Nightmare on Barretts Road
Posted: 28 May, 2007
| Langwarrin | 1 | — | 6 | Coburg United |
| Kevin McAlister | ||||
Round 7: Langwarrin v Coburg United — 26 May, 2007
Coburg United cemented its position on top of the reserves ladder with a resounding 6-1 win against Langwarrin at Lawton Park on Saturday, leaving the home side to think long and hard about its title aspirations.
If coach Jim Morrison dreamt about all the things that could possibly go wrong for his young team not even his worst nightmare could conjure up the litany of errors that were the hallmarks of a dreadful display.
Goalkeeper Sean Skelly had an afternoon to forget and he had plenty of pals in that regard. First team squad members Liam Swaine, Niall Mitten and John Jovan were expected to show leadership in such a clutch contest but like Skelly they had poor games. From go to whoa, Langy could not defend properly, close down properly, keep the ball properly and show the sort of commitment required from a side with such lofty ambitions.
One of the few positives to emerge from this clash was the appearance of Stuart Craig in midfield. Returning from a knee reconstruction, Craig started quietly but in the last 15 minutes of the first half launched himself into some trademark tackles and showed that he is on the way to returning to the sort of form that supporters know well.
Within nine minutes Langy found themselves 2-0 down. In the fifth minute the defenders failed to attack the ball and Skelly, out late, could do little to stop the shot from close range. Four minutes later Anthony Famularo, who was struggling defensively against Coburg’s left-sided midfielder, was left stranded as his opponent strolled past him then unleashed a firm, low shot. Skelly got down well at the near post only to parry into the centre of goal for a tap-in for Coburg.
In the 12th minute Langy hit back when Swaine’s corner to the far post was volleyed down and back across goal by Nick Robinson and Kevin McAlister headed in. Three minutes later a long ball by Jovan was controlled well by Famularo who then miskicked when shooting and Robinson’s touch struck a defender and went out for a corner.
Half time saw the boys head to the rooms 2-1 down, a good fight back from the initial set back.
Two minutes into the second stanza, Coburg could have gone further ahead but the shot from the edge of the area sailed just wide of the far post. Swaine was booked shortly after for kicking the ball away after a free kick had been awarded to the visitors.
In the 44th minute Skelly went down too early to try and save a low shot from outside the area. He made a desperate attempt to get a firm hand on the ball which had bounced in front of him but failed and the visitors had a two-goal cushion. In the 50th minute the Langy defence once more was ripped apart but this time Skelly did well to get down and save from a firm, low shot.
Morrison took off Deni Skopljak and Stuart and replaced them with Peter Ferguson and Cameron Fraser but a minute later the contest was decided when three Langy defenders missed tackles, allowing the Coburg player to stroll through and neatly slot the ball past Skelly to make it 4-1.
Skelly was replaced by the promising teenager Michael Bellagamba.
Things did not improve when in the 63rd minute when the assistant referee allowed the Coburg forward to gather a through ball from an offside position and calmly knock it past the advancing keeper.
Langy should have scored a consolation goal in the 65th minute when McAlister, one of the few who could hold his head high, struck the ball across the face of goal from the left and the incoming Ferguson sidefooted it first time against the near post.
The nightmare was complete in the 68th minute when Mitten slipped while trying to hold up an opponent who strolled clear and slotted a low shot past Bellagamba to make it 6-1.
