Comets keep their cool

By Gavin Staindl
THE Casey Comets have passed their three-game “acid test” – but their coach believes the major assessment is still to come.
Ian Williamson said his Victorian Premier League side needed to secure points from at least two of the next three games if it wished to make the finals.
However, after beating South Melbourne 3-1 – its second win from the three-week block – Williamson is still not convinced.
“We’ll have to wait a couple more weeks before we can make any more bold predictions,” he said.
Casey was at its clinical best again on Sunday, but it was the newcomers who set the game alight.
Aimee Benton struggled to get a game at her former club, Box Hill, but since debuting for Casey last week, Benton has played a significant part in both matches. On Sunday, Benton kicked two goals and looked like a seasoned veteran while the two American imports finally got their chance to play after five weeks of clearance delays.
Jessica Curl found herself on the pitch in the opening 20 minutes when Aleisha Piper was substituted from the field with a dodgy knee.
Curl linked up well with Nicola Prins and also had a hand in setting up Benton for one of her two goals.
Sam Axtman made a token appearance in the 90th minute but Williamson said both would be vital for his team.
“They are really good acquisitions,” Williamson said. “They’re only going to get better and better.”
The Comets sit a point clear in first place and eight points ahead of fifth, but after winning two of the last three games against potential finalists, Casey’s fixture opens up.
With games against bottom-placed teams Altona, Doncaster and Bundoora over the next three weeks, the fixture looks bright for the Comets, but Williamson said his girls must not get ahead of themselves.
“Those teams don’t want to be relegated,” he said. “They want to stay in the Premier League, so while the rest of the season may seem set up for us, those types of teams won’t lie down.
“The girls have to keep their consistency and stay focussed.
“We’ll be rotating players over the next few weeks to ensure we have a full squad of 23 players come the end of the season.”