Altona Magic’s stranglehold on the derby showdown with Altona East Phoenix continued on Saturday with a second commanding win this season in Football Federation Victoria’s state league 1.
They beat their Paisley Park co-tenant by the same 3-1 scoreline that saw them claim the season opener.
For Magic coach Vlado Tortevski, the importance of the three points outweighed the bragging rights.
“I’m very happy with the points,” he told
Star Weekly. “This is the start of the second part of the season and the win is always welcome.
“It’s pretty good to be sitting in third place and we’re waiting for the opportunity if the first two clubs slip up.”
The Magic were lacklustre in the first half and had to settle for 1-1 at the break.
Tortevski asked for better effort and more control and the players responded.
“We had a very poor first 45 minutes,” he said. “We were losing the ball and we didn’t work 100 per cent.
“The second half was completely different. We managed to hold the ball and get the extra touch we needed in the midfield. We scored two and could’ve scored another two.”
Benjamin Vahid, Melvin Becket and Ali Turgut scored Magic’s goals but the game was won and lost in the midfield, where Scott Robson, Vahid and Turgut took full control.
Magic remains in the promotion hunt, four points behind leader North Sunshine Eagles and one behind Western Suburbs, who they meet at Ralph Reserve on Sunday.
“I think every game from now on is going to be really big,” Tortevski said.
