Suns under pressure

Matthew Galea

July 5 2014

Shepparton News

After last week’s 3-0 loss to second-bottom Ballarat Red Devils, Goulburn Valley Suns will have to put in a much-improved performance at Heidelberg United tomorrow night.

The Suns are holding up the National Premier League’s Victoria table at the moment and look more certain for relegation with every passing week.

The Warriors smashed the Suns 6-2 in their round three clash at McEwen Reserve.

Peter Zois was not in charge of the senior side when that loss occurred, but said it was a result that would not boost confidence heading into the game.

‘‘A result like that is always in the back of the mind the next time you play a team, but we’ve got new players, so maybe we can change the result,’’ Zois said.

‘‘Zach Foxhoven has his clearance and is available for selection this week, and we’ve promoted Riley Hamilton and Matt Gleeson to the side, which is good for the local region.

‘‘We’ve got eight guys originally from Shepparton in the senior squad now, so hopefully there will be game time for them as the season progresses.’’

Hamilton and Gleeson have been called up as a result of the departures of inaugural captain Nick Kalafatis — who has returned to Shepparton United — and Rudi Saglam.

Kalafatis’ departure opens a position in the starting XI, though Zois was not sure who would replace him.

Rossi Lagana and Canberra recruit Antonio Barbaro offer like-for-like replacements, while Naum Sekulovski could also move across to centre-back from left-back.

Zois said Foxhoven’s inclusion opened up possibilities up front, with the striker offering a different option to Craig Carley.

However, the first priority was remaining tight at the back.

Former Shepparton star Daniel Heffernan is unavailable for the Warriors after being sent off last week in a 1-1 draw against Oakleigh Cannons.

Heffernan scored 13 goals in 16 games for the Warriors, including one against the Suns in round two.

Zois said Heidelberg had not got to third on the table by relying on one player and his team would have to be wary of Kaine Sheppard — who scored twice against the Suns — and Andrew Cartanos, who has a knack for finding space between the opposition’s midfield and defensive lines.

‘‘It poses some tough questions for us, so we know we will need our A-plus game to get a result,’’ Zois said.

‘‘The added players at training have seen the training improve, though, so hopefully I’m a happy man after the game.’’