Southern & Ettalong v Terrigal
Flying high after handing Killarney their first league loss in over 35 games, Terrigal will look to extend their lead in second place when they travel to the peninsula to battle third-place Southern & Ettalong in the round 14 match of the round.
Despite Pete Edwards and the O’lads having quite a few players out via injuries and holidays, this did not stop their momentum as they took down Killarney last Saturday night and handed them their first loss in 2023.
That victory marked their fifth straight win in first grade as well as their fourth clean sheet of the season as they look to add to that tremendous record this weekend.
“The team is obviously on a high from the weekend win against Killarney, but no matter the stats around Killarney’s success over the years, it’s really just one game and three points,” voiced Edwards.
“We know that there is still a lot of work to be done to make this campaign a successful season for us. So, our focus is firmly set on the next rounds.”
With their sights firmly set on Southern, Terrigal will be looking to avenge their biggest defeat of 2023 which came via the hand of the Lions back in round 5.
On that day at Duffy’s Oval Terrigal fell 5-2, something Pete has reflected on heading into this weekend, voicing that his team will be determined to prove they are better than that.
“Southern is a top side. I picked them as the one to watch this year and we know the danger they possess all too well.”
“Our last outing against them was probably our worst performance of the year and I’m sure the boys will be keen to prove that we are a much better team than we showed them last time round.”
Pete also spoke on what he believes has caused this latest run of form, stating that “I think our success over the last few weeks has been down to our great squad depth. We have had a fair share of players away or injured this season, and now that suspensions are starting to come into play, the starting eleven is changing every week.”
“This gives players lots of opportunities to step up and credit to them all, they have been fantastic.”
Although entering round 14 as the most in-form team in the competition, Pete is well aware his side must stick to the basics and remained disciplined if they wish to claim another three points come Sunday.
“We will need to take the confidence from our current form but remain disciplined and effective in our game plan to come away with any success this weekend. It’s a big game for both clubs as we look to close the gap on Killarney.”
“I expect it to be a hard-fought game with a few key moments that will make the difference on the day.”
As for the home side, they will enter round 14 underdone after having their round 13 clash with Berkeley Vale washed out and the week before that having a bye which means it will be three weeks on Sunday since the Lions have last played.
Despite not stepping on the park in over two weeks, Lions coach Dale Eggleton states it has given his team a chance to focus on the important matters. “The break has given us the chance to freshen up reassess and focus on parts of our game that need tweaking and developing.”
“The only concern is losing any match condition not having played for three weeks and concentration.”
After a very positive and exciting start to the season, the results from their latest run of games have been far from ideal as the Lions are now winless since round 9. In round 9, a 3-1 win over their peninsular rivals Woy Woy saw Southern jump into second place, just one point behind the league leaders Killarney.
Round 10 saw Southern host Killarney and a win would have propelled them into first place however the Lions came out second best to record just their second loss of the year.
However, since that loss the Lions have fallen into a slump, recording a 2-2 draw against Avoca and a 2-1 loss to East Gosford as the once League Champions contenders are now battling to secure a spot in the top four and play finals.
This Lions side, steered by Dale Eggleton, with be determined to get back to winning ways this weekend as they look to put a halt to all of Terrigal’s momentum and regain their spot in second place.
“Our goal is to now start building momentum over the next six games,” voiced Dale.
“Our form and results haven’t been as good at home as in previous seasons and instead of dwelling on that we are focused on changing that. Terrigal are flying at the moment in attack and defence so it will be a great test to see if we can turn our home form around.”
Dale also touched on what he thinks will be key for his team to get back to winning ways in front of a home crowd this Sunday. “Our key is to stick to our match plan for the entire 90 minutes and concentrate on that entirely not being distracted by the official’s decisions or anything outside the playing field.”
Match Official – Miles Allen-Scott
All Round 14 Fixtures –
