Essendon Mazda Coach’s Comment: Ferrante praises team concentration

Essendon Royals Senior Men’s Coach Mick Ferrante is in good spirits after his side’s 2-0 victory against Yarraville Glory FC.

The win saw the Royals increase their winning streak to four games, and they now sit in second place and four points off league leaders Caroline Springs George Cross FC.

Whilst Ferrante was not fully satisfied with the recent performance against Yarraville, he felt there were some definite positives to take out of the game.

“My first thoughts were that I was happy to get another clean sheet, which is fantastic, and the three points. That’s the focus going forward,” he said.

“It probably wasn’t one of our better performances, but in saying that, I thought we’d probably created enough chances to win two or three games as well.

“So, lots of positives came out of it, but most importantly, was solid defending.”

Ferrante has been delighted with his side’s improved concentration levels in recent games, as at times this season, that has been the difference between one point and three.

“I think since the Keilor Park game [2-2 draw] the boys have realised what they threw away in that game and I feel they have really put effort into making sure that doesn’t happen again for the remainder of the season,” he said.

Ferrante made it clear that his side cannot afford to slip up with the competition entering its final stages, every single game becomes more crucial.

Although FC Strathmore sits on the bottom of the table, Ferrante said the short trip to Strathnaver Reserve will be a very tough one due to the condition and size of the pitch, as well as the quality coach they have at their disposal.

With Strathmore fighting bravely against relegation, Ferrante said he expects another difficult contest.

“Every game is crucial now. In the run-in, we can’t afford any slip-ups nor can any teams around us so we’re not playing catch up, but we do want to stay on the front foot,” Ferrante said.

“It’s not going to be an easy place to go and get three points, small pitch, ground conditions and a quality coach. Things seem to be turning around there so it looks to be a challenging one in all aspects, so let’s hope the boys are prepared.”