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RENEE VALENTINE
Match of the Round
Adamstown v Mid North Coast
Sunday, July 9, 2.15pm
At Adamstown Oval
Last start: Adamstown beat Wallsend 2-1 last night; Mid North Coast lost 9-2 to Warners Bay on Saturday.
Meetings this season: Adamstown won 5-1 in round 4 and 6-0 in round 11.
Position on ladder: Adamstown third, 23 points; Mid North Coast fourth, 17 points.
Squad news: Rosebud will be at full strength while Mid North Coast have lost defender Rhianna Thompson to a season-ending injury.
What the coaches say: Mid North Coast coach Mick Day expected “a tough game from a good team” but said his side was looking forward to the challenge.
Adamstown coach Lou D’Amico was wary of a side but he expected to be “desperate for points”.
Bottom line: Mid North Coast will be hurting after a 9-2 drubbing at the hands of competition leaders Warners Bay and will be keen to prove they are a much better side than the results against Adamstown this season show. They are in the top four at the moment but need to keep collecting points to consolidate their place. Adamstown bounced back from a weekend loss with a win last night and will be keen to extend their gap on the rest of the field. Rosebud probably has the edge here but expect a tight battle.
Warners Bay v South Wallsend
Sunday, July 9, 2.15pm
At John Street Oval
Last start: Warners Bay beat Thornton 6-0; South Wallsend defeated Adamstown 2-1.
Meetings this season: Warners Bay won 1-0 in round 4 and 8-1 in round 11.
Position on ladder: Warners Bay first, 39 points; South Wallsend fifth, 15 points.
Squad news: Warners Bay welcome back captain Nadja Squires, who has been unavailable for the past month, but may be without Sass Seaborn.
What the coaches say: Warners Bay player-coach Cassidy Davis was wary of a side she felt was starting to find their feet.
“We’re expecting a tough game and we’re expecting they will be on a high from beating Adamstown and having their key players back,” Davis said.
“Stacey [Day] and Georgia [Amess] are starting to connect well and they will be hard to break down.”
Bottom line: Warners Bay made short work of the Wolves when they last met and, even though they are comfortable at the top of the table, they have plenty to play for. A win on the weekend would put them six points clear of second-placed Merewether in the hunt for the minor premiership. But South Wallsend have to keep winning if they want to break into the top four. If they are at full strength then this will be a closer contest than the last.
Wallsend v Thornton
Sunday, July 9, 2.15pm
At Wallsend Oval
Last start: Wallsend lost 2-1 to Adamstown last night; Thornton lost 6-0 to Warners Bay on Sunday.
Meetings this season: Wallsend won 8-1 in round 4; Thornton won 1-0 in round 11.
Position on ladder: Wallsend sixth, eight points; Thornton last, three points.
Squad news: Red Devils goalkeeper Jess Sanderson has a hand injury and did not play last night and remains under an injury cloud. Centre-back Jess Evans is unavailable but Sophie O’Brien should make her return. Redbacks coach Robbie Richardson said a couple of players had niggles from the weekend’s game and he would not finalise his squad until closer to game day.
What the coaches say: Wallsend assistant coach Strat Kapalos rated this as “a must-win game”.
“If [fourth-placed] Mid North Coast gain three points on us this weekend then that will be it,” he said.
“We’re only fighting for fourth spot now and every game is must win.
“It was an unlucky loss last time so hopefully we can redeem ourselves.”
Redbacks coach Robbie Richardson said they will take some confidence into the match knowing they have beaten Wallsend this season.
Bottom line: Wallsend has to win. If they don’t then it would be fair to say their season is over. Even if they do win, they will have to rely on other results going in their favour. They were well in the match with third-placed Adamstown last night. Thornton have got nothing to lose and will prove a handful for their opponents in the remainder of their games this season. Wallsend are the more likely here but will need to be ruthless in front of goal, something they have been lacking all season.
Points table: Warners Bay 39, Merewether 36, Adamstown 23, Mid North Coast 17, South Wallsend 15, Wallsend 8, Thornton 3.
