By Lee Gaskin July 15, 2012
CARETAKER Tuggeranong United coach Glenn Moutray praised the resilience of his players in their first match since the sacking of Jeremy Butler.
Tuggeranong gave ACT Premier League leaders Belconnen United a massive scare before the Blue Devils lifted for a comprehensive 4-1 win at Kambah yesterday.
It capped off a tumultuous week for Tuggeranong after Butler was dismissed on Monday over conflict with the club's board.
''I was really impressed with the players today and how they stood up to it,'' Moutray said.
''We spoke about what had happened this week.
''The main message was to put it in the background, think about the rest of the season and try and treat it as professionals.
''They guys did that and it showed in the way they played.''
Leading 1-0 at half-time, Matt Valeri's cracking volley doubled Belconnen's advantage before a brilliant strike from Alex Weber gave Tuggeranong a sniff of an upset.
However, Zach Munster's quick reply and a fine finish from substitute Michael Reeve ensured the Blue Devils extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.
Moutray said three of the four goals they conceded came from defensive lapses, but he couldn't fault the performance of under-18 goalkeeper Andrew Ciszek, who he rated as close to his side's best.
The Blue Devils will go further ahead on the table if the Cooma Tigers have their points deduction upheld for fielding a player not on the team sheet in a 2-0 win last weekend.
ACT Premier League: Men: Belconnen United 4 bt Tuggeranong United 1 at Kambah yesterday.
Today: Cooma Tigers v Canberra Olympic at Nijong Oval; Woden Valley v Canberra City at Woden Park; Monaro Panthers v Canberra FC at Riverside Stadium. All games at 3pm.