Casey Comets’ forward Antonia Niteros has warned WPL rivals, who may have previously written off the club as competition easybeats, to “look out for the Comets, because we’re coming for you.”
Casey finally broke their 16 game winless streak this season with an emphatic 6-0 victory over South Yarra on Friday.
There was a sense of inevitability to the triumph, as just a week earlier the Comets came one kick away from the season’s biggest upset over the Boroondara Eagles.
The result now means the team has gone four matches undefeated, with six of the club’s seven WPL points coming from those games.
“It’s been a while since we felt so good. We’ve been building up the second half of the season, it’s a good feeling, it’s overwhelming,” Niteros said.
“Everyone was frustrated after the [Eagles] game, but it was positive, sometimes things [like that] happen.
“You have to move on, and coming into this week training we’ve been really confident after facing the top team and almost beating them.”
The win also acted as a sign of the team’s progress, with the corresponding fixture earlier in the year ending in a 5-0 triumph in South Yarra’s favour.
“We put that one behind us and now it’s like redemption,” she said.
“We’ve worked hard since then, so it’s a completely different atmosphere, completely different team.
From a personal viewpoint, Niteros starred on the night by netting a double and troubling the South Yarra defence all night.
It marked a major milestone for her since joining from Ashburton, with the forward scoring her first goals this season and her first since transitioning from defence to attack.
“It’s been two-three years since I’ve scored a goal, moving from a defender up to forward,” she said.
“Every week I’ve wanted that goal, then two flukey goals this week, I’m pretty happy, I’ve been working hard for it.”
Niteros wasn’t the only player to impress on the night, with new imports Mykaylin Rosenquist and Raelynn Mikell also finding their names on the scoresheet.
Along with Katrina Avila, who has been with the club since the early rounds, the American trio have all played their part in helping Casey turn around their form in the latter part of the season.
“They’re getting into it, they’re getting the feel of Aussie football and Australian slang as well,” Niteros joked.
“They’re doing really well and trying to get their feel around our game and we’re trying to figure them out, but they’ve been a really good asset to our team.”
With Bundoora, Box Hill, Bulleen, Ashburton and Caulfield still yet to face Casey for a second time, Niteros believes her side fears nobody and can pick up results against every opponent for the rest of the season.
“We’re trying to get away from the bottom and push ourselves to mid-table with a few games to play,” she said.