Match of the Round
Kahibah FC v Toronto Awaba FC
Kahibah Oval, Sunday 2:30pm
Headlining a day full of highly-anticipated match-ups on Sunday in Round 25 is the Match of the Round fixture between top-three hopefuls Kahibah and the premiers Toronto.
The two finals-bound sides will meet for the last time in the regular season at Kahibah Oval, with the home team determined to get one over the only side they have been unable to beat in 2023.
The Kahibah men went down 3-1 at home against the Stags in Round Seven back in April and were then edged out 2-1 at Lyall Peacock Oval in Round 16 in June.
Kahibah coach Mat Moncrieff was full of praise for the top-ranked team, labelling them as the pinnacle of the competition in 2023. He said that his side would be throwing everything at them come Sunday.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge. They’re the only team we haven’t beaten so far this year, so looking to the finals, we’d like to get one over them before we get into that situation if we do get to meet them again,” Moncrieff said.
“We’ve given them two good tussles this year and we’ll definitely give them a good game on the weekend. They’ve got some good goal-scorers that we need to shut down, and we need to bury some of the chances that we create. I’m sure we’ll be able to compete with them.
“It’s our Old Boys’ Day this weekend as well. We’re expecting a good crowd. Old Boys’ Days are really good and the boys are always buzzing for them.”
This Sunday’s fixture is Kahibah’s last game at home in the regular season before they play away at Thornton the following Friday night ahead of a final-round bye.’
Kahibah are hoping to finish the regular season with two wins to give themselves a chance of finishing in the top three and playing in the Qualifying Final.
Moncrieff’s men are fourth on 36 points, way behind Toronto Awaba (50) but not too far from West Wallsend (40) and Singleton (37), who play against one another on Sunday. A win could see Kahibah jump into third spot with two games to go or finish a point back from second.
For the Stags, this Sunday’s game is all about shaking off the cobwebs and recapturing the impressive form that saw them earn the Premiership with four rounds to go.
Since they beat Belmont Swansea 3-0 at Lyall Peacock Oval in Round 23 last month, they have not played due to a bye and the washout weekend.
They are expected to name an unchanged line-up with everyone fit and firing, and coach Jarrad Hiles is expecting a tough contest against a quality opposition outfit.
“We haven’t done that much since the BelSwans game, so we are probably going to be a bit rusty,” Hiles said.
“We had planned to have a game, but the Knights’ Jersey Flegg team ended up playing on the ground, so we got bumped.
“The break turned out alright though. We had three or four boys that would have struggled to play the last two weeks. It’s given them an opportunity to freshen up. Everyone should be available.
“We’re keen to get back into it. We don’t want to go limping into the finals and go into those games on the back of poor form, so we’re setting out to win our last three matches and get that momentum back.
“Kahibah have had periods of the games against us where they have dominated. It’s always a good even contest against them, always played in good spirit. Kahibah have it all to play for. Mat’s a good mate of mine and he’ll have them fired up to try and get the three points and push for second or third spot.
“Every team we have left to play have something to play for. Wallsend (Round 26) are pushing for a top five spot and Singleton (Round 27) are going for second. We’re under no illusions. There are no easy games, and we’ll have to get up every week. They’ll be tough contests, all three of them.”
West Wallsend SFC v Singleton Strikers FC
Johnston Park, Sunday 2:30pm
With Toronto Awaba having already won up the premiership, all eyes are on the battle for second place on the table when West Wallsend go head-to-head with Singleton Strikers on Sunday afternoon.
West Wallsend are ranked second on 40 points, a win clear of the third-placed Strikers (37). A Bluebells victory in Round 25 would see them wrap up the home qualifying final, assuming they don’t suffer an epic collapse in the final two rounds of the regular season, while for Singleton, a victory would see them go level with West Wallsend.
The two teams are also both looking over their shoulder with Kahibah close behind on 36 points. Kahibah could pinch second or third spot if they win their next two games ahead of a final-round bye, making this weekend’s clash at Johnston Park all the more important for the Bluebells and Strikers.
Singleton have been struggling with injuries across the past couple of months, and coach Mick Jarvis is hoping that a few players are right to return on Sunday. They will be without Marlow Court-Kriesch though after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in a 1-0 away win against Belmont Swansea ahead of the washout weekend break.
Jarvis said that this Sunday’s match was all about playing good football, with the finals around the corner.
“For us, it’s about getting some consistency coming into finals and playing the quality football that we know we’re capable of,” Jarvis said.
“We want to put some consistent performances together in these last three games.
“We also want to finish in the top two or three. We finished fourth last year, so we’d like to finish higher this year.
“I think that with the way things are tracking at training and with players coming back, we’re starting to taper towards the right end of the season.
“I think we’ve beat West Wallsend the last four times we’ve played them, but you’d never say you’ve got the wood on anyone in this competition. I think that our style of football, Westy struggle with it. They play a style that we like playing against. But it’s always tough against them, especially with Kane Goodchild up front.”
The Strikers prevailed 5-0 when these two sides first met this year at Howe Park in Round Seven back in April, and then won 2-1 in a much closer contest at Johnston Park in Round 16 in June. They are focused on the clean sweep this Sunday, but it won’t come easy against an in-form Bluebells side.
Wallsend FC v Thornton Redbacks FC
The Gardens, Sunday 2:30pm
Two sides with finals aspirations will meet at The Gardens on Sunday when Wallsend host Thornton in what is looming as a must-win game for both teams.
There are just three rounds remaining in the regular season, and with Kahibah too far out in front, four teams are vying for fifth spot. South Cardiff are sitting fifth on 25 points, only ahead of Wallsend (25) on goal difference. They are both one point ahead of Belmont Swansea (24) who have the bye this weekend, and they are five clear of the Thornton Redbacks (20).
The Redbacks will enter this Sunday’s clash having not played for 16 days since they went down 4-2 on home soil in a Friday night match against West Wallsend in Round 24 ahead of the washout weekend break.
The Red Devils played on the washout weekend last Sunday when their rescheduled Round 24 clash against South Cardiff at The Gardens went ahead. The match ended in a 3-3 draw as both sides missed out on the opportunity to claim the outright fifth place.
That result continued a positive run of form for Wallsend, who were ranked last not too long ago but are unbeaten in three of their past four games to put themselves in the finals hunt.
A close contest is expected this Sunday when the Red Devils host the Redbacks. They contested a 1-1 draw when they met at Thornton Park in Round Seven back in April, and then the Red Devils secured a 2-1 win at The Gardens in Round 16 in June. They are now determined to make it two from two against Thornton on home soil this year.
Cessnock City Hornets FC v South Cardiff FC
Turner Park, Sunday 2:30pm
Cessnock City Hornets are hoping to farewell Turner Park in style on Sunday when they host South Cardiff in their final home game of the season.
The Hornets can no longer qualify for a spot in the finals, and in the final two weeks of the regular season, they have a bye and an away match at Wallsend. They are ranked last and are determined to climb their way out off that position across the final three weeks of the campaign.
South Cardiff are in a far more positive position further up the table. They are sitting fifth on 25 points, and with the three sides directly below them all being within reach, this Sunday’s away fixture is a must-win match for the Gunners.
The Gunners missed out on a chance to go into outright fifth place when they drew 3-3 with Wallsend last Sunday during the washout weekend in a rescheduled Round 24 match. A stoppage time Riley Holohan equaliser ensured they remained in fifth.
All focus is now on getting the job done across the final three rounds to ensure South Cardiff can remain there come the season’s end.
South Cardiff are yet to beat Cessnock City in 2023 after the Hornets prevailed 3-2 on home soil in Round Seven back in April and then 3-0 at Ulinga Oval in Round 16 in June.
If the Gunners are going to play finals football this year, they are going to have to get the job done against the bottom-ranked team, but the Hornets will be throwing everything at them on Sunday as the hosts look to complete what would be their only clean sweep of the season.
Belmont Swansea FC have the bye.
