injury, so I had to take the keeper from the masters team and he just done brilliant.
“When he had to come out, he came out, when he had to close, he closed, and he really dictated the backline really well.
Truganina took the lead after Zachary Busuttil scored a goal from a near impossible angle. Chol Dongrin added the insurance goal for Truganina.
Dongrin was playing in the thirds this time last season.
Meanwhile, the top-four blockbuster between Point Cook and Golden Plains ended in a 2-2 draw after an entertaining game at Bannockburn Recreation Reserve.
James Varsamakis and Morgan Filer found the back of the net for Point Cook, who is third on the ladder with 11 points, one point behind top two Sebastopol Vikings and Bell Park.
In state league 2, Hoppers Crossing’s blitz continued, making it five wins from five starts in a 2-1 victory over Cairnlea at Grange Reserve.
The Reds will take on rivals, third-placed Altona City, in one of the most anticipated games of the season at Kim Reserve on Saturday night.
In the NPL, Werribee City went goal-less for a fifth straight week, losing 2-0 to Box Hill United at Galvin Park on Sunday.
The Bees will host Springvale White Eagles on Sunday back at Shaws Road.
