By Tomasz Ng (@tomaszng07)

North Geelong Warriors went home a happy side after defeating FC Bendigo 2-0 at Truscott Reserve on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors made the hosts pay for a couple of defensive lapses, firstly through Mark Paleka, then Juso Julardzija after the break, to secure three valuable points on the day.

It was a physical contest throughout, and there could well have been more than the five yellow cards in total, as scuffles broke out at various points in the game.

Bendigo started strongly, pushing its more-fancied opponents back and even managing a couple of attempts on goal, but they were hit by a sucker punch in the 15th minute. 

Julardzija played a corner short towards Vito Cichello, who then dinked the ball over the Bendigo defence to find Paleka unmarked at the back post, and the midfielder buried his header into the back of the net.

The Warriors had other chances to extend their lead before the break, but Nikola Jurkovic and Julardzija couldn’t steer their efforts into the goal.

Things got better for them almost straight after halftime, when Julardzija pounced on Bendigo ‘keeper Christopher Xerri’s hesitation to clear a ball, and slotted the ball past him into an open net.

Xerri recovered from his error quickly, after being forced into acrobatic save off a shot by Cichello, then a shot from Julardzija soon after that goal. 

The Bendigo custodian was in the thick of the action for much of the half too, having to deny Robert Zadworny and Julardzija as well in later attempts. 

Unfortunately for the hosts, they couldn’t compose themselves amidst a physical battle, and were frustrated in their attempts to go forward.

The closest Bendigo came to scoring was a free kick by player-coach Steve Martin, whose goal-bound free kick was brilliantly tipped wide by Daniel Zilic.

Martin lamented his side switching off for the goals, while admitted there are lessons to be learned from the game.

“It was basically just a couple of lapses in concentration in regards to a free kick, and basically a short corner,” Martin said.

“We didn’t really break them down, we kept the game in front of us but we just tried to force it too much at times instead of trying to just keep possession and wait for the right opportunity.

“Today was probably one of those games where we were just one per cent off the ball.

“It was a good learning curve for the young boys coming through from Bendigo and stepping up to this level.

“We embrace it, and that’s something we’ve go to be working on week in, week out.”

Meanwhile, North Geelong coach Micky Colina was happy to get another win under his side’s belt, but doesn’t want to talk about promotion just yet.

“It was a tough encounter, there was a physical component to the game too which I’m glad the boys stood up to that and kept their composure,” Colina said.

“The journey continues. It’s a great result, it’s nice to go home with three points in the pocket there’s no doubt about that but I’m rapt for the boys.

“[The word “promotion”] has definitely come up, not so much in the change room, we’ve tried to keep that at bay, but around the club. Its human nature people start thinking that.

“I’ll try my hardest to keep that at bay and just focus on what we do as a team, to keep the football a priority on our list, work rate and the discipline, and where it gets you at the end of the season we’ll respond according.

“Right now it’s great to be unbeaten eight or nine weeks, whatever its been, but promotion, we’ll deal with it when we have to deal with it.” 

MATCH DETAILS: 

FC Bendigo 0 defeated by North Geelong Warriors 2 (Paleka 15’, Julardzija 48’) at Truscott Reserve. [HT: 1-0] 

FC Bendigo: 22. Christopher XERRI, 2. Ben SHAPERS, 5. Josh ROMEIN, 7. Trent WATERSON, 8. Viktor RODRIGUEZ (3. Aaron COHEN 65’), 14. Ryan DAVIDSON, 16. Steve MARTIN, 18. Daniel PURDY, 17. Jonathan RYAN (15. Zack KINSMAN 80’), 6. Alon BLUMGART, 9. George SLEFENDORFAS

Unused subs: 1. Gilardi STARES, 11. Josh DWYER, 13. Finn HUZZEY

Yellow cards: Rodriguez 21’, Davidson 80’

North Geelong Warriors: 1. Daniel ZILIC, 2. Daniel LEWIS, 3. Matthew TOWNLEY, 99. Nathan LONG, 6. Stipe TRBUHOVICH, 8. Vito CICHELLO, 7. Reardo LUKA, 14. Mark. PALEKA (23. Michael BOYAR 90’), 4. Nikola JURKOVIC (9. Michael ANDERSON 63’), 10. Robert ZADWORNY, 77. Juso JULARDZIJA

Unused subs: 21. Jackson DAVIS, 31. Hamish FLANELL, 35. Michael RADOJEVIC

Yellow Cards: Long 21’, Paleka 78’, Lewis 80’