GRANT Mussel is a man for all occasions.
The veteran Keilor Park striker got his season off to a flyer with two goals and a best afield performance in a 5-0 wipe-out of Melton Phoenix in the FFV State Knockout Cup second round at Keilor Park Reserve on Saturday.
For Mussel, it was just a continuation of what he did at the end of last season to propel the Purple Army to promotion.
“He was definitely the focal point,” Parkers secretary Paul Portelli said.
“He caused a lot of headaches.”
The Parkers got the jump on the lower league Phoenix with two goals in 10 minutes.
Mussel got his first in an official game for the year with a towering header.
Reno Damianou doubled the Parkers’ lead on 10 minutes.
And, in the 40th minute, it was Mussel who struck again to take a 3-0 lead into the break.
“We were on top and playing well at half-time,” Portelli said.
“It was a different class of teams.
“They are five divisions below us.
“In the second half we were camped in their half.”
It took longer than expected for the Parkers to add to their lead.
Lorenzo Carbone ended the barren run with a goal in the 80th minute.
Soon after, super sub Josh Bruzzichessi scored with his first touch in first-team football.
“He was pretty rapt,” Portelli said.
“He was our top goalscorer in the reserves last season and got his chance and took it.”
The Parkers, who retained the bulk of their successful squad from last season, went into the game as favourites but not taking the Danny Gnjidic-coached Phoenix lightly, who entered the game on a high after upsetting state leaguers Williamstown in the cup a week earlier.
“We were a bit wary of them,” Portelli said.
“We didn’t take them lightly.
“We put out our best squad and their preseason has been really good.”
