Match of the Round
Toronto Awaba FC v West Wallsend SFC
Lyall Peacock Field, Saturday 2:30pm
Lyall Peacock Field will host the match of the round clash for the first time in the 2024 campaign on Saturday afternoon when Toronto Awaba welcome West Wallsend SFC to town.
The venue was scheduled to host the feature match earlier this month in round 13, but like four other Stags matches in recent weeks, that fixture was washed out and rescheduled.
These two sides sit outside the top four but are just a stone’s throw away. They are separated by one point, West Wallsend in fifth place on 14 points and Toronto Awaba in sixth on 13 and trail Kahibah by two points.
When they last met in round seven in March, Toronto Awaba and West Wallsend were locked at 2-2 when the full-time whistle sounded. The Stags played the entire 45 minutes with 10 men and scored a late equalizer to deny Westy the win.
It has been a frustrating couple of months for the Stags who are hopeful of getting back out on their home ground and earning a victory to kick-start some momentum.
The last time they played at Lyall Peacock Field was in round six back in March when they went down 6-0 against Belmont Swansea and have only played three matches in total since then.
The Stags' last victory was in round five and they are determined to end a four-game winless run this Saturday.
But coach Jarrad Hiles is well aware that they will have to work hard for the three points against a quality opposition outfit.
“It’s always a good, tough game with Westy and there’s never much in it against them,” Hiles said.
“Generally, it comes down to a bit of individual brilliance.
“You always know you’re in a game with Westy. They never give you much time or space and they shut you down pretty well.
“They have some pace and some young fellas and a few older fellas too; a good mix. They are well-coached too.
“It will be a battle and we’ll need to limit our mistakes.”
West Wallsend are coming off a shock 3-0 loss against South Cardiff on Saturday in which they failed to land a punch during a performance that coach Bailey Cox labelled diabolical.
The Bluebells played against Thornton on Wednesday night at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility and came away with a draw.
Cox said that his men would have to be at their best against an opposition outfit he has a lot of respect for come Saturday.
“I expect the same thing as always from them and that’s a heap of effort,” Cox said.
“They play good football and they’ll be pretty direct with Purc (Jarrod Purcell) and Robbo (Nick Robertson) up top.
“I love playing against Toronto. It’s a game they always get up for and we always get up for. Neither team has really pumped the other team in the last couple of years. Every game is always close. It’s always a good game against them and I expect nothing less than that.
“Last time, I thought we were pretty unlucky against them, but a draw probably was a fair result. They did have a man sent off and had to battle with 10 players. We had plenty of chances so we need to be more clinical this time around.”
The Bluebells will be boosted by the return of several players from suspension, injury and work commitments who have been missing in recent matches, including Kaleb Cox, Josh Carroll, James Lowe, Cal Eardley and Luke Willard.
The Stags will have a similar-looking side to the one that drew 2-2 away from home against league leaders Belmont Swansea last Saturday.
They were scheduled to play a washed-out round 11 match against Wallsend on Wednesday night at Lyall Peacock Field, but that was again postponed due to the field condition.
Singleton Strikers FC v Kahibah FC
Howe Park, Saturday 7:30pm
Singleton Strikers and Kahibah will go head-to-head in their round 16 clash under lights at Howe Park on Saturday night.
Kahibah enters the match on a high following a 3-1 comeback win away from home against Cessnock on Sunday. They conceded early but fought back to earn the three points and snap a two-game losing streak.
Mat Moncrieff’s men are fourth on the table and will be looking to narrow the gap between themselves and the two top-ranked sides Belmont Swansea and South Cardiff on Saturday night.
Singleton had the bye last weekend which saw them remain in eighth spot on eight points. They are now seven points outside the top four and need to start winning this Saturday if they have any real hope of being in the promotion picture later on in the season.
Doug West’s men are on a five-game winless run and they are determined to snap that on Saturday.
The last time these two sides met was in round seven on Easter Monday when Kahibah scored a comfortable 4-0 home ground victory against the Strikers. Moncrieff is expecting a much tougher contest on Saturday night at Howe Park.
“Last time we played them, they had a lot of players out so it’s hard to go off that,” Moncreiff said.
“They have obviously had an up and down year and they’re finding it hard to get continuity with players to games.
“Everyone in the comp knows that if they bring their best 11 and they’re on, they’re as good as any team in the comp. We won’t be taking them easy that’s for sure.
“It’s tough up there. I’ve been in and around this comp for a while and it’s never easy going up there. Hopefully, we can go up there and put a good performance in.”
Wallsend FC v Belmont Swansea FC
The Gardens, Sunday 2:30pm
It’s first versus last at The Gardens on Sunday afternoon when the struggling Wallsend FC host the high-flying Belmont Swansea United.
Wallsend is on a nine-game losing streak and will have to overcome the toughest test in the competition if they are to avoid to add to that number.
The Red Devils know there is a quality football side within their playing group and they showed that on the opening night of the competition when they demolished South Cardiff 4-0.
Chris Gallagher’s men need to recapture that form if they are to score their first home win of the season on Sunday.
For BelSwans, they are one of the only teams in the competition that would call a draw against Toronto Awaba a disappointing result, but that was the case last Saturday when they and the Stags battled out a 2-2 draw at Blacksmiths Oval.
Mick Stafford’s men have won nine of their 11 games this season and are first on the table, nine points clear of second-placed South Cardiff.
The last time these two sides met was on Good Friday when BelSwans cruised to a 6-1 victory on home soil. They will be looking for more of the same come Sunday against a Red Devils outfit that will be swinging for the fences.
South Cardiff FC v Cessnock City Hornets FC
Ulinga Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
The weekend action will wrap up at Ulinga Oval on Sunday afternoon when South Cardiff FC host Cessnock City Hornets in what is shaping up to be an important match for the two sides.
The Gunners are second on the table and reduced the gap between themselves and league leaders Belmont Swansea to nine points last weekend.
That battle to hunt down the top spot starts this Sunday against a Cessnock side that is starting to mix it with the best of teams in the competition.
The Hornets became the first team to beat BelSwans in round 10 and are three points outside the top four in seventh position on the table.
Cessnock is eager to sting another top side this Sunday when they travel to take on the Gunners as they look to continue their rise up the table.
It was a close contest when these two sides met back in round seven, with South edging out Cessnock 2-1. Expect another close contest at Turner Park on Sunday.
Thornton Redbacks FC have the bye.