HIT106.9 Northern League One Rescheduled Round Preview: Gunners, Stags look to get back on track

Match of the Round
South Cardiff FC v Toronto Awaba FC
Ulinga Oval, Sunday 3.30PM

South Cardiff and Toronto Awaba will look to get back on track at Ulinga Oval on Sunday after enduring sombre defeats last weekend.

Toronto Awaba went home disheartened after a 3-1 loss at Singleton. But despite the defeat the Stags can secure a top five spot this weekend with a win over South Cardiff, who were on the end of a hot Wallsend performance last Sunday, going down 6-1.

A dramatic end to the sides’ previous round five fixture means that bragging rights are still on the line with unfinished business. The game saw the Gunners equalise with the game's final kick for a 2-2 draw.

South Cardiff coach Scott Taylor needs his side to flick the switch and get a result as they could still very well finish in sixth, a target of Taylor’s.

"We have to get back on track after last week,” Taylor said.

“It's a case of learning from what we did wrong last week and getting better. It’s going to be another tough game. Toronto have plenty to play for but so have we. We've got our goal to try and finish as high as possible. We can still finish sixth if we win our final two games.

"They are where they are on the table, above us. [Toronto have] been doing well all season, even though they lost last week. Reflecting on the last game, the teams will be different I guess and we'll be looking to get our noses in front this time like they did.

"We've got to move on [from last weekend]. I think a lot of things went wrong for us. We had key players out from the start and I don't think that's going to improve this week. We lost Corey Fletcher halfway through the first half with a hamstring injury. Things didn't go right and didn't get any better.

"I'm looking forward to try and get things right after last week. That's going to be key for us. We know we're not as bad as what that score said. But at the end of the day, the score is the score. It's up to us to put the wrongs right from last week and that's what we'll be going out there to do."

A win in the rescheduled round 14 match will secure finals for Toronto, so a strong finish compared to the last couple of games will be essential for the Stags to get a result.

Stags coach Jarrad Hiles does not believe his side need any extra motivation considering the importance of the match, which could be a fiery and spirited affair.

"It's a big game for us. We're looking to bounce back and get a bit of consistency again, so we'll be up for it,” Hiles said.

“Southy got a touch-up last weekend, so no doubt they will be keen to make amends, so we'll go in all guns blazing and try and get a result.

"Semi-finals is on the line, so they shouldn't need any extra motivation to go out there and give it their all. We've worked our butts off all year and got in a good position, so we don't want to be slacking off now as it's still in our hands. We'll look forward to getting on the pitch on Sunday and putting on a good display.

"When I watched [the game against Singleton] back, we weren't as bad as I first thought. We did control portions of the game. It's just silly errors in bad positions on the field, as three errors resulted in three goals. We got punished and you can't afford to do that. We'll just be looking to tidy up, make our passes stick and finish some chances."

Toronto’s goalkeeping issues will be eradicated with the return of Drew Olsen.

South Cardiff will be looking a little slim. Fletcher and Josh West are doubts to play this weekend through a hamstring injury and eye injury respectively, while Tommy Sparre is expected to return to the squad. First grade goalkeeper Izaac Terry is still out.

Singleton Strikers v West Wallsend SFC
Civic Park, Saturday 2.30PM

Singleton Strikers and West Wallsend will endure the single most influential game of their seasons when they clash at Civic Park on Saturday.

Singleton, fifth on 23 points, can secure a top five spot with a win over West Wallsend in their rescheduled round 16 match, with the Bluebells positioned just behind in sixth on 19 points.

A loss or even a draw for West Wallsend would mean an imperative two wins from their last two games against Kahibah and South Cardiff if they want any hope of qualifying for the finals. Even so, it would not guarantee that coveted spot.

But a win over Singleton would significantly aid the Bluebells' aspirations.

With the round one fixture between Kahibah and West Wallsend rescheduled to next Wednesday due to more wet weather, it forces West Wallsend to play three games during the final eight days of the regular season. Meaning victory this weekend could spark a flame for the compulsory nine points.

"It's going to be a tough one up [at Civic Park],” West Wallsend coach Darren Sills said.

“We've got to win our last three games to make the semis and that's pretty well how we will be taking each game.

“[Singleton] are a good side, they gave us a touch up the first time we played them. Hopefully we can redo what we did last year and beat them up there. That'd be great. We’ve just got to get it right, or our season will be thereabouts over if we don't win."

West Wallsend demonstrated a more conservative style against Belswans last weekend to ensure they obtained at least something out of the game. Sills hopes to carry on the defensive form against Singleton while reverting his primary focus to the front of the pitch.

"We definitely need to score goals to win the game but we also need to be very vigilant with our defence and [on the weekend was] only the second time [Belswans] have been kept to zilch,” Sills said.

“So we need to take that form in defensively and frustrate the other teams knowing that they probably want to win as well, although Singleton might just be happy for a draw, so we need to put it to them."

With Kahibah having confirmed a finals spot and Toronto close to doing so, Singleton are the only realistic target for the Bluebells to knock off the top five perch.

Strikers coach Mick Jarvis said he had full faith in his side to carry out a win considering their recent form.

"It'll be tough, plenty on the line for both,” Jarvis said.

“We win this weekend, we're pretty much securing ourselves a final spot and Westy will be looking to do the same with their game in hand.

"In regard to the ladder and finals and all the rest of it, it's really important. But for me, it is more important that the boys continue to play the way they've been playing.

“Looking back over the last five weeks, we’ve had three wins, a loss and a draw in the last five. The consistency of football that's being played I'm okay with, so I'm just trying to keep them on the same path playing our good, quality football because they're getting results.

"I don't think the players feel any pressure, to be honest. They are a pretty focused group. It's very cliche, but we're all in the same mindset, we deal with each week as it comes. We know how important it is to Westy, so we need to do what we've been working on the last few weeks, be clinical and make sure our chances of playing football are increased."

Kahibah FC v New Lambton FC
Kahibah Oval, Sunday 2.30PM

Kahibah coach Mat Moncrieff has hit sights set on a top three finish as the Rams prepare to take on premiers New Lambton on Sunday.

Kahibah were the last club to take points off New Lambton in early May before the Eagles’ 12-game winning streak.

With Kahibah’s round one fixture against West Wallsend rescheduled to next Wednesday, the home game against New Lambton will kick off the Rams' run of three games in a week into the finals series.

With Kahibah having all but confirmed a top five spot, Moncrieff has his eye on a top three finish and is hopeful his side can surprise New Lambton at Kahibah Oval again to aid their prospects.

"It's a good challenge for us,” Moncrieff said.

“We're looking like making finals and it's a really good time to test ourselves against the top of the table. We're not guaranteed yet but hopefully we'll get some points that might guarantee us.

“We've been waiting for this game [against New Lambton] for a little while now and hopefully we can get our best 11 on the park again and give them a red-hot crack.

"You get two bites at the cherry as a benefit of [finishing third] but the downside is we don't get a home game. But to be honest, I'll be more than happy if we run third and get a crack at Belswans first up and have a second chance.

“Regardless, we just want to make finals. Just getting that buzz of playing finals was our target this year and with a decent result in the next few games, we'll get that finals spot that we've been working on all year."

While Kahibah are on a mission to finish in the top three, New Lambton sealed their third consecutive Northern League One premiership, coming from behind to defeat Thornton Redbacks 3-1 last weekend.

Eagles coach Tom Davies holds no worries that his team will come back down and finish off a season where they have already tasted success with a bang.

"It's going to be another tough weekend,” Davies said.

“We're obviously on a bit of a high after the results on the weekend, so we'll reassess how we've pulled up against Thornton and focus on a couple of things we could have improved on, particularly in the first half.

"It's a pretty focused group in general, so it won't take too much [to re-focus] and we have the experienced players to drive that throughout the week. But the focus is we want to try and achieve more as a group and we've got a few goals we'll set for the two games left and obviously finals after that.

"I'm really proud of the boys in terms of consistency, particularly since we didn't necessarily have the start we wanted to start the season with. But we always knew that if we stuck to the principles, that run would come and it has been really positive.”

Davies is well aware that Kahibah have a good account of his side and will not allow the points difference on the table to cause any tactical or mental alterations.

“It's going to be a challenge. I think Kahibah know a fair bit about us and we know a fair bit about them leading into this weekend,” Davies said.

“We'll learn a bit from that 2-2 draw early on the season and we're pretty excited to line up against them on Sunday."

Both sides will be fit and firing for Sunday’s game, meaning it is down to the teams' pure quality and determination to decide the game's outcome.