ANDY VARGAS RUES BAD LUCK BUT PROUD OF EFFORT
Andy Vargas said his players set a new standard on Thursday night. Given the circumstances, down to ten men in the first half, four goals conceded, a scoreline that kept stretching through the second half, it might seem an unlikely moment to identify progress. But for a coach settling into his new role and trying to instil something in the group, the response he drew from his players when the odds were stacked is exactly the kind of baseline you build on.
Green Gully fell behind in circumstances that tested everything. A red card to Thomas Woerndl, which Vargas described as a contentious decision he did not want to dwell on too much, gave Preston Lions both a penalty and a numerical advantage they never relinquished. Lleyton Brooks stepped up and converted from the spot to open the scoring, and for the remainder of the first half the Cavaliers defended with ten men while trying to stay in the contest. Vargas acknowledged the early pressure; “credit to Preston, they came out firing with high intensity and putting us under pressure,” he said. But he also noted that after that initial period, Green Gully settled and competed. They found a foothold. Then lost it again before halftime when a defensive error at a set piece allowed Bozinovski to head home from a corner. Two goals down at the break, a man short for the second half, and for a side that has found this season difficult, the moment could have broken them.
It didn’t. Vargas sent his players out in a back three for the second half, a tactical adjustment designed to give the Cavaliers more shape and more competition across the pitch, and for long stretches the effort levels were exactly what their coach asked for. Jason Romero added a third for Preston from the penalty spot, finishing with precision into the bottom right corner after drawing a foul inside the area. Cian Cuba wrapped up the scoring late when he arrived at the back post to convert Gian Albano’s cut-back across the face of goal. The result was settled long before the final whistle, but the work rate in the Gully ranks told a different story to the scoreline.
“In terms of work rate and effort, the boys in the second half were unbelievable,” Vargas said. “Like amazing. I couldn’t question it. I’m really proud of them.”
For a coach stepping into a challenging situation and trying to build something at a club that has not had the season it wanted, those words carry genuine weight. Vargas is not looking past the difficulties or pretending a 4-0 defeat does not hurt. “It hurts to lose in that nature, in that manner,” he acknowledged. “But the endeavour to keep going, to not give up, the willingness to fight, the spirit that they showed makes me proud as their coach. They’ve set a new standard.”
It is the kind of standard that does not show up in the result column but can underpin everything that comes next. And what comes next arrives quickly. Oakleigh Cannons at Green Gully Reserve on Friday night, a match Vargas flagged as a tough challenge and one the Cavaliers will approach off the back of what they showed on Thursday. “We’ve got to regroup quickly,” he said. “We’re going to need that and more when we come up against Oakley next week.”
The scoreline on Thursday was not what the club needed. The response to it might be the start of something.
