Loss costs the Comets

By Gavin Staindl
THE CASEY Comets are once again rueing a poor start to the season after dropping their second game in four weeks.
Casey’s 2-1 loss to Diamond Valley at Partington Flats drops it to fourth and leaves it vulnerable to teams languishing in its tail.
Last season Casey won only one of its opening four matches, yet managed to finish equal second and coach Doug Chisholm believes if his team can string together a few wins his side could be up with the front-runners once again.
“The league this season is very evenly spread and there will be teams taking points off each other each week,” Chisholm said.
“If we can string a few together and get on a bit of a run it will mean all the teams are chasing us rather than us playing catch-up.”
In Saturday’s match Casey went down 2-0 before losing fullback Leigh Wilkinson to a red card.
But rather than condemning the referee, as many losing coaches tend to do, Chisholm not only agreed with the call but praised James Molloy post-match for his “outstanding” job in officiating.
“I haven’t seen much of him but the way he handled the game and spoke to the players was outstanding,” Chisholm said.
In Division Three, Berwick City dropped its third game in a row, losing 3-1 to Old Scotch at H.A. Smith Reserve.
Ever since taking the opening game against Doveton, Berwick spiralled to 1-3 with this Friday night’s clash against Croydon important for multiple reasons.
Not only are the points vital to get Berwick’s season back on track, but the local club will be hosting its first night game.
With a similar crowd to the Doveton game in round one expected to attend the spectacle, Berwick will once again be looking to put on a show on the scoreboard.
Doveton, meanwhile, are a game out of the promotion zone after defeating the Waverley Wanderers 3-1 at Waratah Park.
In Provisional Two, Keysborough had its first win since being promoted this year, beating Riversdale 4-1 at Frog Hollow Reserve.
Endeavour United had a 1-0 loss to Seaford, while the Casey Kings escaped with a 1-1 draw against Boroondara.