Round 14 of the 2024 Northern Inland Premier League campaign will be headlined by a blockbuster first-versus-first battle at Doody Park on Saturday when Armidale City Westside host Moore Creek in the match of the round.
Armidale City Westside are the top-ranked Northern Conference team following 13 rounds of football, having won nine of their 11 games, drawn one and lost the other. They are four points clear of second-placed Inverell and third-placed Demon Knights with six games left to play.
Their round 14 opponents Moore Creek lead the way at the top of the Southern Conference with 25 points following eight wins, one draw and three losses in 12 matches. Unlike Westside, Moore Creek can be dethroned at the top on Saturday given Oxley Vale Attunga are second on the Southern Conference table with 23 points.
The match between these two heavyweights was initially scheduled to be played at Westside's home ground, Harris Park, but it has been relocated due to council work on that field.
The Armidale team's coach Anthony Gray is confident that the new venue will bring out the best in both sides and will allow them to produce 90 minutes of quality football. Gray said he was expecting a tough tussle against the Mountain Goats.
"It's going to be a good game. I'm expecting a tough game," Gray said.
"They're a quality team who hassle all over the park and get in your face. They work really hard off the ball and they're quick across the front line.
"This game isn't going to be a blowout for either side, I wouldn't think. It's going to be a tight game with limited chances.
"Traditionally this season, we've struggled to bounce back after having weeks off, and we had the weekend off last week. We'll try to get the guys up for it, but I think we will be because of the occasion that it is."
This highly-anticipated game will be a true test of how quality defensive resolve fares against relentless and explosive attack. Westside have the joint-best defensive record in the competition alongside Demon Knights this season, with both teams having only conceded 10 goals in 11 matches, and Moore Creek have the best attacking record so far with 67 goals scored in 12 outings.
All eyes will be on this game to see who comes out on top in what is a potential grand final preview.
For both Armidale City Westside and Moore Creek, Saturday's contest will be their first since round 13 on Saturday, July 6, when the Mountain Goats cruised past Namoi United 5-1 away from home at Hogan Oval and Westside took down Demon Knights 4-1 at Harris Park.
Last weekend was set aside as a washout round, and four matches were played as eight teams took the field. Namoi United demolished East Armidale United 18-1 in a rescheduled round six match at Hogan Oval, Norths United downed Tamworth FC 2-0 in a rescheduled round seven clash at Phil Wheaton Oval, Hillvue Rovers and Demon Knights battled out a 1-1 draw in a rescheduled round nine match at Gipps Street Sporting Fields, and round 14 got underway early as North Companions and Inverell contested a 3-3 draw at Marius Street Sporting Fields.
The latter was played a week early due to Inverell travelling to Northern NSW Football's Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility on Saturday to line up in the Community Plate final against Newcastle Croatia FC from midday.
As well as Armidale City Westside and Moore Creek, South Armidale United, Oxley Vale Attunga and South United all had last weekend off.
South United will have another break this weekend as they sit out with the round 14 bye while OVA challenge Hillvue Rovers in a local derby at Riverside Sporting Complex, South Armidale United travel to take on Tamworth FC at Gipps Street Sporting Fields, Namoi United host Norths United at Hogan Oval, and Demon Knights and East Armidale go head-to-head at Rologas Sporting Fields.
There will also be one match played on Sunday when South Armidale United welcome Hillvue Rovers to New England Mutual Sportsground for a rescheduled round 13 clash.
At Gipps Street Sporting Fields on Saturday, the contest between Tamworth FC and South Armidale United will be a crucial match for both fourth-place teams.
Tamworth FC are five points outside the top three in the Southern Conference and can narrow that gap to two points if they get the job done, while South Armidale United are nine points outside the top three in the Northern Conference, making the round 14 fixture more of a must-win contest for the defending champions.
The Scorpions endured a tough start to the season as they adjusted to life without several key players from last season's grand final-winning team. They were beaten in four of their first five games but bounced back to go on a four-game winning streak and turn their fortunes around.
However, the South Armidale side's most recent fixture saw them defeated 6-2 by Moore Creek at Riverside Sporting Complex in round 12, and they now find themselves needing to return to winning ways quickly if they are a chance of reaching the finals series and getting the opportunity to defend their title.
They have had the past two weekends off given their round 13 match was washed out. Now, if they can double up and win their catch-up game on Sunday as well as their round 14 game on Saturday, they will be just one win behind Inverell and potentially also Demon Knights.
For their opponents Tamworth FC, a victory would ensure they finish the weekend two points outside the top three. They are currently five behind North Companions but Northies have already played their round 14 match and will have this weekend off.
They are coming off a loss last weekend and are fired up to get back in the winners' circle.
The match at Hogan Oval is equally important for Namoi United and Norths United as they both sit fifth on their respective tables. Both teams are heading into Saturday's match feeling confident following victories during the washout weekend and ready to push towards finals football.
Namoi United's 18-1 win against East Armidale United last Saturday saw them break a five-game winless run and jump Hillvue to go fifth. They are now nine points behind third-placed North Companions with two games in hand on them, and with just seven rounds remaining in the regular season, three points are crucial for their finals hopes.
Norths United's 2-0 win over Tamworth FC last weekend was their fourth of the season and saw them keep a clean sheet for the first time this year. They are a team on the rise, having earned three wins in their past four games, and they now sit 12 points outside the three.
It will be almost impossible for them to overtake Inverell or Demon Knights and qualify for the finals this year but they will not go down without a fight, and getting three points on Saturday will well and truly increase their chances.
At Riverside Sporting Complex, Oxley Vale Attunga can win their way to the top of the Southern Conference table if they get the job done against Hillvue in the local derby and Moore Creek lose against Westside. OVA are currently ranked second on the Southern Conference table and sit just two points behind the Mountain Goats. The Moore Creek men have a bye in round 15, so even if OVA are not first after this Saturday, a win ensures they will be playing to go top the following weekend.
Hillvue are currently ranked sixth on the Southern Conference table and are 10 points outside the top three with two games in hand on North Companions. That makes this Saturday's match against OVA a must-win encounter for the Rovers, who are also determined to end a four-game winless run and earn three points for the first time since mid-June.
At Rologas Sporting Fields, a local derby between Demon Knights and East Armidale United offers the DK men the chance to climb above Inverell into second place. Those two sides are locked on 24 points, but DK are third on goal difference. Inverell have already played their round 14 match and that means a win or draw this weekend will see Demon Knights overtake them. They can also close the gap between themselves and top-ranked Northern Conference team Armidale City Westside to one or two points if they win and Westside fails to beat Moore Creek.
For East Armidale, the 2024 campaign has been a tough one so far and they are now playing for pride as they continue to search for their first win. They travelled to Narrabri with just 12 players for two grades last weekend but are hopeful of having more troops on deck for this Saturday's game in Armidale.
