By Andrew Bishara (@_andrewbishara)

New coach Micky Čolina’s tenure at North Geelong Warriors got off to the perfect start with a 3-0 win over St Albans Saints at Churchill Reserve on Sunday afternoon.

After taking over from Ante Skoko midweek, Čolina saw his team secure the points thanks to Robert Zadworny’s strike and a double from Michael Anderson.

The game kicked off with a frantic pace thanks to Geelong’s Mark Palek seeing his tight-angle shot go wide past the post.

Juso Julardzija pushed hard for St Albans’, teeing up Martin Mason’s sprayed shot before having his own shot parried away by Warriors ‘keeper Daniel Zilic.

Mason then crossed in an inviting ball into the box for the hard running Ryan McGuffie, but the midfielder could only slice the shot over the bar.

It proved crucial as North Geelong took the lead minutes later.

Full-back Nathan Long’s cut-back to the unmarked Anderson saw the striker steady himself before smashing the ball right to Saints ‘keeper Stjepan Gal, who bundled it under his arms.

Less than a minute later, Julardzija could have leveled the scores when his wickedly deflected shot seemed destined for the net, only for Zilic to miraculously push the ball around the post.
 
The Warriors then doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime thanks to Zadworny.

Finding himself alone at the edge of the box after a cross-field pass, the winger calmly placed the ball right in the top corner, leaving Gal rooted to the spot.

St Albans came out firing in the second half and once again encountered a determined Zilic.

Julardzija’s lobbed deflection looked to have floated into the top corner, before Zilic’s dive pushed it away.

Mason then saw his 25-yard free kick smash off the bar, before both Sean McIlroy and Nicholas Cullen saw their shots saved by Zilic.

It then came to no surprise that North Geelong netted its third against the run of play.

Long was once again the provider, crossing in a lovely ball for Anderson to slide in and smash into the roof of the net.

While both sides had half-chances in the latter stages, the game fizzled out as the result headed the Warriors’ way.

Čolina was yet to let the feeling of his first win sink in.

“A win’s always great,” Čolina said.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I spent the whole week trying to get my head around the team.

“We tried to make a few little tweaks today, tidy up the defensive structure and I’m rapt for the lads.”

St Albans coach Toby Paterson was pleased with his team’s performance but rued the missed chances.

“I thought we actually played well,” Paterson said.

“We created a number of chances again and you look at the amount of shots their keeper saved, he’s actually pulled off five or six world-class saves.

“I can’t turn around and say the boys were poor. That’s not a true reflection of the game.

“But I think it’s the old cliché of football; you take your chances and you win games.”  

MATCH DETAILS

St Albans Saints 0 lost to North Geelong Warriors 3 (Michael Anderson 36’, 76’, Robert Zadworny 43’)

ST ALBANS SAINTS: 1. Stjepan GAL (GK), 14. Adam NAKIC, 4. Barry DEVLIN, 5. Felix ROSMAN, 14. Christopher ROSS (10. Brodie PATTERSON 53’), 13. Nicholas CULLEN, 15. Konrad DOBRASZIEWICZ, 2. Ryan MCGUFFIE, 11. Martin MASON (18. Teddros YABIO 72’), 7. Juso JULARDZIJA (30. Niceski GORGI 76’), 9. Sean MCILROY

Unused Subs: 21. Tonio BARESIC, 27. Chol NYOK

Yellow Cards: Nil.

Red Cards: Nil.

NORTH GEELONG WARRIORS: 1. Daniel ZILIC (GK), 99. Nathan LONG, 16. Michael GRGIC, 35. Matt TOWNLEY, 8. Vito CICHELLO, 23. Michael BOYAR (36. Nicola JURKOVIC 75’), 7. Reardo LUKA, 9. Michael ANDERSON, 14. Mark PALEKA, 10. Robert ZADWORNY (17. Nicholas JURCIC 75’), 52. Reha KURUL (19. Nicholas ANDERSON 85’)

Unused Subs: 22. Frano SARIC

Yellow Cards: BOYAR 18’, PALEKA 63’

Red Cards: Nil

Image credit: Roberto Filitti