Westgate Soccer Club farewelled one of its club legends last week by parting ways with head coach Joe De Bono.
The club decided a change was necessary following a disastrous start to the 2015 season.
De Bono left with Westgate anchored to the bottom of state league 1 north-west with just one win and one draw in eight matches.
Stuart McCluskey took over immediately and Westgate moved off the bottom with a 2-1 win against Keilor Park on Saturday. Raffael Origlia and Fatih Turer scored goals.
Club president Steve Kunesevic said the decision to part ways with De Bono was extremely tough.
“It’s something we did with a very heavy heart,” Kunesevic said.
“Joe has been a part of the club for a very long time and is a club record holder in terms of games played.
“It was an extremely tough decision that we, as a board, had to make.
“In fairness to Joe, the way he took it just shows the type of man he is.
“I can honestly say I have never come across a more genuine man when it comes to Westgate Football Club.
“But we are in a results-driven industry and, obviously, we are all under pressure.”
While Westgate has been focused on its coaching situation, the club is not being distracted from some of its other main goals for the 2015 season.
Kunesevic said a huge focus for his club was attracting junior players as they look to match it with some of the bigger clubs in the Brimbank area.
“We have had a really difficult time securing juniors to the club,” Kunesevic said.
“We’re in a tough area when it comes to juniors with so many clubs around us. We want to get the message out that we’re a really strong club and are looking to grow.”
