Match of the Round
Urunga FC v Armidale City Westside
Urunga Recreation Reserve, Saturday 1pm
Urunga FC coach Trevor Martin says that his side is quietly confident ahead of their match with Armidale City Westside at Urunga Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
The North Coast side will come up against Armidale, who started their NNSW RSL campaign with a bang after a 5-0 victory over Oxley Vale Attunga.
Urunga have not featured in the NNSW RSL as their round one match against Lake Cathie FC was washed out. Urunga are eager to hit the ground running to put their stamp on the competition.
“We are quietly confident. We have been a strong team in our area for a long time,” Martin said.
“I think our game being washed out last week has added fuel to the fire. We will be going out there to put our best performance on as we can.
“We will be going back to what we know. We don’t know how the other team will line up but we will be strong and I am confident that we can get the three points.
“It is not just about winning the game but playing some good quality football.
“I have said to the girls, let’s start where we want to finish and let’s go out there and prove a point.
“We don’t know what to expect from the other regions. We are a bit uncertain and there is no predictability. But I think over the years we have developed a standard playing style.
“This competition elevates where we are in the local district.
“The problem with the weather has been that the season has been disjointed and we have gotten no rhythm. We want to get that continuity back for what we are trying to achieve as a group.
“We have had a few changes in the group but we have a steady lot of younger girls that come straight in. It is helpful to build from the bottom and bringing the younger girls up.”
Armidale City Westside will be determined to make it two from two in the league and further cement their position in the finals.
But Armidale’s captain and assistant coach Kathleen Fleming said that they expected a tough challenge this weekend against one of the best in the north.
“We know that Urunga are a strong side and we know that we will have to be at the top of our game and firing at all cylinders,” Fleming said.
“We will be focusing on ourselves and playing our game. We can’t do much about what they are going to do.
“We have played them before in the pre-season cup in Nambucca in 2024, so we know they are strong. It is always different going to the coast.
“It would be really good if we can have a good game and play really well but we know it will be really tough.
“But we are confident heading in.”
Armidale’s dominant victory in round one gave them lots to be pleased about after they kept a clean sheet and had four different goal scorers.
Bella Hawkins, Brooke Moran and Kelly Moran got themselves on the scoresheet and will hope to extend their tally again this weekend.
But Natasha Livermore-Williams who scored a brace is likely to be ruled out with a possible foot fracture from training on Thursday night.
Don’t miss out on all of the action from the NNSW RSL round two Match of the Round which will be streamed live and free on NNSWF’s YouTube channel HERE.
Macleay Valley Rangers v Port United
Rangers Park, Saturday 1pm
Maclay Valley Rangers president and player Shelby Coleman says that they will not be settling for anything less than three points when they welcome local rivals Port United to Rangers Park on Saturday.
The two sides have met plenty of times in previous seasons of Mid North Coast’s local competitions but this weekend will be their first encounter of 2025 with all to play for.
Coleman said that her side would do everything it took to be victorious this weekend and secure all three points in front of a home crowd.
“It is interesting having to play Port United as we have already played games against them,” Coleman said.
“I think it would be a big confidence booster to get the win. Only playing three group games, you don’t want to drop points.
“We have been working hard.
“Three points are super important for us and we don’t want anything less.”
The Rangers have only stepped onto the pitch once this season after their local competition matches and round one NNSW RSL fixture were postponed due to wet weather and flooding.
Coleman said that her side was eager to get back out on the pitch and get some minutes under their belt.
“We are feeling good and we are keen to play. We have only played one game this season,” Coleman said.
“It is a pretty new squad with about five new players coming into the mix from Port Macquarie and surrounding areas. We also have a new coach, so everything is fairly fresh.
“We have only played one trial game and one regular game this season. There is still a lot of work to do to understand how each other play.
“It is a good thing for the community to get some sport happening again. It is something to look forward to and will help the club get up and running again.”
Port United enters the contest off the back of 3-2 loss against Tamworth FC in the opening round of NNSW RSL but would have plenty of positives to take from the match.
Kate Ainsworth and Georgia Thiveos will hope that they can get themselves on the scoresheet again in round two and that they can get one over on their local foes to get off the mark in the competition.
Coffs City United v Tamworth FC
Coffs Synthetics Field, Saturday 1pm
Tamworth FC will hope to keep the good times rolling when they travel to the coast to take on Coffs City United at Coffs Synthetics Field on Saturday.
The visitors will enter the clash full of confidence after they came from behind to snatch a 3-2 victory against Port United in round one.
Tamworth showed that they have no shortage in attack with Chloe Nott, Clare Hughes and Courtney Slater each getting themselves on the score sheet in their round one victory.
As a dominant side in the northern inland region, Tamworth FC will want to prove that they can compete on the big stage and hold their position at the top of their group for another round.
This weekend will be Coffs City United’s first NNSW RSL match after their round one fixture was postponed due to wet weather.
They have had a strong start in their local competition in 2025, as they sit at the top of the table in the Women’s HIT105.5 Premier League with four wins, two draws and two losses.
Coffs City United will be determined to put their mark on the competition and prove that they are the powerhouse of the north.
Lake Cathie FC v Oxley Vale Attunga FC
Rainbow Beach Sporting Fields, Saturday 1pm
Oxley Vale Attunga FC will look to bounce back when they travel to Rainbow Beach Sporting Fields to take on Lake Cathie FC on Saturday.
OVA had a less-than-ideal start to the NNSW RSL after they went down to Armidale City Westside 5-0 in round one and had multiple players suffer injuries.
They will hope that their casualty ward decreases and they can turn things around for their round two match and secure their first points in the competition.
Captain Emily Daley will likely still be sidelined after she suffered a broken collarbone in the round one match.
Lake Cathie will be eager to make their NNSW RSL debut and get back on the pitch after a waterlogged start to 2025.
The Raiders have started their local season with a bang and sit at the top of the table after two wins and one loss in their first three matches in the Mid North Coast Women’s League but have not played since due to wet weather.
Lake Cathie are yet to start their NNSW RSL campaign after their round one fixture against Urunga was postponed.
They will hope that they can start on the right foot and secure all three points on home turf.
