By Jonty Ralphsmith
Casey’s men and women both suffered defeat on the weekend but there were positive takeaways for both outfits, weakened by unavailability.
The men went down 2-0 to ladder-leading Yarra missing key contributors David Noney and Josh Watson and threw the toughest punch Yarra has had to counter all season.
“We made it tough for them strategically, challenging them with the way we played,” coach Steve Noney said.
“We fiddled around with a few positional changes which worked fairly well.
“We were more aggressive on the ball and put them under more pressure earlier.
“There were quite a few opportunities we could have taken.”
The coach was also full of praise for goal keeper Matthew Hollway who saved a penalty stroke, seconds captain Rhylee Johnson who made the step up and teenagers Tadhg McCurran and Prince Bopanna Achandira.
Meanwhile, the women had a 1-0 to reigning premiers Yarra, defeated for the second consecutive week despite dominating general play.
Casey had eight short corners to Yarra’s five but was unable to convert – a worrying emerging trend for the Cannons.
Across the first three weeks of the season, Casey has generated 21 short corners but been able to convert only two of those.
Michaela Bullock was irrepressible at fullback in her return match, while 16-year-old Aleisha Foot’s consistency is helping her establish a permanent position in the Vic League 1 team.
The women’s seconds had a strong 2-1 win led by midfielder Rebecca Gregory, while the thirds had a 3-0 win, with youngsters Chantelle Calado and Cleo Guastella forming an excellent forward combination.
The men’s seconds and thirds both had wins in a sign of depth given the unavailability across the unit.
