Western United 0-2 Eltham Redbacks. Round 5. Two goals in the opening 14 minutes and a controlled away performance to bank another three points on the road.
Marcus Day opened the scoring inside three minutes. The Redbacks started with intent and had the ball in the net before the hosts could settle into the match. 1-0 and the travelling supporters barely had time to find their spot.
Josh Millar doubled the lead in the 14th minute. Two goals from two different scorers in the opening quarter of the match, and Western United were already chasing the game at their own ground.
The scoreline could have been more emphatic. Eltham hit the crossbar three times across the 90 minutes and created enough to have had four or five on another day. The fact it stayed at two says more about bad luck than lack of quality.
Western United, who came into the round on three straight wins and sat just a point behind Eltham, never really found a way back into it. Their frustration showed with Liam O’Connell booked in the 43rd minute, and second-half changes couldn’t shift the momentum.
Eltham managed the game well after the break. Fletcher Caponecchia replaced Billy Romas in the 70th minute, and further changes late on kept things fresh. Josh Dennett picked up a yellow in the 85th, but by then the result was well secured.
Fourth on the ladder after five rounds. Ten points. Three wins, a draw, and just the one defeat. Northcote City lead the way on 15 points with a perfect five from five, while Manningham United Blues and Melbourne Knights sit on 12 points above Eltham. The Redbacks are right in the mix, five points clear of the bottom half.
Five rounds in and this squad has won away at Bulleen, won away at Tarneit, and remains unbeaten at The Web. For a promoted side, that is serious form.