It was a streaky FC Williamstown performance but the home side still came away with a commanding 4-0 win over lower league Cleeland United in the FFA Cup second round at JT Gray Reserve on Saturday.
Blues coach Slobode Stojcevski described a tale of two halves for his side, the first of which was riddled with errors and indecision, the next was filled with highlight plays and better team cohesion.
“I wasn’t really happy with the first half,” he told Star Weekly. “In the second half, the team played really well, put some good periods of possession together and created goal scoring opportunities almost at will.”
It needs to be put into perspective what FC Williamstown achieved in a short space of time.
A largely rebuilt Blues team was playing a competitive match for the first time together and, while the first 45 minutes were nothing to be overly enthused about, the final 45 provided a little teaser of what this side could be capable of producing this season.
“It just didn’t have that crispness about it in terms of our passing in the first half,” Stojcevski said. “We turned the ball over too easily, our movement off the ball was not co-ordinated because players were still trying to work out with each other who moves how and a common understanding is really important in terms of getting your flow-on football.
“The second half we strung it together a lot more, the quality of the passing increased and once you start stringing a few passes together, the confidence grows as well.
“For me, it’s important to see that development, from one half to the other or one game to another, in terms of how we play as a unit.”
FC Williamstown’s goals were a combination of the sublime to the ridiculous.
The Blues led at half time thanks to a 30-yard stunner from captain Aleks Dimitrijevic.
“It was an absolute blinder of a goal,” Stojcevski said. “He hit it nicely on the volley.”
In the second half, Gorgi Niceski finished off a fine team goal, where Williamstown built up the play from the back.
“We worked the ball almost from the backline all the way to the forward line with about 15 or 16 passes,” Stojcevski said.
“From a coaching perspective, they’re the ones you want to see, but from a spectator perspective, we scored a couple of spectacular goals as well, so it was good.”
FC Williamstown had another highlight reel goal in them, this time from Piotr Rutkowski.
Rutkowski struck a rare overhead shot sweetly, nestling the ball into the back of the net.
“He is one of our more experienced and elder statesman in the team, so that was pleasing to the eye for the spectators,’ Stojcevski said.
Daniel Di Lorenzo rounded out the Blues scoring from the penalty spot.
In other results, Altona City had a 1-0 win over Lalor United under lights at Kim Reserve on Saturday night after a first half goal to Marcus Slimane, Maribyrnong Greens copped two early goals and never recovered in a 3-1 loss to Boroondara-Carey, while Melbourne City needed extra time to beat Epping City 3-2 in a thriller.
