Tara Murray
Gisborne’s young squad is starting to see the hard work come together in the FV state league 5 west season.
Having dropped down to state league 4 west this season after one win last year, the Sky Blues managed to get their first win on the board in round three.
Coach Carlos Grande said there was a lot of excitement for everyone at the club to get on the winners list.
“It was amazing for everyone,” he said. “Especially away from home and things not going our way.
“We had to fight hard until the final whistle. It was so good to see the boys fighting really hard to achieve this.”
Grande took over as coach this season having moved into the area last year.
After getting involved in the club during last season, he said was keen to take the coaching opportunity with both hands when it was offered to him.
“We’re trying to change the culture of the club,” he said. “We’re staying together as a team for dinners after training and things like that.
“I’m really happy about that. We have a new team in the seniors and reserves compared to what we’ve had the past two or three seasons.”
The Sky Blues have gone with giving some of the younger players in the club an opportunity.
Grande said from week to week they have four or five players either under 20 or just older in their side along with some experienced players.
The Sky Blues faced Ballarat on Saturday in round four.
Grande said before the match that having been about the state league 5 competition, he knows never to write a side like Ballarat off.
For the Sky Blues, they made it two wins in a row, winning 3-0.
It gives the side more wins than they had for the whole of last season.
Grande said for his group they are keen to just take it week by week and see where it takes them.
He is also calling for the local community to get down and support the side and the club as a whole.
“We’ll take it game by game and work hard and the results will show,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll get multiple wins from this week and keep the winning streak going.”
Meanwhile in state league 3 north-west, Sunbury United had a 1-1 draw with Williamstown.
It’s Sunbury’s second point of the season after two massive losses in the previous two rounds.
