With just one win separating first through to fifth on the Football Federation of Victoria’s state league 1 north-west ladder, the championship race is wide open heading into the second half of the season.
Right in the thick of it is Altona East, one of the league’s form sides.
Prior to the Queen’s Birthday break, the Phoenix collected seven points from three games, including a vital 3-1 win over fellow title contender the Fawkner Blues.
Altona East coach Terry Antoniadis is rapt with the way his side attacked the first half of the season.
“It’s a nice position to be in,” he said. “I’d say we’re in the mix. This time last year, we were well and truly out of it. You could argue that the bye really came at the wrong time for us. We were building some good momentum.”
The hot streak propelled Altona East into fifth spot on the table after 10 rounds with a 4-4-2 record.
Altona will have the chance to break free of the top-end congestion in coming weeks with crunch games against second-placed Preston Lions and Western Suburbs (11th).
“We see every week as an opportunity to pick up points,” Antoniadis said.
“We don’t fear anybody, but we also know that if we are not on we can lose to anybody. The competition is that even.
“We see it as a good opportunity to distance ourselves but also to maintain pressure on the sides that are above us.”
After coming off a tough 2013 season in which it finished seventh, Altona has turned itself into one of the hardest teams in the division to score against.
The Phoenix has conceded 12 goals for the season, the least of any state league 1 side.
“We defend as a unit so all 11 players have a responsibility defensively,” Antoniadis said.
“People are working hard when we don’t have the ball to make sure we’re very difficult to play against.
“That was the message from the first day of preseason.
“For us to stay in games and to have the opportunity to compete we have to be organised and we have to work hard.”
Liam Twomey
