FC Williamstown took the first tentative steps in its rebuilding process on Saturday night despite a 2-0 loss to Sandringham that eliminated the club from the FFA Cup.
The result of the JT Gray Reserve match should be taken with a grain of salt – after all, it was the first time in a competitive match that members of the newly constructed squad had played together.
They were underdogs against a well-established club that’s a league higher in the rankings.
Blues coach Nick Koutroumanis took encouragement from his side’s competitiveness over the full 90 minutes.
“It was always going to be a struggle against a team as well structured as Sandringham, who have played together for three years now and lost only three games last season.”
Williamstown’s team was made up of young up-and-comers and a host of recruits. More recruits are set to clear the injury list in the coming weeks.
“The talent is there. It’s a matter of getting them all out on the park at once,” Koutroumanis said.
Alex Dimitrijevic was the stand-out for Williamstown. The hard-working midfielder has returned to his old stomping ground after a stint with Fitzroy at a higher level, and he made an immediate impact.
“He controlled the tempo of the game for us and really was an influence as we went forward,” Koutroumanis said.
Goalkeeper Keil Zerner looks to be a handy acquisition for the Blues. He fell into their lap after moving to Melbourne for work and has made a strong first impression.
“We’re blessed to have someone with those sure hands,” Koutroumanis said. “He’s good in the air, very quick coming out, and he backs himself.”
Striker Marcus Slimane, who crossed from Altona Magic, was the other new recruit to impress in his Blues debut.
“I thought his work rate up front was exceptional,” Koutroumanis said. “He was pretty unlucky not to put the ball in the back of the net a couple of times.”
With Williamstown eliminated from the cup, its attention will turn to the March 21 season opener.
Koutroumanis made no secret of his desire to see the Blues rocket up the state league 3 north-west standings after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
Results and what’s ahead
FFA Cup
Round-2 results: Sandringham 2 Williamstown 0, Laverton Park 0 Eltham Redbacks 4, Doveton 1 Yarraville 3, Maribyrnong Greens 9 Parkmore 0, Altona City 7 Surf Coast 2, Melbourne City 1 Essendon United 3.
Round-3 fixtures (Saturday): Monbulk Rangers v Altona City, Altona Magic v Berwick City, Riversdale v Altona East Phoenix, Essendon Royals v Yarraville, Maribyrnong Greens v Truganina Hornets.
Hobsons Bay Cup
Week 1 results: Altona Magic 11 Williamstown 0, Altona North 5 Barnstoneworth 0, Melbourne City 3 Laverton Park 1, Altona East Phoenix 0 Altona City 0.
