By Brad Hutchings

Werribee City’s two year top-flight status has come to end after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of North Geelong Warriors sealed their relegation to NPL 1.

It was a do-or-die afternoon at Galvin Park with the loser to join Dandenong Thunder in the NPL 1 for 2016 and the winner to survive another day by heading to the relegation/promotion play-off next month.

A three minute blitz in the second half sealed the deal for the Warriors with goals to Michael Grgic and Gareth Richards in the 55th and 58th minutes that condemned Werribee.

After looking like going down automatically for most of the season, North Geelong managed 10 points from their last five games of the season to remain in the hunt for a place in the top division next season.

It was a tough year for the Bees who only managed four wins for the season and lost manager Nino Ragusa midway through the campaign.

North Geelong started the brighter of the two sides, controlling much of the opening minutes of the game.

They wasted little time in sending a warning shot to the hosts with Nikola Jurkovic firing wide after a mad scramble in the box in just the third minute.

With top flight survival on the line the severity of the clash was not lost on the players as both sides went flying in with tackles in what was a fast tempo opening 45.

The Warriors controlled much of the football in first half with putting any real pressure on the Werribee goal.

The Bees managed to deal with North Geelong’s attacking threat with relative ease in what has a strong defensive showing.

Steve Cudrig was a rock in defence for the hosts with multiple strong tackles to repeal the Warriors going forward.

The best chance of the half fell to Vito Cichello just shy of the break with a shot from distance that went over the bar.

Whatever Micky Polenia said to his troops at half time worked a treat as the warriors came back onto the pitch raring to go and put the match beyond doubt just 10 minutes into the second half.

It all started when Grgic broke the deadlock much to the joy of the traveling North Geelong faithful when he tucked away a brilliant ball into the box.

Then just three minutes later Richards emphatically slammed the ball home from close range to put the result beyond doubt.

The double blow deflated Werribee who struggled to get back into the game while North prospered and looked likely to extend their lead.

They agonisingly close to doing so one two occasions when they tickled the woodwork as they stamped their authority on the match.

The travelling North Geelong support who made the short trip to Werribee all went off as one with the players and coaches once the whistle went to confirm their safety, all be it temporary.

The loss sees Werribee back in the second tier of Victorian football after two season with the big boys. North Geelong now eagerly await to find out who they will face in the playoff with a spot in the 2016 NPL Victoria on the line.

MATCH DETAILS:

Werribee City 0 defeated by North Geelong Warriors 2 (Grgic 55’, Richards 58’) at Galvin Park. [HT: 0-0]

Werribee City: 1. Frano Saric, 4. Simon Colosimo, 8. Kobbie Boahene (10. Chris Galea 62’), 11. Bobby Vidanoski (9. Evan Batsis 81’), 13. Milan Savic, 14. Julian Cassano, 19. Rob Naumoski, 20. Festim El Mazi, 23. Steven Cudrig, 30. Anil Muharemovic, 31. Urim El Mazi
Unused Subs. 18. Peter Paganis, 25. Jake Lever, 2. Djorbie Aleksic
Yellow cards: Boahene 50’, Muharemovic 39’
Red Cards: None

North Geelong Warriors: 1. Daniel Zilic, 19. Nicholas Juricic, 16. Michael Grgic, 3. Matt Townley, 2. Darren Lewis, 4. Nikola Jurkovic. 8. Vito Cichello (6. Josh Dugh 86’), 7. Reardo Luka (9. Rudi Saglam 78’), 11. Juso Julardzija, 22. Michael Anderson, 12. Gareth Richards (10. Yusuf Yusuf 78’)
Unused Subs: 5. Anthony Banovac, 31. Hamish Flavell
Yellow Cards: Juricic 8’, Jurkovic 82’
Red Cards: none