Doveton set to move up to divison three

By Gavin Staindl
EXCLUDING an improbable turn of events, Doveton will be promoted to Division Three next year after beating Old Camberwell Grammar 3-1 at Waratah Reserve.
Unless it loses its last two games and Warragul wins its remaining four, Doveton will return to Division Three after two years in Provisional One. “The boys were really excited on Saturday because they thought they had clinched it (the promotion) but then we worked out Warragul still had four games to play,” Doveton president Daniel McMinimee said.
The win over Old Camberwell is Doveton’s ninth win in 10 games and was set up early by Doveton’s prime striker Leon Buhic who scored in the opening 10 minutes.
Marc Davidson converted a penalty in the last half to give the home team a 2-0 lead, but against the run of play Old Camberwell found an opening that Peter Margin capitalised on.
After Old Camberwell went down to 10 men when one of the players was red-carded young Doveton striker Ruzaini Roslan put the game beyond reach with his team’s third goal.
Despite the improbability of Doveton being replaced in the top two, coach Tony Saunders and his players are remaining focussed. “They’ll be hard at it on the training track all week and they will be focussed,” McMinimee said.
Doveton’s position is a welcomed change from the past two years where it was relegated from Division Three in 2008 and only avoided relegation again last year by beating Ashburton in the final game of the season.
The start to season 2010 fared little better and McMinimee was quoted after the scoreless draw to Old Camberwell in June saying that his team was on “tenterhooks” and related the current side with the side that was relegated in 2008.
But after a rich run of form, McMinimee could not be happier. “We’ve been playing really well. We’ve got a full squad and even the seniors who were out are struggling to get back into the ones,” he said. If Doveton does secure the promotion it is after, it will meet the likes of rivals Frankston Pines and Berwick City in Division Three.
“It is going to be a fantastic league with plenty of local derbies. We’ve been playing against school teams in Provisional One who don’t get many supporters to games but we’ll be up against teams with a great following in Division Three,” he said.
Berwick City meanwhile was beaten 2-1 to Doncaster at Anderson Park in their second last game in Division Two.
The Casey Comets also struggled away from home, losing 3-0 to Morwell at Ronald Reserve.
The Endeavour United v Lyndale and Berwick Kings v Old Brighton Grammarians matches in Provisional Two were both postponed.