GIPPSLAND FC had a winning weekend at home in Trafalgar with three wins and a draw across the metropolitan south A grade divisions.
The under 13s shared the points with Glen Eira, the 14s won 1-0 over Mornington, the under 15s had a polished 4-1 win against Clarinda and the under 18s enjoyed an emphatic 10-2 victory over Endeavour SC.
THE youngest Gippsland FC team followed up a good midweek performance against NPL side Bentleigh with the struggling Glen Eira Eagles.
A reasonable start from GFC was upscaled by a fine Julian Colantuono finish in the side’s first effort on goal.
However, a goal to the visitors just before half-time made it all square at the break.
Gippsland appeared flat at the start of the second half and was punished when some slack defending allowed the opposition to take the lead.
This sparked the boys into action and they were rewarded when a good run from Colantuono finished with a cut back to Owen Zimora who finished well.
This set up a grandstand finish but the host could not eke out the win.
Defenders Kelsey Dal Pozzo, Ryan Massaro and Joe Stewart all had good games in the 2-2 draw.
A 1-0 triumph over Mornington was the bright spot for Gippsland FC’s under 14s on a cold and miserable day.
Gippsland had a good start and five minutes in Connor Dastey rattled the bar from long range.
Dastey was controlling the midfield, spreading the ball around the ground and hit the bar a second time from a superb free kick.
GFC’s approach was impressive but slowed down when the ball neared the box.
The first half ended goalless and an uneventful start to the second stanza was disrupted when Toby Mullins finished well from a fine Blake Whykes run and cross.
The home team could not convert good approach play but earned a solid 1-0 win.
Dastey, Mullins, Jesse Buhagiar, Caleb Semple, Manny Lual and Reuben O’Brien all had strong games.
AN early goal from a defensive error awoke Gippsland FC from a slow start against Clarinda.
The host started to put some good passages of play together and was rewarded when a strike from Isaac Boulton found the bottom corner of the net.
GFC was suddenly running the game and a Jesse Buhagiar shot was cleared off the line to keep the scores level at half-time.
Gippsland came out after half-time determined to carry its momentum over and good combination play down the right ended with a cross headed onto the bar by Shem Murphy, who followed up to knock in the rebound.
Clarinda swept down the other end and poor communication in the GFC defence was almost punished but the ‘keeper came to the rescue with a timely save.
A few minutes later the visitors hit the bar.
The host hit back through a cross by Adonya Victor which was headed home by Jesse Buhagiar.
Connor Dastey finished off a superb performance by carrying the ball from the halfway line, using strength and pace to waltz past the defence and coolly slot the ball home.
Victor, Dastey, Buhagiar, Callum Slade and Bryce Judd were Gippsland’s best in a 4-1 win.
The Gippsland FC under 18s bolstered goal differential in a 10-2 victory over an undermanned Endeavour.
It took just seven minutes for Lochie Phillips to open the scoring and he followed up with his second in the 24th.
Although Gippsland dominated most of the play it relaxed at times and 10-man Endeavour’s hard work off the ball was rewarded with a goal in the 26th minute.
That seemed to kick Gippsland back into gear with Riley Winkleman-Atkinson scoring a first half hat-trick and Nelson Tombra added his name to the score sheet.
Gippsland went in 6-1 up at half-time.
Five minutes into the second half Keegan Grealy grabbed a goal, however Endeavour struck back in the 61st minute when Gippsland failed to clear lines.
Phillips added another two to his tally and Calum Simpson chimed in for a goal to round out proceedings.
A successful day was soured by a late injury to Winkleman-Atkinson.
This weekend all Gippsland FC teams are away except the under 18s who face Berwick SC at Monash Reserve in Newborough.
The under 13s take on Peninsula Strikers at 11.20am, the under 14s face Sandringham SC at 12.30pm and the under 15s play Endeavour United SC at 1.45pm.
