A SIZZLING first half was the catalyst for Ballarat Red Devils’ emphatic 5-1 win on foreign soil.
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The McDonald’s Reds crushed National Premier Leagues Victoria 1 strugglers Nunawading City on Sunday afternoon, with four goals inside the opening 40 minutes sealing the result.
Shaun Romein converted two penalties – earned by Simon Murphy and Michael Trigger – and further goals to Murphy and Dom Swinton gave Ballarat a 4-0 lead at the break.
Liam Harding added a fifth on 75 minutes before the hosts then grabbed a late consolation goal – through David Antequerra – shortly before injury time. It mattered little, however, as Ballarat landed its seventh win of the campaign in convincing style.
Ballarat remains sixth on the NPLV1 west table.
Red Devils manager James Robinson was pleased with the result, which comes during a tough period on the road for his side.
Ballarat drew 1-1 with St Albans Saints away from home last round and now prepares for a trip to take on Moreland City next Saturday.
The team then returns home for a clash with Richmond on July 18, its first league game at Morshead Park since a 3-0 success against Whittlesea Ranges on June 20.
Robinson said his team could have realistically won by a bigger margin on Sunday.
“It could have been even more, to be honest,” Robinson said after the match.
“We had a whole host of chances, but at the end of the day when you look at it, you’ve gone away from home, won 5-1 and got three points so we achieved what we set out to do.
“Obviously the big thing for us is the result and the process of how we do it.”
Robinson said another positive from the weekend’s fixture was giving more game time to youngsters Miles Baker and Declan Picken, who were substituted on mid-way through the second half of the match.
An easy week on the training ground is planned for the Ballarat boys, which will be called in just twice before the clash with Moreland City.
Robinson said only hit-outs on Tuesday and Thursday would be used before Saturday’s fixture.
Ballarat has just four more home matches remaining before the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Sebastopol Vikings had a chance to freshen-up with the Football Federation Victoria state league four competition’s catch-up round over the weekend.
The Vikings’ next match is a home fixture against Melton Phoenix on Saturday.
Sebastopol sits sixth on the table after 14 games and heads into the encounter with Melton after a 0-0 draw with top side Maribyrnong Greens.
The Vikings’ women’s state league four side also had a break, as did the Ballarat Eureka Strikers, which play in women’s state league one.
Both return to the pitch on Sunday, with the Vikings hosting North Sunshine Eagles and the Eureka Strikers away to Yarra Jets.