FINAL
Southern Ettalong v Terrigal
Southern Ettalong will be raring to get back on the pitch after last weekend’s upsetting 3-0 loss to Umina as they now prepare for Terrigal who are coming off a gruelling extra-time victory over East Gosford.
Southern enters their do-or-die clash with Terrigal coming off a 3-0 loss against League Champions Umina last weekend. In the Major Semi-Final, Southern Ettalong started fast and started positively as they took it to the E-Gals from the opening whistle. However, The Lionesses failed to convert any of their opportunities, and it hurt them late in the first half when they conceded the opening goal of the game from a penalty. The second half for Southern saw the opposition come out and seem to want it more as Umina grabbed another two goals and kept Southern scoreless in ninety minutes for the first time this season. After finishing the game with zero goals, Emily Diaz will have a point to prove as the 2022 Golden Boot winner will be determined to get her side back to goal-scoring ways.
The last time these two sides faced was in the rescheduled round 1 fixture around 5 weeks ago. On that day Southern welcomed Terrigal to James Browne Oval and defeated the O’lasses with a convincing 3-0 victory. Marcus Warwick will be hoping his side can emulate a similar performance come Sunday, but finals football can be very unpredictable, and they must prepare for anything and everything. With their season on the line, expect Southern to try and start fast and on the front foot again as they look to convert any opportunities. Southern ended the year with the best-attacking record for a reason so you can expect them to do everything possible to bounce back and book their spot in the 2022 Grand Final.
Marcus Warwick says his girls have moved on from last weekend’s loss as they are ready to rebound this weekend. “The girls have bounced back from the loss and are ready to leave everything on the pitch this Sunday. We felt the pain from Sunday’s loss, and we refuse to feel it again this weekend. Terrigal is such a strong squad, in both grades. Their depth is quite impressive and the strike power up top is dangerous. We must be at our best to lock in both grades to the 2022 WPL Grand Finals.”
Warwick also spoke on the opposition and the respect he has for everyone involved in Terrigal’s WPL squad. “Once that whistle blows it is game on, all or nothing football as there is nothing to lose no more. They will want possession and field control, we will make them uncomfortable and disrupt their game plan. In summary, I respect Terrigal, their coaching staff, and their players, I wish them the best of luck and I look forward to showing the competition the heart of our squad. We will never give up and we will fight until the final whistle this Sunday.”
Terrigal started like a house on fire in their must-win Minor Semi-Final match against the East Gosford Rams last Saturday. It took Terrigal just seven minutes to open the scoring through none other than the clinical and reliable Candice Phelan who recorded her 30th goal of the season. At the half-hour mark, Terrigal doubled their lead through Rachel Darby as the O’lasses looked to be on their to victory. However, Terrigal allowed East Gosford back into the game and went into the sheds at halftime 2-2 as the Rams found the back of the net twice in a short space of time. The remainder of the contest was a very back-and-forth contest as it looked like neither side could find another goal not even in extra time. That was until Blayze Teal took matters into her own hands and with less than 5-minutes to go in extra time, her effort from out wide made its way over the opposition keeper and into the back of the net to give Terrigal the win and more importantly keep their season alive.
This weekend’s clash is set to be a battle of the strikers as the two most consistent and prolific goal scorers in the competition will meet on Sunday. Terrigal’s current record against Southern this season in the two games they have faced is one win and one loss. When these two sides first met, it was Terrigal who got the better of the opposition with a 3-2 win, but their last meeting saw Terrigal fall 3-0 which they will be hoping won’t happen again come Sunday. Terrigal recorded the second-best defensive record in the competition and will need their backline to be at their very best as they try to limit the best attacking team in the league. Much like the opposition, expect Terrigal to give everything they have come Sunday as they will be looking for a win in both grades to cement a spot in the Grand Final.
Head Coach Gregory Parker stated that his team has recovered well following their extra-time match and is ready to show what they are capable of on the pristine pitch of Pluim Park. “We are looking forward to finals football against Southern. They play good quality attacking football. Our squad is in good shape after their recovery session. We have quality forwards in Blayze Teale, Candice Phelan and Rachael Darby. They can score from any area of the field as witnessed by Blayze Teale’s goal in extra time against an excellent East Gosford team. The surface at Pluim Park will suit our playing style.”
Gregory was backed up by his Assistant Coach Peter Blair who says the team is confident and ready for the challenge come Sunday. “We welcome the challenge that is SEU. We are one a piece this year. We have pulled up very well after last week’s game. We go into the game confident in our game plan and playing style. We expect a fast start from Southern and we will go with them.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Isaac Kastelan
