Southern & Ettalong v Avoca
The Lions will battle against The Sharks this Sunday for the MPL round 2 match of the round. Southern enter this contest being one of just four teams who got on the pitch in round 1 as they travelled into enemy territory to face the reigning undefeated League Champions Killarney.
“SEUFC 2023 squad has seen the retainment of the majority of the 2022 squad, with the inclusion of some quality younger and experienced players. Many of our younger 2022 squad members are now 12 months older and with footballing mentors such as Keith Gumbs, Matt Page & Todd Balneaves, their footballing development is progressing nicely,” spoke Southern head coach Dale Eggleton.
“With such players as Jacob Lepre, Jack Ellwood & Sam Webb looking at keeping fit, ready and available for more games in season 2023, it’s a positive for the entire squad.”
Dale couldn’t have asked for a better start from his squad in their first round fixture as they took an early 2-0 lead thanks to the almighty Keith Gumbs who opened his 2023 goal-scoring account after just two minutes of play before grabbing his second inside the opening 10 minutes of the first half.
Their fast start was a result of their tremendous preseason, “The lads have had a great preseason working extremely hard as a unit and whilst competition for positions has been intense the comradery between our youth and experienced players has been first class.”
The Lions ended up letting their lead slip and trailed 3-2 deep into stoppage time as it looked like Southern would walk away from round 1 with zero points to their name.
However, the left foot of Jacob Lepre saved his side once again as he was able to tuck home a freekick from the edge of the box which saw the game finish 3-3.
Southern will take lots of confidence out of their draw with the Terriers, knowing they have what it takes to go head-to-head with the competition standard.
Plenty of outsiders have Southern finishing the year in first place and on paper, they have the squad to make that a reality. “The only expectation I have for the 2023 squad is to play to their potential and work hard for each other. If this is achieved, rewards will be on offer at the end of the Season,” voiced Dale.
When asked about this weekend’s opposition, Dale also said. “Neil over the last few years has built a squad based on youth and also has some quality experienced players guiding his young troops around the park, very similar to our own squad composition. The game will be high tempo from the opening whistle to the final whistle, with both attacks applying maximum pressure on both teams’ defensive structures. We look forward to hosting the Sharks at the Den on Sunday in front of a healthy home crowd.”
As for the opposition, there is plenty of hype around Avoca this season. Despite losing their captain Nixon Jowett, head coach Neal Hide has done a fantastic job recruiting the right players to fill the void of their ex-captain.
“Compared to last year, we have welcomed several new players, all of whom are in their early 20’s or teenagers, so we again expect to have one of the youngest squads in the MPL,” stated Neal.
“We had a great preseason in that we actually had one. We managed several friendlies, as well as participating in the Association and Australia Cup, it’s been very good.”
Avoca enters the latest chapter of the Men’s Premier League coming off an unbeaten Premier Autocare Association Cup run where they recorded wins over Wyong (4-2) and Kanwal (3-0) and split the points with reigning premiers Terrigal in a 2-2 draw.
Avoca is also one of just two Central Coast teams remaining in the Australia Cup. The Sharks will be hoping to carry all of this momentum and get their season off to a perfect start, defeating Southern on enemy territory this weekend.
Avoca does not have the greatest record against their round 2 opponents as Southern was able to defeat them both times last season to claim maximum points over the Sharks.
“We’re really excited to see what this season brings. We feel our squad depth is stronger than in previous years. We are confident that we will improve upon our performance and league place in all 3 grades.”
Avoca will need to be at their best come Sunday if they wish to leave James Browne Oval with any points to their name, but Neal and his squad are very eager for the match-up. “We’re expecting a tough game against SEU. They had a good start to their season with a draw against Killarney, so we know we’ll have to put in an excellent performance to get the three points. Can’t wait to meet up with Dale’s lads, should be a terrific game.”
Match Official – Anthony Kabbout
All Round 2 Fixtures:
