North Caulfield secures spot for 2010

NORTH Caulfield Maccabi has virtually secured its place in Victorian State League 3 after another resounding victory against bottom side Boroondara Eagles.

The 3-0 win catapulted the side to equal seventh on the table, all but securing the side’s spot in State League 3 for next season. Player/coach Andrew Freund and Dion Esterman were brilliant for North Caulfield, which rocketed to victory after a dominant second half that produced goals from Justin Scrobogna and Esterman.

Joshua Braver completed the rout midway through the second half. Itwas a physical affair in the opening stages and North Caulfield was pressing early, with near misses to Christian Smak — in the side for suspended Jarryd Briscoe — Jason Tasker and Andrew Freund, whose brilliant free kick went agonisingly close.

Esterman was causing problems for Boroondara with his runs down the right wing, and it was one such run that set up the side’s first goal. Esterman was awarded a free kick, which Freund delivered perfectly into the box and on to the head of Scrobogna, who nodded home past the Boroondara keeper.

With only minutes remaining in the first half, Freund gathered the ball wide on the left and sent it deep into the box following a counter attack. The ball spilled to Scrobogna in the box who had his shot blocked, before
Esterman collected the crumbs and scored from seven yards to give North Caulfield a 2-0 lead at the break.

Early in the second half, Josh Braver scored goal-of-the-day by winning the ball forward and spinning around before finishing his handy work and showing his instinctive awareness of where the goals were.

The ball was thrust perfectly into the bottom right hand corner to send Maccabi to a 3-0 lead in the match. Soon afterwards, the rain came bucketing down, making it easier for North Caulfield to protect its lead. Freund acknowledged that it was “an ugly second half, but a great lockdown and clean sheet was achieved”.

The side will take confidence into its clash with fourth-placed Nunawading City on the weekend, after the teams fought out a 0-0 draw earlier in the season. The Reserves got off to a poor start, conceding two early goals to bottom side Boroondara, before bouncing back in emphatic fashion to record a spectacular 7-2 rout.

Down 2-3 at the half-time break, North Caulfield scored a remarkable five unanswered goals to complete an astonishing rout. Graham Evans bagged a brace, while Alex Godler, Gilad Ritz, Farrel Braver and Nat Vardi each scored singles. Young captain Jonathan Braver was North Caulfield’s best, along with his brother Daniel.