Casey’s rise lifts from last

By Stuart Teather
CASEY Comets have turned a corner and are a club on the rise.
That’s the word from coach Tony Saunders after the Comets recorded their best result to date – a 4-2 win against Kingston City at The Grange Reserve, on Saturday.
The result lifted Casey off the bottom of the State League Two South East ladder and gave it its first real sniff of avoiding relegation.
The goals came thick and fast early on, with the Comets shooting to a three-goal lead before half-time.
But, as the break approached, the momentum swung to Kingston City and the club found the back of the net twice, thanks to what Saunders described as ‘poor defending’. “They put us under a bit of pressure near the end of the first half and with poor defending and organising they scrambled a couple of goals,” he said.
But the Comets reorganised at half-time and it was a different game after the break and Casey grabbed an early goal to re-establish a two-goal lead, and never looked back.
From there they pretty much didn’t get a look-in. They had a couple of long-range shots, but other than that not much else.
Saunders said they had a few more chances that they spurned.
“Kris Paterson, who for me was man of the match, he could’ve got his hat-trick and fluffed it – he should’ve got it,” he said.
Saunders paid tribute to Paterson after the match.
“He was just very hard-working, he took his chances well. He did a lot of hard work for the team, on and off the ball,” he said.
Elsewhere, Endeavour Hills-based Dandenong City won a high-scoring affair with South Springvale 4-2 at Frank Holohan Reserve.
City at one stage held a 3-0 lead before the Souths pulled it back to 3-2, but a late penalty to the home side secured the result.
In State League Three South East, Berwick City slaughtered North Caulfield 4-0 at Jack Thomas Reserve, propelling the side to the top of a very congested ladder.
City, on 21 points, holds a one-point lead over second-placed Southern Suburbs, which is on equal points with Peninsula and Springvale City.
The local teams did not fare as well in Provisional League One South East, Endeavour United going down 3-0 to Old Melburnians and Doveton falling to Ashburton 4-3.