Killarney v Terrigal
This week’s match of the round sees a rematch of the 2022 BPL First Grade Grand Final as these two rivals will meet for the latest instalment of the Ash Grant Cup.
After their historic season in 2022 where they finished the season with a perfect record of 18 wins from 18 games in the winter season, a feat that has never been done before in the history of BPL, Killarney still remain unbeaten to start the 2023 season but record two draws and only one win to their name.
In saying that, the Terriers haven’t had the easiest opening three games. Killarney faced Association Cup winners Southern & Ettalong in the opening round as that game finished 3-3.
Their second fixture of the year was against newly promoted East Gosford who were playing at home for the first time since returning to the topflight competition as the Terriers edged out the Rams with a late goal to win 1-0.
Last week it was Berkeley Vale who faced Chris Ackerley’s side and despite going down twice in the match, the Terriers showed their resilience to walk away with a point as that contest finished 2-2.
“It’s been a very hard start to the year with playing both Southern & Berkeley Vale, two of the favourites for the title. Also, the game against East Gosford being their first game back in the top division was difficult. Pleased to be still undefeated at this stage with a couple of draws which could easily have been won,” voiced Ackerley.
“I think this year is going to be extremely close due to the fact so many sides will be losing players to travel so makes it more crucial to start the season well.”
The challenge won’t get any easier this weekend as the reigning league champions Killarney welcome the reigning premiers Terrigal to Edsaac this Sunday.
One of the main reasons Killarney had such a successful season last year was because their defence was impenetrable, over the course of 18 games, the Terriers only conceded 10 goals. However, they have already conceded five goals in the first three rounds which is below par for this outfit.
These two clubs have had a lot of history in recent years. While Killarney defeated Terrigal twice during the winter season last year, when it came to the final game of the year in the BPL Grand Final the O’lads got the best of their opponents to come from behind and win 4-3 in a very dramatic contest.
That Grand Final win marked the second straight time Terrigal got the better of Killarney in the First Grade Grand Final as their rivalry continues to build every year.
Ackerley stated he is well aware of the threats the opposition possesses in their arsenal but is mainly focused on his side getting back to what made them so successful last year.
“Terrigal with a new coach and some new players will be a tough contest as we know after playing them in the preseason cup and we will have to be on top of our game to be able to compete with them. Crucially for us, we have to stop conceding soft goals & get back to how we were hard to score against like last year.”
As for Terrigal, they welcomed a new head coach this season, Pete Edwards, as he led his side to a perfect opening round match as they defeated Kanwal 4-0.
“The MPL competition for me has shown that there are no easy games at the top end. Teams will set up in many different styles and present different threats and challenges each week, which means the players have to adapt quickly on the field.”
“Southern Ettalong has started the competition on fire and are playing some really good footy and along with Berkeley Vale and Killarney, I think this year is going to be a really tight competition with several teams right there fighting for the title until the very last game. It’s going to make the league super exciting to follow and adds that little extra passion and desire to every game. I’m confident we will be right up there in the mix come the last round.”
However, the O’lads could not back that performance up in round 2 as they fell short to Wyoming 3-2 which came as a shock to many.
Round 3 saw the O’lads return home to Duffy’s Oval for the first time in 2023 as Terrigal got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over the newly promoted Woy Woy.
“The opening few rounds have been tricky to navigate for us, given so many midweek cup games and managing the loading on the players. In saying that, I’m really happy with how we are progressing and the boy’s commitment to challenging themselves to play some good football and make the right decisions on the field at the right times,” said the O’lads coach Pete.
“In every game, we’ve shown some real quality on the ball and we just need to keep working on putting the chances we make away and ironing out small errors that can cost you at this level.”
This Sunday will mark Terrigal’s third game inside seven days as the O’lads travelled down to Christie Park mid-week to face NPL outfit NWS Spirit FC.
Terrigal displayed a very courageous effort despite being massive underdogs, and after ninety minutes of play the score was still locked at 0-0. However, Spirit eventually grabbed two goals in extra time to defeat the valiant Terrigal side and end their 2023 Australia Cup run.
Playing 120 minutes against an NPL side is sure to take its toll as Terrigal must now focus on this week’s battle against Killarney.
“Coming into the game this weekend on the back of a 120 minutes extra time match on Wednesday against NPL side NWS Spirit isn’t the ideal preparation, but it shows that we can compete with the best in NSW and we will look to take that momentum and belief into this weekend and look to establish our style of football on the game from the start,” commented Pete.
“The game this weekend against Killarney will be another example of this. Two good teams with real quality, both looking to establish some dominance in the game. Add to this the long history of these two clubs going head-to-head to ramp up the passion and we’ve got the makings of a great game of football.”
“Killarney will be drilled well, organised and provide a real test for us on Sunday. It’s a great time to play each other early on in the season to get a true gauge on where the teams are at. I have total confidence in my lads and believe we can go out on Sunday and put in another top performance but are aware of the threat Killarney presents, and we will need to discipline and be at the top of our game to take the points home with us.”
One positive Terrigal can take out of playing midweek is that their centre-back Trent Vegter was able to serve his suspension that he picked up in round 3 against Woy Woy.
With two other top contenders in 2023 facing off this weekend, Southern & Ettalong and Berkeley Vale, a win this weekend could see Terrigal jump to first place on their ladder so there is plenty to play for come Sunday.
“I’m really looking forward to the game and will also be keeping a keen eye on the result in the Berkeley Vale v Southern Ettalong game too, Big weekend of football on the Central Coast!”
Match Official – Miles Allen-Scott
All Round 4 Fixtures:
