GREEN Gully Cavaliers were met with dogged resistance from bottom-of-the-ladder Moreland Zebras but still managed to claim a hard-fought 2-1 win in the Victorian Premier League at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday.
The Cavaliers went into half-time a goal in arrears despite holding the upper hand in the possession category as they struggled to penetrate a rigid Zebras defensive unit.
The weight of possession favouring the home side eventually told 10 minutes in the second half when Jason Hayne stepped up to equalise from the penalty spot after his fellow Kiwi Brent Fisher was tugged on the shirt in the penalty box on a marauding run.
The game, from this point on, was played almost exclusively in the Cavs’ attacking third as the midfield pairing of Osagie Ederero and Scott Robson dictated the terms of the game.
The Cavs found a winner in the 84th minute from persistent striker Mathew Sanders.
“We knew Moreland would come at us and they did that in the first half,” Cavs general manager Raymond Mamo said.
“They were very strong defensively and we did have a hard time trying to get shots on goal.
“In the second half, they had difficulty getting the ball out of their back third. They ran out of legs and we ran over the top of them.”
The title-holding Cavs were desperate to obtain maximum points in what has been a stop-start opening to the season.
They improved their record to nine points from five games to get among the top teams.
The Cavs will meet Richmond on Friday night at Kevin Bartlett Reserve in a game that shapes as a blockbuster.
Meanwhile, the struggles continued for the third-last Melbourne Knights in a 1-0 loss to Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Friday night.
The Knights and Heidelberg United meet in a crucial game at Knights Stadium on Sunday.
