ALTONA has bounced back after a disappointing western derby performance with a comfortable 5-1 win over Southern United in the Hockey Victoria men’s premier league.
The A’s were embarrassed by the team from Moorabbin earlier in the year so were keen to atone.
They came out firing and put the game beyond doubt in the first half.
A 10-minute period in that term netted the A’s three goals to set up the victory.
Midfielders Steve Campbell, Harry Dolenc and Josh Horton were dominant, providing striker Jesse Gatt with plenty of opportunities.
Young Andrew Scanlon scored first, with a searing drag flick from a penalty corner.
Gatt scored a rebound goal from a penalty corner, before the team’s leading goalscorer, Chris Coleman, made it 3-0 with a low, fast flick into a bottom corner from another penalty corner.
Horton, a handful for the Southern defence with his pace and silky skills, scored an impressive goal to make it 4-0.
Gatt intercepted the ball in midfield, fired it into Horton, who rolled the ball on to his forestick, drew the keeper out of the net and calmly slotted it in.
Altona continued to dominate in the second half.
Veterans Mathew Higgins, in defence, and Tyson Priddle, at centre half, controlled the tempo of play.
Southern got one back halfway through the second period with an impressive deflection past A’s goalkeeper Aaron Anstis, who was coaxed out of retirement while regular goalkeeper Ben Oborne was overseas for work commitments.
Anstis was brilliant in the air and made several athletic, diving stick saves.
One goal against was the only blot on an otherwise perfect game from the veteran.
Pat Phillips scored the fifth for Altona with a lucky deflection off the goalkeeper.
“After last week’s disappointing effort, the boys were keen to atone and show the competition what they were capable of,” A’s coach Ben Guy said.
“It is important, with finals unachievable, that we finish the season with some purpose, and today was a step in the right direction.”
Altona plays bottom-of-the-ladder Mentone next Saturday away.
Footscray continued its good form from the local derby with an entertaining 4-3 win over Doncaster.
Andrew Monte’s goal blitz continued with a double, while Justin Ellis and Tynan Whight also scored.
The Bulldogs are three points outside the top four with three games to go.
In women’s premier league, Altona had six individual goalscorers – Jessica Brennan, Anisha Kidd, Chelsea Pugh, Phoebe Rothfield, Stephanie Sarantis and Danielle Schubach – in a 6-0 thrashing of Power House/St Kilda.
It was the A’s’ second win of the campaign.
Footscray had a narrow 2-1 loss to Doncaster to end its finals hopes.
