Paton puts Comets out of business
Posted: 21 May, 2007
| Casey Comets | 2 | — | 3 | Langwarrin |
| Tim Paton (2) Darko Djuric |
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Round 6: Casey Comets v Langwarrin — 19 May, 2007
Langwarrin’s first team scored three goals away from home for the first time since 22 April 2006 (a 3-3 draw with North Geelong) and despite two defensive lapses ran out 3-2 winners in Saturday’s local derby with Casey Comets at Comets Stadium.
While first team coach Gus Macleod was delighted with the victory his joy was tempered by disappointment at the way his defence was exposed from two corners in the second half. But make no mistake, this win was a tonic for the visitors and a bitter pill to swallow for their newly promoted neighbours who now sit in the bottom half of the Division One table.
With Davie Breslin injured, Darko Djuric came into the side and played in Breslin’s customary wide left position. This was the only change to the starting line-up from the previous weekend’s 1-0 win against North Geelong and the Langy lads certainly were up for this one. Even coaching advisor Neil Collyer was up for it, admitting as much with a gleam in his eye during the warm-up.
Three minutes into the contest, Chris Jones was called upon to thwart a Casey attack and he did so in style, launching himself towards the ball and fisting clear and two minutes later Ben Caffrey shot over.
The best chance of the opening exchanges fell to the home side in the 25th minute when a great through ball saw Jones forced into a one-on-one. As the Langy custodian twice tried and failed to grab the ball on the deck, the Casey striker cut it back only to watch in dismay as his teammate’s attempt was blocked and the ball eventually was scrambled clear.
Four minutes later a good combination between Caffrey and Steve Vernon saw the latter win a free kick just outside the area. Vernon took it and sent a low, left-footed drive toward the bottom far corner but the Casey custodian did well to get down and turn it wide.
Three minutes before the break, the deadlock was broken after a customary piece of trickery from Caffrey. The big man got the ball on the right and sent his opponent this way and that before jinking past him and cutting the ball back toward the near post. The incoming Tim Paton neatly flicked the ball toward goal and although there were a number of deflections as the ball travelled through heavy traffic the goal was given to Paton for his first with his new club.
Six minutes into the second half, the home side almost pounced on a defensive error but Chris Quinn won the ball and sent a superb pass to Brian MacNicol on the right. The former National League player dummied the ball which ended at the feet of Shane Tagliaferro and the ex-Comets player struck his low drive wide of the far post.
Caffrey had been dropped into a deeper, more defensive role with MacNicol bobbing up more frequently on the right and Vernon matched against Casey’s Tom Racinica to counter the latter’s pace.
In the 61st minute, Langy went further ahead and most of their fans expected the visitors to close out the contest from this point. Thomas Ahmadzai won a header halfway inside the attacking half. The ball fell to Paton who neatly turned it into MacNicol’s path on the right. MacNicol looked up then sent over a superb cross which was met first time by the incoming Dujric who slotted it low into the far corner.
But nine minutes later Casey hit back. Langy paid the price for not picking up from a corner and it was unusual not to see a Langy defender attack the ball. That didn’t matter to Casey central defender Ben Cullen who charged in and struck the ball with his thigh, sending it past Jones and into the back of the Langy net.
Djuric was replaced by Ali Memedovski and it was game on for a couple of minutes until Paton restored Langy’s two-goal cushion. The young striker showed great skill to control and turn with the ball before striking it low and just inside the post to make it 3-1.
In the 78th minute Paton blew a chance to put Langy further ahead after a superb break ended with a pinpoint MacNicol cross from the right but Paton mistimed his header from right in front.
Caffrey came off in the 85th minute, replaced by John Jovan and a minute later Vernon was replaced by Ian Callaghan.
Just when Langy fans were feeling comfortable with life, up bobbed Cullen for a second time from a corner, this time spinning around and drilling the ball high into the roof of the net in the 89th minute to make it 3-2. However, despite a frantic couple of minutes of added time, the result reflected Langwarrin’s better organisation and there were signs that the team is slowly starting to function better as a unit.
