By Greg Blake
One late-game moment could never better exemplify Alexander’s heady mix of poise, skill and toughness in 2025. Oh, and not to mention discipline. The Warriors were edging towards a largely unspectacular 1-0 victory at Hume City on Friday night, courtesy of a Bul Juach strike just 62 seconds into the game.
But defining the less show-time and more simple intensity and laser focus effort, it was Fletcher Fulton conjuring a swift four-touch lightning strike down the left into the final 20 minutes. Max Bisetto and Asahi Yokokawa were perfect in setting-up a thundering Fulton deep into Hume territory. A blind-side, cocked-elbow crash square into Fulton’s back terminated the run and sent the Heidelberg player sprawling, face first.
As for the culprit and the match officials, who cares. Fulton’s response? No histrionics and rolling about, no animated face-to-face with the referee and no chasing down or evening up with Hume opponents. Fulton simply popped straight to his feet, dusted himself off and trundled away to complete another ripping game. Tassie toughness. Brilliant.
Heidelberg flexed and kicked the door open just 62 seconds into Friday night’s game. Anthony Lesiotis slid one left for Bisetto, who took off with blistering speed and squared inside to where Yokokawa was the nuisance and Juach the punisher. The ‘Raging Bull’ smacked it past Michael Weier at very close range.
Alexander had a couple of opportunities to seal the deal, but this was not the house-of- cards version of Hume savaged by the Warriors in round six. Nick Hegarty would be well pleased that his side stayed close enough to worry the Warriors for the full ninety on his Hume coaching return. Getting that close is something in itself.
The Warriors have now peeled off eight consecutive away wins. More salient still is that they’ve conceded just a single goal in those eight road games – at Oakleigh – with the seven other clean sheets in 720 minutes of game time testimony to the toughness, poise and discipline that has perhaps been overlooked and out-shone by the flash and dash during this record-smashing run.
The team’s fulcrum is the defensive trio of Yaren Sozer, skipper Ben Collins and underrated Ryan Lethlean. But it takes a fleet-footed, inexhaustible, prepared to sprint end-to-end supporting battalion to frame the picture. Fifteen minutes into the Hume game and Ben Collins is up for a corner and rockets a header off the crossbar, with Lethlean prowling just a metre or two away from him.
The ball cannoned perfectly for a sprinting Birkan Kirdar and two Heidelberg players collided and stumbled to allow him free passage through half field, only for Lesiotis to sensationally run him down and avert a potential one-on-one with Sozer.
Sozer – often equal parts outfielder and custodian – is proficient for the most part but often exquisite when something special is required. Airborne, body arching to his left and his left hand clawing an Aaron Reardon header around the post towards half time on Friday night was one of those moments.
I don’t imagine I’ll ever drive a gleaming, new Rolls Royce off the showroom floor. But I’d imagine it might offer a similar feel to the way Heidelberg United Alexander is playing at the moment. Smooth, elegant and comfortable. Supreme without hubris. Exuding confidence and authority. Inviting envy and admiration.
Deep into 2025 and this Heidelberg team is a joy to watch. A beautiful winning beast. Just a handful of sleeps until it starts again, with Alexander hosting Dandenong City this coming Friday nigh
