Match of the Round
Kahibah FC v Wallsend FC
Kahibah Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Kahibah FC coach Mat Moncrieff does not want his men to be complacent against Wallsend FC this weekend as they aim to finish second on the table at Kahibah Oval on Saturday.
The final round has arrived and eight of the nine teams will be looking to finish the regular season on a high, with the top-ranked of those sides being Kahibah as the premiers Belmont Swansea United sit out with the round 27 bye.
All four games will be played on Saturday afternoon from 2:30pm, and Kahibah enters their Old Boys’ Day clash in second place just one point clear of third-placed Toronto Awaba and three points ahead of fourth-placed West Wallsend.
Kahibah’s for and against difference is 14 greater than Westy’s, meaning Mat Moncrieff’s men would have to seriously implode to finish the day ranked fourth, but Toronto Awaba can easily overtake them if they fail to earn all three points off Wallsend.
The two sides’ head-to-head record this year suggests Kahibah should cruise to victory on Saturday after beating Wallsend 4-0 in round nine and 5-2 in round 18.
But Moncrieff said his men could not be complacent against a Red Devils outfit that will be leaving everything on the pitch in their pursuit of their third win of the year.
“They are playing with no fear and we won’t be taking them lightly,” Moncrieff said.
“I hadn’t seen them play for a while, and Chris is a smart coach, so I thought I’d pop out on Tuesday night and have a look at what they’re doing. I think they could have won it by more.
“They’re young and they’re having a go and they play some decent football as well.
“It’s Old Boys’ Day for us and we want to put a performance in. It’s a huge day, and there should be a really big crowd with a lot of players past and present there.
“We’re second now and we want to stay there and keep momentum going into the finals.”
At the other end of the table, Wallsend cannot finish any higher than last place this year but they want to end their season in victorious fashion on Saturday.
The Red Devils enter round 27 in unfamiliar territory – off the back of a win.
They hosted Cessnock at The Gardens on Tuesday night in a rescheduled round 22 clash and prevailed 4-3. Cody Halpin scored the winner in the 73rd minute when the scores were locked at 3-3 after Wallsend had gone into half-time ahead 3-1.
Wallsend’s coach Chris Gallagher said he was proud of his men for getting the job done following what has been a tough 2024 campaign and wants them to show the same fight and intensity on Saturday.
“Our game on Tuesday was the first time all year since the South Cardiff win (in round one) that we were able to play a full-strength squad,” Gallagher said.
“We got to bring players that have been playing first grade all year off the bench, so we had players who could make an impact or maintain coming onto the park.
“The boys hung in the battle for a lot longer too. At the 70-minute mark where we’ve been traditionally weaker, we hung in and went on to win it. I think that shows how far the boys have come and how much they’ve grown this season.
“This weekend against Kahibah will be a big test. They’re second for a reason and Mat has got them playing really well.
“I want to see us get a win, and I want the boys to go out and show what they can do that now we’re back at full strength. I want to see them step up, stay in the fight for the full game and take their chances.”
Singleton Strikers FC v Toronto Awaba FC
Howe Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Toronto Awaba FC coach Jarrad Hiles hopes that his ‘bare bones’ side can get the job done and climb the table on Saturday afternoon when they take on Singleton Strikers at Howe Park.
The Stags enter the weekend in third place but they are just one point behind Kahibah and can finish second if they return home with three points and the Kahibah men drop points at home against Wallsend.
Hiles and his players are also well aware that they can drop to fourth if they lose and West Wallsend win away from home at Cessnock, which makes a win on Saturday all the more valuable.
It is also a milestone match for club stalwart Drew Olsen as the goalkeeper lines up for game number 100, and the Stags will need him to step up as they enter the contest without a handful of regulars.
Reece Green (suspension), Clancy Muddle (suspension), Damon Green, Flynn Fittler, Jarrod Purcell (yellow card trouble) and Peter McPherson (injury) will all miss the clash.
“We’re bare bones. There will be about six changes and we’ll have low numbers in reserve grade too with people away and injured, and our suspensions and card trouble,” Hiles said.
“It’s a bit of a nightmare and it’s déjà vu too; we were in this position at the end of the season last year.
“All the boys who will play will rip in and have a go though. We’ll go out and give a good account of ourselves. Usually whoever steps in does a good job for us.
“It’s Drew’s 100th game and he’s a top bloke around the club and everyone respects him, so they’ll put in a big effort.”
Singleton has finished the year in brilliant form, having won four of their past five matches heading into the final round.
Their slow start to the season was too much to overcome though as they sit four points outside the top four, but they will be hoping to take that momentum into 2025.
They still have a lot to play for on Saturday as they look to finish their season with another win in front of what is expected to be a large and loud home crowd on Old Boys’ Day.
Cessnock City Hornets FC v West Wallsend SFC
Turner Park, Saturday 2:30pm
West Wallsend SFC will look to extend their two-game winning streak into the final round of their 2024 when they travel to Turner Park to meet Cessnock City Hornets on Saturday.
The 2023 champions are fourth on the table with one game to go but can rise to third if they bring home three points from Cessnock and Toronto Awaba lose away from home against Singleton.
Westy has beaten Cessnock twice by convincing margins this season, winning 4-1 in round nine and 5-1 in round 18.
They are eager to make it a clean sweep in round 27 to take some strong form into the promotion playoffs.
The Cessnock side they will meet this Saturday is a far more improved one than they challenged during those previous two occasions though.
The Hornets have had a late-season resurgence to climb to seventh and give themselves a chance to finish sixth if they beat the Bluebells.
They were five games unbeaten after they defeated Toronto Awaba 1-0 at Lyall Peacock Oval last Saturday, but that came crashing down at The Gardens on Tuesday night when they lost 4-3 against Wallsend in a rescheduled round 22 clash.
Kyle Davis’ men are determined to bounce back from that loss, beat West Wallsend for the first time this year and end their season in style on Saturday during their old boys’ day celebrations.
Thornton Redbacks FC v South Cardiff FC
Thornton Park, Saturday 2:30pm
Two sides playing their final games of the season will go head-to-head at Thornton Park on Saturday afternoon when Thornton Redbacks host South Cardiff FC.
These two sides have spent time in the top four throughout the season, but both have struggled during the second half of the season and have fallen down the table.
The Redbacks are eighth on the table with 25 points and Southy are ranked sixth with 27 points, either side of a Cessnock outfit who are currently on 26 points. That means a win this weekend could see Thornton rise as high as sixth, while the Gunners are guaranteed to finish sixth if they win but can drop to eighth if they are beaten.
South Cardiff has not been able to take three points from Thornton yet this year. The two sides drew 2-2 in round nine and the Redbacks prevailed 4-0 in round 18.
Perry Mellon’s men will be fighting to turn that result around on Saturday, while Thornton will be hoping to send co-coaches Gary Wand and Gerard Carey out as winners before Scott Winslade takes over as their coach for the 2025 campaign.
Belmont Swansea United FC have the bye.
