Werribee City is steeling itself for a shot at promotion after a dour and hard-fought NPL 2 west soccer victory over Murray United.
Despite several chances coming throughout the game, just one shot found the back of the net as City walked away with the points.
City coach Sergio Sabbadini said their opponents frustrated them with their defensive play, but his side got what it wanted out of the clash in the end.
“We played very well and probably should have won by more, but we squandered a couple of chances,” he said.
“They came to get a point – they told us after the game that they came for a draw. So they were very defensive and wasted a bit of time, which was a bit frustrating for us. But we were able to break them up at the end of the game.
“I’m sure if we’d scored in the first half they would have been a bit more attacking, but our substitutions really opened the game up in the second half and we were able to get the result we were after.”
Werribee missed two opportunities to score early with just the keeper to beat, forcing a save on one shot before sending the second one wide.
Substitute Ted Yabio broke the deadlock in the second half.
Left back Nick Bavcar carried the ball forward down the wing before crossing to winger Trevor Ssemakula, who found Yabio in space for the breakthrough.
With Werribee City sitting in eighth place in NPL 2 west, Sabbadini said wins like the one over Murray United were important if his side was to push up a congested table and compete for promotion.
“We’ve picked up some good players in the transfer window, so we’re probably at our strongest at the moment,” he said.
“Hopefully, this gives us a chance now to have a go at one of the promotion spots.
“When there’s four or five games to go you want to be thereabouts.
“We’ve just got to be a bit more consistent and not drop points like we did a couple of weeks ago to Goulburn Valley.
“If we’d won that we’d probably be third on the ladder now – so we’ve got to get back to our best.”
