Tara Murray
Westside Strikers overcame some early nerves on Saturday to secure the FV state league 4 west title and promotion.
A win against Bell Park was all the Strikers needed to seal top spot with one round remaining.
With so much on the line, the Strikers took a while to get going, but settled once they found the back of the net.
The Strikers would then take control and run away with a 5-0 win.
Strikers president Sam Raniolo said this one was pretty special.
“I said to the guys last night, I was president at Brimbank Stallions for three premierships and now this is number two at Westside.
“This one is the most rewarding. We’re a young club that is eight years old. We’ve only had a senior side for five years and the last two seasons have been wiped out.
“We have worked so hard the last few years, we can now relax next week.”
Raniolo said it was good to know that they had their fate in their own hands and be able to secure the title with one round remaining.
He said the pressure was clear heading into the match though.
“They were nervous,” he said. “Even when the game started they were nervous. Once we scored the first goal they relaxed and could not wait for the 90 minutes to be over.
“Bell Park fought early, but once we got the second goal it was over and we started celebrating.”
Raniolo said state league 4 was the hardest division to get out of, with only one guaranteed team going up each year.
In past years there has been a play off for second spot to try and earn promotion, but not this year.
“State league 4 is the hardest to get out of and the last two years and not playing with COVID has made it harder,” he said.
“After the last two years we’ve all stuck together. It had to be this year, with a couple of players retiring.
“They had stuck around to win the championship and move into state league 3. At one point we were seven points behind Keilor [Wolves] and we didn’t get down and we reeled them in.”
Now after their second promotion in three completed seasons, the Strikers will be in state league 3 north-west next season.
Raniolo said they wanted to consolidate their position at that level.
“We want to continue to grow the junior base,” he said. “We have new facilities that should be completed in October or November.
“We’ve got a really good junior base and we want to make it stronger. Maybe in two years time we’ll have a good tilt at the state league 3 title.”
The Strikers finish the regular season on Saturday against Gisborne. Raniolo said they would just enjoy the match, before coming together to celebrate the season.
In state league 5, the battle for the title will go down to the final round.
Barwon leads Melton Phoenix on goal difference, with both teams having wins on the weekend.
