By Chris Hearn (@_ChrisHearn)

Box Hill United finally hit the heights it has been threatening to for weeks, thrashing Whittlesea Ranges 7-1 at Epping Stadium on Friday night.

Kenjok Athiu, Rinor Muriqi and Josh Valadon grabbed a brace each, before striker Chris Irwin got in on the act.

Athiu fired the hosts ahead with 40 seconds on the clock as the entire Whittlesea rearguard was appealing for offside.

Muriqi's blistering free kick was then parried in off the palm of Ranges goalkeeper Ante Raspudic, before Athiu made it a trio of goals within nine minutes, heading home a Muriqi corner.

The home side were stunned, but settled thereafter as long-range strikes from Kliment Dimitrieski and Matthew Iuliano went close, but they were to no avail as the score remained 3-0 heading into the break.

Whittlesea held firm but ultimately lacked the penetration to put Box Hill under serious pressure thereafter, and the visitors capitalised on the increasing amount of space that became available. The five-minute blitz to come would effectively settle the contest.

Central defender Valadon escaped his marker and volleyed home Muriqi's corner, before Muriqi tapped home in similar fashion.

Valadon grabbed his second with 23 minutes to play after yet another poorly defended corner by Whittlesea.

In the final quarter of the game, Athiu missed two golden chances as he and Irwin enjoyed the freedom of the attacking half. The chances were created from crosses, but Raspudic superbly denied the striker on both occasions

The goalkeeper's frustration at a lack of protection saw him lunge two-footed into a challenge with Athiu, an offence worthy of a red card - but the referee opted for a verbal warning instead.
The chances continued as Muriqi was denied a hat-trick, his driven strike whistling inches past the post, before Irwin ran uncontested from the left wing and added a seventh with six minutes to play.

His sublime touch took him into the area and the striker guided his toe-poke past Raspudic to add insult to injury.

Whittlesea substitute Mile Ristov pulled one back for the hosts in injury time with a cool finish past Alexander Pavlidis in the Box Hill goal, but the damage was well and truly done by then.

Box Hill coach Arthur Georgiou spoke of there still being room for improvement for his side.

"I told the boys I'm not convinced. There were signs after we scored our third, that we were vulnerable," Georgiou said.

"We have indicators, and tonight our football lasted longer than it did last week and that was important."

Whittlesea coach Vinko Buljubasic lamented the indiscipline shown by his team.

"When I give instructions, some of them don't follow it and the game plan goes out of the window," Buljubasic said.

"I'm not gonna give up on them, but some of them, looking at it from tonight, don't want to be here.

"I've got confidence that this team, providing we follow the football structure within the club - we're going to be a success in the next two to three years."

MATCH DETAILS



Whittlesea Ranges 1 (Ristov 90+1') lost to Box Hill United 7 (Athiu 1’ 9', Muriqi 5' 67’, Valadon 62' 68', Irwin 83') at Epping Stadium [HT 0:3]

Whittlesea Ranges: 1. Anthony RASPUDIC (GK), 4. Mark VANGELI, 9. Kliment DIMITRIESKI (21. Johnny VOLKANOVSKI 65'), 10. Matthew IULIANO, 13. Adem MUSTEDANAGIC (7. Jarrod DEL MONACO 58'), 14. Daniel PELUSO, 17. Girolamo COSTANZA (16. Mile RISTOV 58'), 18. Nickolas SARBIN, 19. Damian SILJANOSKI, 23. Daniel SOTIROPOULOS, 24. Rami MUSTAFOSKI

Substitutes not used: 5. Ahmet TURER, 27. James RIZZARDO

Yellow card(s): None



Red card(s): None

Box Hill United: 2. Nicola SURDOSKI (20. Josh BUSCH 75'), 4. Chris IRWIN, 7. Damien PETERS, 10. Rinor MURIQI, 12. Adrian DEL MONACO (8. Sam CATHERINE 76'), 14. Kenjok ATHIU, 22. Nick KOKOLAKIS, 23. Josh VALADON, 26. Aaron PORCARO (3. Matt COLLIER 46'), 35. Alexander PAVLIDIS (GK)

Substitutes not used: 5. Alex SCHROEN, 21. Christian PAVLIDIS.

Yellow card(s): None



Red card(s): None