Hanwood FC White has kicked off the GDFA season strongly after fighting their way to a narrow victory on Sunday against Yoogali FC one.
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With the final score a nail-biting 2-1, Hanwood FC White's Brian Bertolin said it had been a close 90 minutes despite a strong start from his team – coming down to a game-saving goal in the final moments of the match.
“It was a very tight game, there really wasn’t much to it,” he said on Sunday evening.
Hanwood scored early on in the match with a header from Daniel Andreazza taking them into the half-time break in the lead.
However, Yoogali FC equalised the score twenty minutes into the second half in spectacular style.
“It was a wonder goal from Jordan Serena,” Mr Bertolin said.
“He scored from between halfway and the box and it really was a great goal.”
With 10 minutes to go it was still anyone’s match until Hanwood’s Danny Johnson got his team across the line with a last minute goal pushing them ahead on the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounded.
“We were lucky to get that last goal,” Mr Bertolin said.
The match was the first of the season for both teams after the summer break with areas to work on obvious on each side.
“It is early in the season and we are a little bit rusty,” Mr Bertolin said.
Moving forward Mr Bertolin said the opening game had identified a number of areas his team would be looking to improve on, as was to be expected early on in the season.
“There are a lot of things we still want to work on,” he said.
“We have a long way to go yet.
“We just need to get our combinations working, in the last third they are a bit clunky.
“But our boys came out on top.”
With a number of new players coming into the mix, Bertolin said it would take time for the squad to find its feet and learn to work together as a team.
“We have a lot of new players to integrate into the squad and we will have to work a bit to do that,” he said.
“But at the end of the day we will take the three points.”
However, two of those new players went on to give standout performances in their inaugural first grade games.
“Thomas Treverrow, he is a 16-year-old, and he played his first first grade game today, as did Ryan McWhirter,” Bertolin said.
“They were both awesome – they handled it really well.” Hanwood FC White will face off against Griffith City FC next Sunday, while Yoogali FC will meet Hanwood FC Blue at the Coro Club Oval.
