By Lance Jenkinson
Werribee City has been the dux of the class in the National Premier League 2 west this season, but it undoubtedly flunked its latest test.
The top-of-the-ladder Bees were abysmal in a 2-1 loss to Eastern Lions at Galvin Park on Saturday.
Bees coach Sergio Sabbadini was not mincing his words in assessing his team’s performance.
“We were terrible,” he said. “Very few players had a pass mark.
“There were cameo performances here and there, but nothing solid.
“No one played well [for the full 90 minutes], it was pretty bad all round.”
It is an indication of how far Werribee City has come this season when it treats a one-goal loss as an epic failure.
The Bees have done so much well in the first 15 games of the season that the football gods gave them a reprieve on Saturday and kept them on top of the ladder despite their defeat.
Sabbadini believes his side will not be as lucky next time.
He is concerned by the form swings in the past month.
“We stay on top and we’re happy, but we’ve still got to win,” he said. “We thought today was a winnable game and we set up to win it.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Werribee City vs Eastern Lions
Sabbadini could tell before a ball was kicked that Werribee City was not in the right frame of mind. The Bees seemed unsettled even in their warm up. “Our warm up today was pathetic,” Sabbadini said. “You could tell the boys were a bit flat and we called them in to rev them up, but it just didn’t work.
“It was one of those days.”
Sabbadini was just as scathing on the officiating. After taking a two-goal deficit into half-time, Werribee City was given a lifeline through a goal to Lisandro Paz.
Paz was played in by substitute Shaun Hodor, who made an instant impact when he was brought on. But that is where the joy ended for Werribee City.
The Bees would finish the game with nine men after red cards were handed to Tyler James and Julyan Collett.
Sabbadini described the James sending off as a “soft decision” that will be appealed, while Collett was sent off with a second yellow.
Injuries have seen Werribee City without four regulars in recent weeks.
The return of some of those players for the massive game against Geelong at Stead Park on Saturday was supposed to alleviate the selection headaches, but the looming suspensions will cause another headache for the Bees.
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