Relegation threat looms
NORTH Caulfield Maccabi’s slide down the State League 3 ladder has continued with another loss, this time to Waverley Wanderers.
NORTH Caulfield Maccabi’s slide down the State League 3 ladder has continued with another loss, this time to Waverley Wanderers.
The visitors led 2-1 early in the second half before conceding twice to go down 3-2.
Coming off an embarrassing 6-0 loss last week to Kingston City, the side is winless from its last month of football and has slipped back to 10th spot on the ladder, and back into relegation contention.
Keen to make amends for last week’s shocker, Maccabi came out firing, but, as is becoming all too common in season 2011, failed to maintain its intensity.
Despite dominating possession, it was Waverley which drew first blood, when a well-placed cross from a wide position found a poorly marked opposition player at the back post who headed into the top right corner.
North Caulfield quickly regrouped and a brilliant left foot cross-field switch by Ari Ritz found Leftheri Arhontogiorgis, who smoothly rounded the opposition player and found the back of the net to level proceedings.
The home side opened the second half strongly with a near miss through another well-delivered aerial ball, but when a Waverley player went down following a crunching Jason Tasker tackle, Maccabi took full toll of the numerical advantage. Ritz threaded a sublime ball through the Waverley defence for Laurence Miller, who drew two players before laying off to Josh Braver who rounded the last defender.
The strike was kept out by the keeper, but Braver pounced on the rebound to give North Caulfield a 2-1 advantage.
The lead was short-lived however, with Waverley responding almost immediately through a brilliant solo effort.
The opposition attacker beat three Maccabi players at the left post, before bamboozling keeper Brett Sacks and scoring to again get the match on level pegging.
Maccabi continued to press forward, and were unlucky not to regain the lead when Ritz appeared to be harshly dealt with in the box.
Waverley had more luck at the other end, a comedy of errors resulting in the visitors going a goal in arrears, with 15 minutes to play.
North Caulfield coach Andrew Freund rang the changes and his side fought hard in the final minutes but was unable to salvage a point in another disappointing defeat.
The Maccabi reserves also suffered defeat in a high-scoring match, going down 3-4 to Waverley.
North Caulfield Maccabi plays Doveton on Sunday at 3pm.
Caulfield Park (Melway: 59 C11).
MICHAEL BRAUDE
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