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After a shining start to the Redbacks’ debut season in VPL1, Pettys Reserve last Saturday was a tough pill to swallow. The Redbacks conceded inside six minutes, spent the rest of the day chasing a game they’d planned to control, and were two down before Marques Infelice to pull back a late consolation. Eltham were frustrated, but honest with themselves at full time. They hadn’t done enough to win it.
That defeat keeps the table as tight as drum. Eltham sit fourth on 20 points, level with FC Bulleen Lions in fifth and a single point clear of Manningham in sixth. Northcote City lead on twenty-six, with Melbourne Knights second on twenty-two and Brunswick Juventus third on twenty-one. The pack from third to sixth is covered by two points. Anything less than three points on Friday night would leave the ‘Backs holding their breath while the rest of the round plays out.
Port Melbourne arrive at Eltham North Reserve bottom of the division on eight points, fresh from a 2-0 defeat away to Melbourne Knights with just seven goals scored across eleven matches and a goal difference of minus thirteen. However, the Sharks have rallied in recent weeks from their nightmare start, upsetting Manningham and FC Melbourne Srbija, and snagging a creditable 0-0 draw with league leaders Northcote. Reading too much into the ladder is the easy mistake nobody at Eltham will be making.
This match will have a special significance for head coach Alan Mulcahy and his right-hand man Alan Kearney, who both represented Port Melbourne with distinction in their playing days. Both spent five seasons with the Sharks between 2015 and 2019, making over 150 top-flight appearances between them.
Around the grounds, the round throws up a fixture that may decide the top of the table. Brunswick Juventus host Northcote City the same night, with Melbourne Knights at Langwarrin on Saturday afternoon. A Redbacks win combined with anything other than three points for the chasing pack closes the gap on second and third in a single evening. The maths works for Eltham if Eltham do their job.
The Redbacks have always shown steely determination under Mulcahy and his team. Expect a fierce response under the Friday night lights.
Up the ‘Backs.