Surely, the only way for Altona East Phoenix is up.
The Phoenix already hit rock bottom in Saturday’s 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Sydenham Park.
An out-of-sorts Phoenix finished its Football Federation Victoria men’s state league 1 game at the Paisley Park Soccer Complex with just nine on the field, after red cards went to Josh Martignago and Matthew Napoli.
Phoenix president Jim Dimitriou insists his club’s rough form is only temporary.
“It’s a long season,” Dimitriou said. “We’ve been a bit disappointing, but our squad is still finding its feet.
“We’ve got quite a few new players, so hopefully, in the next two or three weeks, we can start hitting our straps.”
The fixture makers have certainly not been kind to Altona East. All three teams the Phoenix faced are in the top half of the table.
They picked up a point against Banyule City in the home opener in round one, but it has turned pear-shaped from there.
There was no contest in their second round game against champions Western Suburbs, coming home with a 3-0 defeat. The five-goal defeat by Sydenham Park only compounded the woes from the week before.
And there is no respite on the horizon either, with a difficult away game against Keilor Park on Saturday. The Phoenix have plans to address their needs in the transfer market before it’s too late.
“We’re still looking to strengthen our squad, at least another two players,” Dimitriou said.
“We want another good striker … and possibly a quality defender.”
There is unlikely to be any protest from the Phoenix over the red cards. Martignago was the last man and denied a scoring opportunity, while Napoli was given his marching orders for a crude tackle.
In better news, veteran Soner Kul played his first game of the season for the Phoenix and came out unscathed.
Yarraville Glory has moved up to fourth after a 3-2 win over Diamond Valley United at McIvor Reserve.
Altona Magic remains on top, with an unblemished record after a 1-0 road win over Banyule City at Yallambie Park Reserve.
In state league 2, Altona City enjoyed a 2-0 win over Heidelberg Stars, after goals to Craig Moss and Marcus Slimane.
In state league 3, FC Williamstown claimed its first win of the season, thrashing Geelong Rangers 3-0 with Gorgi Niceski, George Iliovski and Aleksandar Dimitrijevic scoring.
It was Dimitrijevic’s third goal in as many games.
A double to Branko Durand lifted Melbourne City to a 3-2 win over Upfield.
