Comets fail to fire

By Stuart Teather
THE Casey Comets’ recent hot streak came to an abrupt end on Saturday at the hands of Port Melbourne, going down 1-0 at Comets Stadium.
The Comets went into the clash on the back of consecutive wins for the first time this season, but were outclassed early on by Port and paid the price on the scoreboard.
Port’s Daniel Tsitos converted just before half-time to give his side the advantage, following what Comets coach Tony Saunders described as a ‘disappointing’ first half.
“We didn’t really get up to the game from the start,” he said.
“It was just a bit of complacency I think, they thought it was going to happen – the win, that is.”
The Comets rebounded after half-time and took control of the game, but playing into the wind the side could not find an equaliser.
Asked for his best players, Saunders pointed towards the defensive end.
“I thought Dean Schembri and Leigh Wilkinson and Danny Mota, when he came on off the bench, they were probably the best of the core bunch.”
But the coach could not hide his displeasure after the game.
“Just more disappointing to be honest, it was there for the taking,” he said.
Meanwhile the hunt for promotion to State League Two South East intensified on the weekend when State League Three South East ladder leader Berwick City drew with lowly Croydon City in their round-15 clash at Dorset Recreational Reserve.
Berwick City heads the ladder by one point over Southern Suburbs and Noble Park United, but would have been a game clear had it knocked off Croydon City.
Berwick City went ahead 1-0 early with James Ashby finding the back of the net, but the Arrows fought back after half-time, equalising to steal a point from the clash.
Berwick coach Joe Carrol said it was a game his side should have won.
“Everybody’s due a bad game once in a while and that’s the way I’ve got to look at it,” he said.
“When you play one of the bottom sides you expect to win, but we’re playing for promotion, they’re playing for their lives trying to keep in the league.
“Over the whole 90 minutes we probably played well for about 15.”
In Provisional League One South East action, Endeavour United picked up a crucial 2-1 win against Old Scotch.
United still occupies one of the two relegation spots in the league, but is within a point of moving out of the danger zone.
Meanwhile Doveton secured a point with a 1-1 result against Monbulk, courtesy of a Peter Psarros goal.