Image: David Mullins Sports Photography
St Albans and North Geelong cemented their status as the top two teams of the West as Whittlesea’s promotion hopes crashed with an 8-1 capitulation at the hands of the Ballarat Red Devils.
Both the Saints and Warriors are the only sides that can get promoted now with one game remaining due to four points separating Whittlesea and Melbourne City from North Geelong.
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At Epping it was mostly the Pat Karras and Michael Trigger show as both combined for five of the side’s eight goals.
The rout started in the sixth minute when Dejan Mitrovic ghosted in to pounce on a loose pass at the back for 1-0.
It was two when Trigger played a great ball over the top to Karras, who lobbed the ball over the keeper’s head.
Karras had his second in the 17th minute after a pinpoint delivery from Charlie King to make it 3-0.
George Slefendorfas pulled one back to make it 1-3 and give his side a glimmer of hope.
However, all hopes were erased in a crazy passage of play just before half time.
Naum Sekulouvski was given a straight red card for a call of handball.
Michael Trigger slotted the penalty home and then keeper Abdulkerim Koc was sent off for an alleged headbutt.
The landslide continued as the nine-man Whittlesea had no answer for the Red Devils as Michael Trigger’s sweet strike made it 5-1 in the 65th minute.
Pat Karras completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute after rounding Luke Gallo to make it 7-1.
Yougnster Brandon Launton got in on the act to make it eight for his side.
Whittlesea ended the day on eight men with Slefendorfas picking up his second yellow before the final whistle.
While not many expected the Ranges to make a big splash this season, an admirable campaign just couldn’t be sustained to the final stages of the competition as St Albans and North Geelong now battle it in the top two.
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The Warriors made an emphatic statement with a 3-0 home win over the Moreland Zebras.
The nerves were settled in the 15th minute when Nick Jurcic’s shot was saved but fell straight to Matt Thorne, who tapped home the go-ahead goal.
The sealer didn’t come until the 82nd minute when Rudi Saglam scores to make it 2-0.
Vito Cichello added the cherry on top with a solo run that ended in an emphatic finish for his side’s third goal of the game.
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Two goals were enough for St Albans to see off Bendigo City on the road and make it an enjoyable trip back to Melbourne with the league lead consolidated.
The usual suspects again combined as Josh Knight’s delivery found Ryan McGuffie, who again rose above the pack to head home to take his season tally to an incredible double digits.
Michael Grgic then doubled the lead in the second half and that was enough for St Albans to seal the three points.
Whittlesea’s last action of the season could be to deny St Albans the title in the West as the sides meet in the last round, but North Geelong will also have a tough trip to Ballarat who are coming off their demolition job yesterday.
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In the remaining fixtures, Melbourne City defeated Moreland City, while Werribee City spoiled Sunshine George Cross’ final game at Chaplin Reserve.
Captain Gus Martin scored early to break the deadlock and that’s the way it stayed for the remainder of the contest.
Sunshine will now look forward to their future at their new home ground based in Plumpton.
At Campbell Reserve, a scoreless encounter in the first half sprung to life in the second.
A goal to City’s Leo Anastasiou broke the deadlock in the 67th minute.
Trent Rixon and Jordan Seeto then saw red for the hosts, while Jack Reynolds’s goal sandwiched between those reds squared the ledger at 1-1.
However, Connor Metcalfe’s late winner saw him on the scoresheet for the second consecutive week and saw Melbourne City see off the nine-man Moreland City.