By James Briggs
ALTONA is sitting third on the Victorian Premier League ladder, after a 3-0 victory against South Melbourne at Paisley Park on Saturday.
Speed, agility and a never-say-die attitude were Altona’s weapons of choice, with spirited attacks from Melbourne unable to slow down the Magic momentum.
Magic coach Vlado Tortevski said that his squad had not only met, but exceeded, his high expectations.
“I knew that if we worked hard we could make the top six,” he said.
“But it looks like we can do better than that. There is no telling just how far we can go.”
Altona recovered from a poor start after a collision between Carl Recchia and Melbourne’s Rhodri Payne threatened their game plan. At 11 minutes Payne was chasing the ball from Recchia, when both got too close and took a fall.
Payne got up immediately but Recchia was down for a minute, as the medic tended to him.
The Magic fans breathed a sigh of relief when Recchia limped back into the match.
He was quick to mend as he ran on to an angled pass from Steve Laurie at 18 minutes, and smoothly sent the ball into the net from midfield to open the scoring.
South Melbourne assaulted Altona’s net four times in the first half, but found no way past goalkeeper Bojo Jevdjevic.
At 33 minutes the visitors had a real chance when Vaughan Coveny evaded Phillip Riccobene and entered the square. Jevdjevic dived at the incoming threat, sending the ball back into play.
Altona wasted no time doubling their lead in the second half, after Pece Siveski launched a curling shot into the net at 46 minutes.
Siveski added another goal to his tally at 70 minutes, after receiving a long pass from Tony Saric in the midfield.
With South Melbourne players surrounding him, Siveski fired a quick shot that goalkeeper Tomislav Tomich was helpless to stop.
Altona’s victory drops South Melbourne to fourth place on the ladder, with the Magic sitting behind Dandenong Thunder and Hume City.
Green Gully rounds out the top five.
Altona will face Oakleigh Cannons on Wednesday at Jack Edwards Reserve, after the round 19 match was cancelled, and then take on Melbourne Knights on Saturday in the final round of 2009.
