Terrigal v Killarney
The Ash Grant Cup headlines Round 13 as our MPL competition returns after a weekend away with these two finals-bound teams preparing to meet this Saturday night under the bright lights of Pluim Park
These two clubs have quite a history, especially at Pluim Park. The last time these two teams met at Pluim Park, it was the O’lads who were victorious and would reclaim their title as MPL Premiers in the 2022 Grand Final.
Despite being down 3-1 at halftime, the O’lads managed to claw their way back into the match in the second period and win 4-3 to claim the prestigious premiers silverware.
That was Killarney’s only loss of 2022 as the Terriers couldn’t finish their historic season unbeaten. Chris Ackerley and his Killarney squad find themselves in a similar situation this year, leading the rest of the competition on top of the ladder with zero losses to their name.
Chris spoke on the week off which allowed his players to rest and recover in light of this challenging contest. “The weekend off has been brilliant giving the players a chance to get over injuries & sickness which we have had quite a number of.”
Chris also spoke on what the Ash Grant Cup means to him and why it’s so important. “The Ash Grant Cup is very special as he was a good friend and it’s always a hard-contested two games to see who comes away with the trophy on aggregate.”
Before the weekend off, Killarney faced another finals competitor in Berkeley Vale who was the only side the Terriers had not defeated in 2022 heading into round 12. Putting on their best performance of the year, the Terriers walked away with a clinical 3-0 win which gave them a 9-point lead at the top of the table.
Killarney will be hoping for a similar performance this weekend as they face a Terrigal side in season-best form. “Terrigal I think have won their last four games so their confidence will be sky high so we will have to be at our best to try and match them on Saturday,” voiced Ackerley.
“We will have to try and contain their midfield who are very dangerous and enjoy getting on the scoresheet with their runs into the box. Defensively we need to be disciplined and beware of their set pieces where they can hurt you.”
“Should be an exciting game from two sides that have been successful over the last few years.”
With Terrigal fighting to keep their spot in the top four, you can expect them to be looking for a fast start come Saturday night. The O’lads and new coach Pete Edwards, after a slow start to the season by their standards, are looking more like a top-four team as the weeks go on.
Pete Edwards also spoke about the weekend off for his squad and how it may have both a positive and negative effect. “The weekend off has been good and bad for us. It gives the players an opportunity to rest and recover from some knocks and niggles which is good, but we were also starting to find some real form and momentum was good, so I’m hoping we can continue to pick up where we left off.”
After 12 rounds the O’lads currently find themselves sitting in third on the ladder with 7 wins and 22 points to their name. However, more than half of those wins have come in their last four games as this Terrigal side seems to be hitting their stride at the right time of the year.
Last year the O’lads just scrapped into the 2022 finals series but were unstoppable once they got there, winning all of their do-or-die games to book them a place in the grand final where they were crowned back-to-back premiers.
It seems like this could be the case again this year with the tremendous run of form the O’lads are currently enjoying and getting to play on the pristine surface of Pluim Park only increases their chances of pulling off something special again this weekend and taking home the Ash Grant Cup.
“The Ash Grant Cup means a lot to Terrigal and also enhances the rivalry between these two clubs. Ash did so much for Terrigal, and Football on the Coast, and for me it’s great to play in his honour this weekend,” voiced Pete.
“I love playing Killarney as they’re a great club on and off the pitch and these are the types of games both coaches and players want to be a part of!”
When questioned about the opposition, Pete had high praise for the black and white outfit. “I expect this weekend to showcase some really good football. Killarney is having another fantastic season, and we’re starting to find our true form, too.”
“Killarney is the most organised team we’ve played this year and will be hard to break down and create opportunities. We will have to be at our best to find solutions and create goalscoring chances whilst also being resilient and organised ourselves to stop any threat to our goal.”
“As always, the chance to play on the great surface at Pluim Park will help us be able to play the type of football we want and should make this weekend’s game a really exciting opportunity for us to showcase just how good we can be.”
Match Official – Mark Roberts
All Round 13 Fixtures –
