Ballarat Red Devils secure 2-0 win
22 Jun, 2010 09:52 AM
GOALS from English imports Michael Leslie and Sam Winch

were the tonic for Ballarat Red Devils in Saturday’s crucial

victory over Geelong Rangers.

Leslie and Winch both found the net in the second half to

give the Haymes Red Devils their second win of 2010 — 2-0 — lifting them two places and out of the Football Federation Victoria state league two relegation zone.

The Red Devils’ clash with their traditional rivals at Trekardo Park carried even more significance than usual

with both teams looking set for a battle for survival.

The first half served mostly to show how tense both sets of players were with neither team able to produce any flowing football.

Ballarat almost got off to the perfect start when an attack in the first five minutes saw the ball crash into the post with the Geelong goalkeeper beaten.

Defences were on top for most of the half with only the

odd tense moment for the respective defences. At the

Ballarat end, goalkeeper Aaron Romein was well protected by the central defensive pairing of Leslie and Tristan Romein along with full-backs Charlie and David King.

Coach Dale Harris was not impressed with his charges’

inability to carry his strategy into the game and sent the

team out with their ears buzzing after the break. It was

immediately obvious that the Red Devils were determined to make a better fist of the second half and launched a series of attacks on the visitors’ goal.

Dom Swinton’s pace was terrorising the left full-back

and Winch was making his considerable presence felt at

the pointy end of the attack.

Josh Romein was his usual skilful, but physical self and

Leigh Sissons was producing a stream of accurate through balls.

It looked like only a matter of time before Ballarat found

the net.

On 60 minutes the breakthrough came.

The usually sophisticated Sam Muscat showed he can

also use brute force when called for when he smashed in

a low cross from the left. After the ball pinballed around the penalty area, Leslie got a vital toe on the ball to put the home side one up.

Harris made some attacking substitutions and leaving no

doubt he was going for the win, introducing the pace of

Simon Murphy for a tiring Paul McClounan — who had

worked his socks off for the home side — to further unsettle the Geelong defence.

Then 10 minutes from the end, Winch was rewarded for a

thoughtful but muscular performance when he left a defender in his wake before dinking the ball over the Geelong custodian to make the game safe for Ballarat.

A 2-0 win was just reward for a stirring second half performance from the Red Devils and sees them leapfrog Rangers.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/sport/football-soccer/ballarat-red-devils-secure-20-win/1864909.aspx