Coach slams “lazy” loss

By Gavin Staindl
CASEY Comets coach Ian Williamson has slammed his players, describing them as “lazy and slow” after their run of wins came to an end at the hands of nemesis side Heidelberg on Sunday.
Williamson was brutal in his assessment of the 2-0 loss, saying his girls will need to play a lot better if they wish to retain a spot in the team, which is continually growing with capable recruits.
“It was very, very poor,” Williamson said.
“Fifty per cent of the team played, the other 50 per cent didn’t.
“It was a very disappointing performance from the likes of Nicola Prins and the midfield.
“We lacked effort, we were slow in reaction and we let the opposition dictate the game.”
Williamson was also critical of the inability of the defence to mark-up, after main Bergers striker Melanie Camilleri continuously worked her way behind the defence.
The Comets entered the match at Olympic Village on the back of a six-game winning streak which dated back to round two, where the Comets suffered their only other loss, also at the hands of Heidelberg.
Apart from 20 minutes in the second half, the Comets were outplayed and Williamson does not dismiss the possibility that the Bergers – who haven’t loss to Casey since 2005 – have a mental stranglehold over his players.
“No doubt, it’s a mental thing,” he said.
“We don’t have the mental approach to get over that hurdle, that is why we are bringing in new girls who don’t have a history hanging over them.”
The girls Williamson are talking about are the next international and local recruits recently signed by the Comets.
Due to a breakdown in the clearance process, the two American imports, Jessica Curl and Sam Axtman, were not available for Sunday’s match, but are hopeful of debuting against Box Hill this week.
Also expected to start is Casey’s newest recruit from Box Hill, Amy Benton, who if selected will line-up against her former club only two weeks after playing for them.
Williamson said he needed to bring more talent into the team, because the players he had weren’t getting the job done.
“They (the players) have opened the door for me to look for better players,” Williamson said.
“The next two weeks are crucial for us and if we don’t get a point from those two matches then we won’t be successful at the end of the year.
“Casey wants a championship. We don’t want to finish runner-up, or in a semi-final. We want success.”