Men’s Geelong Holiday Inn & Suites Match Preview: Royals Look To Snap Streak in Derby Week
There’s no sugar-coating it: the Royals men have hit a rough patch.
Just a month ago, Essendon were flying high atop the VPL2 table. Now, after a run of injuries and four successive defeats, Mick Ferrante’s side have dropped to fifth, nine points off the pace-setters North Geelong. How quickly things can change.
In their last outing, the Royals suffered a dispiriting 3-0 defeat at home to Springvale White Eagles. The visitors scored two quickfire goals at the tail end of the first half, with some tidy interplay on the edge of the box playing in Goran Zoric for the opener, before Josh Millar powered home a header from a corner off the underside of the crossbar.
Essendon rallied after the break, striking the post from point-blank range through Marcus Kotronis, while Graham Kelly went close from an acute angle. But a penalty conceded from a Springvale breakaway gave Daniel Bennett the chance to wrap up the win, and the veteran duly obliged from 12 yards.
The road ahead for the Royals doesn’t get any easier: an Italian Derby away to Brunswick Juventus at CB Smith Reserve.
Promotion favourites Juve are in second spot, a point off the Warriors with a game in hand. Brunswick is undefeated in their last six, but have failed to string together consecutive wins since April. Their road form has been nearly immaculate, with seven wins and two draws from nine games away from home, but they have dropped a surprising 12 points on their own deck.
Juventus nabbed a slender 1-0 win away to Essendon at JH Allan Reserve in their first meeting this season, with Lachlan Smith’s 2nd-minute goal the difference. Smith has six goals to his name this season, with Greg Siamoa on seven and Lewis Gilboy on eight, including six in his last seven appearances.
Essendon’s first priority will be tightening up a defence that, shorn of the services of Brad Norton and Phil Riccobene, has shipped 12 goals in the last four weeks.
Priority #2 will be getting their star attackers back in form. Despite their best efforts, leading scorer Kelly is without a goal in nine games, while Jordan Adeyemi has scored once in his last five.
While the Royals might be underdogs on Friday, the formbook often goes out the window in a local derby. Now more than ever this season, the club needs your support. Get down to CB Smith Reserve and make some noise as our senior men attempt to spring an upset on the road!
🆚 Brunswick Juventus FC v Essendon Royals SC
📍 CB Smith Reserve
📅 Friday, 27th June
⏰ Senior Men at 8:30 PM, U23s at 6:15 PM