Melton Phoenix focuses on promotion

Tara Murray

Melton Phoenix is ​​hoping for a good outcome as it focuses primarily on promotion to the FV State League 4 West.

The Phoenix are in third place with six rounds remaining, only behind second-placed Keilor Wolves on goal difference.

The top team is automatically promoted, with Surf Coast almost certain of doing so, while second place goes via a play-off.

Coach Darren Traynor said promotion was their target for the remainder of the season.

“We’ve still got Keilor Wolves, (fifth-placed) Balmoral and the Surf Coast to play,” he said. “We’ve got to keep winning games with how tight it is

“Surf Coast has had a great season, we should have beaten them last time and now we get to play them again.

“If we can win in the coming weeks we will be in a good position for the final round.”

On Saturday, Phoenix played West Point.

Traynor said the conditions were terrible to play in.

“A 2-0 win, we always take that,” he said. “West Point got promoted with us last year and you don’t know what to expect.

“It was a solid performance and a good win that was really important.”

Traynor said they put in a strong performance and controlled the match from start to finish.

He said they carried out all the attacks.

“They were waiting for us hoping they could get us on the counter,” he said. “We deserved to get that win, it could have been three or four goals.

“They didn’t create much and it was a good performance from the boys, especially as we were missing two of our starters.”

Traynor said they had a lot of depth this season and the decision to build a bigger squad had really paid off, despite a few players leaving to get more playing time.

The Phoenix play Barnstoneworth United on Saturday.

Traynor said they are fully focused on that match.

“It’s one week at a time,” he said. “We’ve got to roll up our sleeves and hopefully get the result.”

In other matches in the State League 4 West, Westside Strikers won 2-1 against Melbourne City.

David Torres Suarez and Fabio Albuquerque were the goalscorers for the Strikers.

The Strikers are in seventh place.

In this small match they play against Truganina Hornets.

In the state league 5 west. The match Spring Hills against Maidstone United was postponed due to rain damage to the ground.