Match of the Round
West Wallsend SFC v Wallsend FC
Johnston Park, Sunday 2:30pm
A mouth-watering Wallsend derby is in store at Johnston Park for this weekend’s Match of the Round as West Wallsend prepares to host Wallsend on Sunday.
It’s West Wallsend’s old boys’ day and a huge crowd is expected to roll in, with four grand final reunions set to take place.
On top of the typical derby atmosphere and excitement, it’s also a milestone match for Bluebells skipper Bryson Cox, who will play his 150th first grade game for the club in his ninth season as a Bluebell.
Cox will slot in at centre back for this fixture as he starts for the first time in more than two months after easing back into the swing of things off the bench following a five-week European holiday.
His brother Bailey Cox is West Wallsend’s first grade coach. The duo played four-and-a-half seasons together for the Bluebells before Bailey suffered a knee injury that cut short his playing days.
The younger of the two brothers cannot wait for Sunday’s clash, during which he hopes his men can claim three points on a day that he expects Johnston Park to be absolutely rocking.
“You just want to show up and put in a good performance. We do always get a lot of old boys there and you want to show your respects to them and the club,” Cox said.
“We want to show our pride in the jersey and a heap of heart.
“Bryson’s 150th on Sunday too will make it even bigger.”
Cox said that his brother was a brilliant addition into the starting lineup of a side that is in fine form of late, having won four consecutive games and kept two clean sheets in that run.
“His talk on the field is massive, you notice it as soon as he’s come on the last few weeks,” Cox said.
“He’s the definition of bleeding blue. He just loves it, loves Westy. On the bench last weekend, he just didn’t shut up the whole time. He wears his heart on his sleeve and gives 110 percent every time, at training and games. Even if he’s not the best player on the day, he always puts in the effort.”
West Wallsend have won eight of their past nine matches and are sitting third, level on 34 points with second-placed Singleton and just seven back from table leaders Toronto Awaba.
A win this weekend could see the Bluebells move into second and shorten the gap between themselves and the Stags with six more rounds left to play.
Wallsend’s objective is quite simple; ruin all of the above.
Coach Michael Gatt and his men are determined to roll into Johnston Park and spoil the party by scoring a much-needed victory.
The Red Devils are running last on the table but are only three points behind fifth-placed Belmont Swansea.
Gatt is eager for his side to start racking up results to put themselves in a position to play finals football this year.
“It’s the derby and the boys look forward to it every year. And obviously this year, being an extended season, we get three cracks at it,” Gatt said.
“Westy are obviously excited. They’ve called their old boys’ day.
“This time we are out for redemption and the boys are all pumped for it.
“The grand final is out there this year and obviously Westy have been pretty vocal that they want to make the grand final to play in front of a home crowd, so a lot of clubs are out to ruin that for them.
“For us, the season is getting further and further away. Even though results are going the right way for us to stay alive, we’ve got to try and get some points in the bank to break away. One win and we’re back up there, but we have to start winning, otherwise the rest of the field will start getting away.”
West Wallsend have beaten Wallsend in this year’s two previous derbies, 3-2 at Johnston Park in Round 3 back in March, and then 3-0 at The Gardens in Round 12 in May. For Wallsend, this Sunday is all about redemption for those games, as well as raining on West Wallsend’s parade and getting their own season back on track.
Singleton Strikers FC v Kahibah FC
Howe Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Singleton Strikers FC are preparing for another backs-to-the-wall job this Saturday when they host Kahibah at Howe Park
The match looks to be a finals preview between the two sides entrenched in the top five.
The Strikers have been missing an abundance of players through injury in recent weeks, with coach Mick Jarvis unsure if he’d get any of the players who missed last Friday’s 1-0 away win at Thornton back on Saturday.
Adding to the side’s woes is the fact they’ll also be without Marcus Morris and Jed Horder this weekend, who are both suspended due to an accumulation of cards after they both received a yellow at Thornton Park.
Morris was one of the most experienced player in a youthful backline against Thornton and was commended by his coach for leading them around the park well.
Kahibah will also be without at least one key defender after Lewis Hextall received a red card during his side’s 1-0 loss at home to West Wallsend last Sunday and will now miss the next three weeks.
Matt Lee was also out last weekend with illness, and coach Mat Moncrieff was unsure if he would be back to take on the Strikers.
Singleton are ranked second on the table on 34 points and trail Toronto Awaba by seven. They can reduce that deficit on Saturday and put pressure on a Stags side that travels to Ulinga Oval to challenge South Cardiff the following day.
For Kahibah, this game offers them the chance to move within four points of third and potentially second place. Moncrieff’s men are seven points back from both Singleton and West Wallsend, and a win would bring them within four of at least the Strikers.
Belmont Swansea United FC v Cessnock City Hornets FC
Blacksmiths Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Belmont Swansea will go head-to-head with Cessnock City Hornets at Blacksmiths Oval on Saturday.
BelSwans are ranked fifth on 21 points after they returned to the winner’s circle last weekend to snap a five-round winless streak that dated back to May.
But they are only three points clear of the three teams at the bottom of the table who have all racked up 18 points so far this season.
Cessnock are one sides that are determined to make some ground in Round 21.
While the Hornets cannot overtake BelSwans this Saturday unless they beat them by eight goals, a win would set them up for the chance to jump into the top five in the coming weeks.
Cessnock will be without Riley Croucher for this weekend’s game after he was sent off against Toronto Awaba last Sunday and received a three-week suspension.
That has created an extra headache for Hornets coach Brad Miles, who thought his side played well in a 1-0 loss to the top-ranked Stags, but said injury and suspensions were starting to take their toll.
“It was a good effort all round but we just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net,” Miles said.
“We had seven regular first graders out and we could find it difficult to put a competitive squad together for the BelSwans game.
“But what we need from everyone is the same effort we’ve been showing. Everyone who steps up to play needs to give us a big effort.”
Both sides will be searching for a clean sheet on Saturday, given that neither has kept one in their previous two meetings against one another this season.
Mick Stafford’s men have a clean sweep in mind, while the Hornets are determined to kick-start a finals push as the season nears the business end.
South Cardiff FC v Toronto Awaba FC
Ulinga Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
The final match of the weekend will see South Cardiff host Toronto Awaba at Ulinga Oval as the Gunners return from a bye.
South Cardiff have intentions of playing finals football in 2023, but in recent weeks they have fallen from fifth to seventh.
Given the tight nature of the competition at present, the Gunners could finish this weekend as high as fifth or as low as last with just seven rounds remaining in the 2023 campaign.
The Gunners have a tricky assignment on their hands as they host a Toronto Awaba outfit that is looking to return to form this Sunday.
The Stags were admittedly a bit lethargic last Sunday and required an own goal to beat Cessnock, and went down 3-1 against West Wallsend as they suffered what was just their third loss of the season.
They have been the team to beat all year and they are hoping to hold onto that tag with an improved performance in Round 21.
Toronto Awaba is on top of the table on 41 points, seven clear of second-placed Singleton and third-placed West Wallsend, and they are determined to maintain that lead or even improve on it.
A major boost for the Stags is the availability of Nick Roberts this weekend. The attacking gun was sent off during his side’s win against Cessnock, but the red card was overturned by the Obvious Error Panel and he is now free to play.
Both teams will throw everything at one another again on Sunday in what is a highly-anticipated match-up.
Thornton Redbacks FC have the bye