YARRAVILLE Glory moved into the fourth round of the FFV State Knockout Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Middle Park on the artificial surface at the State Football Centre in Darebin on Saturday.
Glory coach Charlie Egan was delighted with the performance of his side but was not exactly doing cartwheels over the victory.
Egan fears his team might have been handed a poisoned chalice and questions the benefits of being exposed to the extra workload once the regular season begins on Saturday.
Asked if he was happy to move deeper in the knockout competition, he told the Weekly: “Yes and no. It’s a good tournament heading into the season. During the season it can be a bit of a headache.”
What he learnt on Saturday is that his side is tremendously gutsy.
The Glory’s depth was tested, with a pair of raw teenagers filling key positions in defence.
The game was not without its share of drama.
The Glory was down to 10 men for the last 20 minutes after goalkeeper Mark Wilson was ordered off for a second yellow card.
The lone goal came midway through the first half as young defender Chris Christakakis headed in at the near post from a corner kick for his first senior goal.
The Glory will make the trek to Stead Park Reserve on Friday night for a clash against demoted Geelong in the men’s state league 3 north-west opener.
Meanwhile, Altona North was eliminated after a 6-0 loss to Hoppers Crossing.
