By Tara Murray
Gisborne is hoping to come home strongly in the FV state league 5 west season.
It’s been a tough start for the Sky Blues with a number of injuries and unavailability in the first part of the season.
The side sits in the middle of the table.
Sky Blues coach Carlos Grande said it had been a tough start for them.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries and a few players on injuries,” he said. “It hasn’t been a great start, but it is what we’ve been dealing with.
“It’s a brand new team and it’s similar to last year when we had a rough start. Once we start to gel we will be a bit better, our results will come.”
Grande said a number of younger players were again getting their opportunities in both the senior and reserves sides.
He said there had been a breakthrough in their vision of promoting the juniors and the under-17s and under-18s were now with the reserves squad.
“We’re trying to be a pathway club and keep the youth at the club,” he said. “It’s a huge step incorporating them in the program.
“It’s not only the aim of the club by Football Australia.”
Grande said before the weekend’s match they were hoping to get a bit more consistency within the side.
He said they were starting to see that the side was gelling.
“Hopefully we can be injury free and we can get the boys to adapt to each other,” he said.
“We will be OK. This week and next week, we should get most of them back.
“We’ll see how we go. We’ve got two wins in a row. They have been tough wins and credit to the boys for holding.”
Grande said defence had been their focus in recent weeks and they finally got a clean sheet after not having one.
The Sky Blues weren’t able to keep the momentum going on Saturday as they lost to top side Newport Storm, 4-0.
The Storm led 1-0 before coming home strongly with three second half goals.
Meanwhile in state league 3 north-west, Sunbury United had a 3-1 loss to Epping City.
Scores were locked at 1-1 at half time before Epping City scored in the 60th and 86th minutes to seal the win.
Sunbury sits in fifth spot after eight rounds.
In women’s state league 4, Sunbury United beat ETA Buffalo Club of Victoria, 6-0.
