Sunday was the day for our Reserves team to test their pre-season form against a fellow Division 2 side, Swan United. One minutes silence was observed by both squads in respect and in memory of the passing of one of the Reserves player’s, Kevin Nguyen, father.
After a jittery start in very hot conditions, the team recovered well to finish the first half at 4:0. Balga SC Reserves Coach Adrian Caloiero was pleased with the result but was concerned about complacency setting in. “Swan United was an interesting game. We were 4-0 up at half time but as a coach I was still disappointed” said Caloiero. “After very good performances against top NPL teams over the last few weeks, there was some concerns regarding players being complacent. At training we worked hard on the type of game play we wanted to continue with but the players seemed a bit flat and alot of bad habits starting creeping back in. These are the things we have been trying to eliminate out of our game.”.
The second half proved to be a more subdued affair with both teams failing to assert their dominance. A number of good attacking chances were created but the team failed to capitalise on those. “The second half continued like the first. If chances that we created were taken it could have been double figures” said Caloiero. “We seemed to take the foot off the pedal.”
The squad included a number of 18s players in continuation of giving them the experience in stepping up to the senior ranks. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Caloiero. “On a positive note, we rotated players to different positions and continued with getting them the fitness that they need. We didn’t quite get out of first gear and still managed to get a good result” he said.
The next challange for the Reserves team is a match against Amateur Premier League powerhouse team North Perth United. North Perth have been a team to beat in the Amateur ranks for many years and Caloiero is expecting a tough match. “This weekend we tackle North Perth Utd senior team. They should offer us a good physical challenge that I’m sure the boys will be up for” said Caloiero.