WERRIBEE City is making a habit of defying the odds in the Football Federation Victoria men’s state league 1.
The Bees were rated little more than a slim chance of snaring all three points against an irresistible North Geelong Warriors at Arndell Park on Sunday, but came away with a comprehensive 3-0 victory.
Not only did the Bees inflict just a second loss of the season on the third-placed Warriors, they did it in a manner which surprised even coach Nino Ragusa. “We actually belted them ruthlessly,” he said of the 3-0 win. It was a real smashing. I was a bit shocked after the game.”
The Bees are fourth on the ladder and remain a mathematical chance of promotion. It has not always been so plain sailing for the Bees, who collected a paltry two points from their opening five matches. Since then, they have racked up 29 points with nine wins, a draw and just three losses.
Ragusa says the positive run of results has plenty to do with the continued maturation of his young and developing squad.
The Bees got the go-ahead goal after just five minutes when Julien Cassano, playing in an attacking role behing the striked, served up a delicious through ball from in-form Simon Zappia and made no mistake.
It was a byproduct of a new attack-minded formation Ragusa will run with between now and the end of the season in search of maximum points to continue to pile the pressure on the sides above them on the ladder.
The early goal had an unsettling effect on the Warriors, who are not accustomed to playing from behind. They became frustrated and their ill-discipline saw them go down a man when two yellows became a red for Alan Peleka. The Warriors were not without chances of their own, but were continually denied by Bees gloveman Thomas Dunn, who had a point to prove against his old club.
The longer the game went, the more confident the Bees became and their dominance would tell on the scoreboard when Zappia doubled the lead with 15 minutes to go with an exquisite chip over Warriors keeper Daniel Zilic.
The day got even worse for the visitors when substitute Leigh Minopoulos came on and made an aggressive move into the 18-yard box to be brought down by Zilic, who was also shown a red card.
Minopoulos, one of the Bees stars who had started on the bench after suffering with flu-like symptoms all week, took his own penalty and fired past a makeshift Warriors goalkeeper Mijo Marinovic to put the result beyond doubt.
Ross Lagana was outstanding for the Bees at centre back, forming a strong defensive combination with youngster Dustin Guilloux-Cooke.
Captain Milan Savic controlled the tempo in the middle of the park, while Zappia was involved in all the key moments from an attacking standpoint.
The high-on-confidence Bees hit the road for a Monday night showdown with FC Bulleen Lions at the Veneto Club in Bulleen.
FFV results
SL1: Werribee City 3 North Geelong Warriors 0
PL2: Essendon Royals 0 Hoppers Crossing 3
MML: Truganina 3 North Lions 4
