MELTON’S advance back towards the promotion places in FFV provisional league 3 north-west continued with a 4-2 win against Watsonia Heights at the weekend.
The Phoenix were one of the lucky teams on Saturday, not so much in the match but that there was even a game, as postponements due to wet weather swept through suburban soccer.
Three games, half the matches, in provisional 3 NW were called off at the weekend, skewing the ladder.
But Melton’s win moved it to fourth, with 30 points, and it has put the pressure on the top teams to perform in their catch-up games
Heidelberg Stars (third, 33) and Bundoora United (second, 35) both have a game in hand while Darebin United (first, 39) has played the same number of games as Melton.
The Phoenix took control early on Saturday at MacPherson Park with goals to David Valenzuela, the first from a penalty after a Watsonia Heights hand-ball and the second after an assist from Carlos Velasquez.
Watsonia Heights pegged a goal back from a free kick before Michael Kapiris restored the two-goal cushion, only for Watsonia Heights to score again with the last kick of the first half.
Melton contained Watsonia Heights for much of the second half before sealing the victory in the dying stages with a fourth goal, scored by Michael Clarke.
“We probably made things harder for ourselves than they needed to be,” Melton coach Danny Gnjidic said.
“We let Watsonia back in it through a lack of work rate, dropped off the discipline a bit, but we really contained them in the second half.
“We kept them at bay.”
Gnjidic said in spite of conceding two goals in the game the team’s back four had looked good.
Melton’s next two games are against the bottom pair Fawkner SC and Balmoral.
“Our goal is to get to the last three games with something to play for, and in these next two weeks we have teams fighting for their lives at the bottom.
“Teams might have catch-up games. As a coach maybe that gives me an opportunity to do some scouting, but I want the players focused on what we can control which is the next five Saturday afternoons.”
