By Lance Jenkinson
North Sunshine Eagles barely had to get out of first gear to claim a 3-0 win that consigned their opponents, Hoppers Crossing, to relegation in the Football Federation Victoria men’s state league 1 at Grange Reserve on Saturday.
But the three-goal victory was not enough to appease Eagles player-coach Ben Isai, who was seething after watching his team produce at a level that was nowhere near its potential.
The Eagles meandered through the second half, not hammering home their advantage-struggling opposition.
Sitting in third place, the Eagles missed a chance to pick up some much-needed goal difference on the top two.
“I’ll be completely honest – our second half was terrible,” Isai said.
“It was like an intra-club session where the motivation to play wasn’t there, which is weird because we need goal difference.
“With about 20 minutes to go, I turned to one of my assistants and said, ‘We might as well just leave’.
“It was a free for all – everyone was running everywhere, it was terrible.”
The early part of the first half was a slow burn for North Sunshine.
Once the visitors found their groove, they proved they were a cut above undermanned Hoppers Crossing.
The Eagles went into half-time 2-0 up and coasting.
Ajak Panek was influential with a goal and an assist, while Matko Budimir was rock solid in defence.
The mood in the Eagles’ changerooms was positive at half-time, despite wasted chances.
Such was North Sunshine’s dominance in the first half, most spectators at the Hogans Road ground expected it to double the margin or better at the end of the 90 minutes.
Instead, the Eagles came out with a lacklustre mindset.
If not for a fine save from goalkeeper Zaim Zeneli, the Eagles’ lead might have even been halved in the second half.
Zeneli kept that shot out, the Eagles got a third goal and stitched up all three points, but Isai was left wondering what might have been.
“After games, I generally don’t speak too much,” Isai said.
“Emotions sometimes get the better of me … being a young coach, I’ve been told by our technical director, when the game finishes, just walk off. But today I couldn’t.
“I congratulated them on the win, but I told them what I thought about the second half.
“I just let them know the second half wasn’t acceptable because that game should’ve been four or five nil.
“Everyone was just trying to score themselves or create a pass that wasn’t there. We were trying to thread passes through that even
EPL players probably couldn’t pass
through.”
North Sunshine is four points behind ladder leader Geelong and three points behind second-placed Preston Lions. The Eagles will get a chance to make up ground on the top two this Saturday against Banyule City because Geelong and Preston will be facing each other.
