State Knockout Cup: Reds’ Smart option brings hat-trick form

HOPPERS Crossing coach Joey Vella has praised his side’s professional approach in a predictably one-sided 9-1 win over first-year club Truganina in the FFV State Knockout Cup at Grange Reserve on Saturday.

The Reds had been through an inconsistent pre-season and were desperate to start hitting the high notes with a new season less than a fortnight away.

The provisional league 2 side fielded their best possible line-up with the exception of suspended leader Kevin Smart, and executed in all the key areas to advance to the third round of the competition.

“The good thing is we didn’t come down to their level and play a scrappy game,” Vella said.

“We stuck to the game plan really well and had that killer instinct.”

Alister Smart bagged a hat-trick for the Reds and Zia Sherzai a double. Additional goals came from Mussie Kislom, Gus Dos Santos, Brett Gilmour and Tommy Orndahl.

“It was a pretty one-sided game but that was expected,” Vella said. “They are in a lower league and it was their first official game.”

Vella welcomed the introduction of a new soccer club in Wyndham. Despite a number of his players crossing to the new club based out of Arndell Park, he says it is good for the area to be further promoting the game. “The place is growing. Having another club around gives people more options.”

For Truganina, who will unveil Hornets as their official nickname, the result did not matter.

It was a history-making event as they took part in their first FFV-sanctioned game.

The scoreboard was a “bad one”, according to inaugural coach and president Sergio Lunedei, but not the end of the world.

“What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger,” he said. “I’m proud because I had to fight against the odds to get this club up.”

Lunedei said his team suffered through a lack of preparation.

The time it took for the training ground to be signed off for the Hornets to use ate into their pre-season.

“They were ahead of us in terms of physicality and they are much fitter. It’s a new team and it’s going to take a while to get all the mechanisms in place. We’ll get there eventually,” he said.

At least we have an answer to the trivia question of who scored the Hornets’ first goal.

That went to developing teenage winger Musa Kamara, who pounced on the indecision of goalkeeper Shaun Page and central defender Drew Gilmour, who misread a long ball.

The Hornets’ first captain was defender Anthony Conito, who used to play with the Reds.