East Gosford v Kincumber
Finals-bound East Gosford will be looking to build some momentum heading into the final weeks of the year as they welcome Kincumber to Hylton Moore Oval for the round 19 match of the round.
It was back to usual business for East Gosford last weekend as they defeated last year’s WPL grand finalist Southern & Ettalong 9-0 away from home. Kelly Hogan was unstoppable in front of goal, scoring five goals to her name to join Kanwal’s Jordan Evans on 19 goals and go equal second on the WPL Golden Boot Standings.
Kelly’s teammate, Tahlor Thackray, currently leads the competition with 23 goals but will be missing from the team sheet for a few weeks due to other commitments which opens the golden boot race in the final few rounds.
East Gosford would have been extremely eager to get back to winning ways last weekend after their disappointing loss to Umina the week before. Jorge Chavez and his side travelled to Umina Oval to take on the E-Gals and after a dominant first half, the Rams went into the shed 4-1 up.
However, a determined Umina scored four unanswered goals to claw their way back and win 5-4, handing East Gosford only their second loss of 2023.
“We seem to be our own worst enemy, we were up 3-1 against Terrigal and 4-1 against Umina and failed to walk away with the three points on both occasions. Those two results are really hard to swallow but we will learn and grow from it,” voiced Jorge.
On a brighter note, East Gosford have now secured a spot in the 2023 WPL Finals Series, a remarkable feat that has only been done once before in the club’s history.
“Finishing in the top four for the second time in the clubs is a huge achievement.”
Now looking to this weekend, East Gosford have beaten this side twice already as they prepare to meet Kincumber for the third and final time this season. Having beaten the Roo’s 7-0 and 6-0, the Rams will enter the contest as major favourites.
Jorge had very high praise when asked about the opposition, stating his side will need to be on their A-game come Sunday. “Kincumber have proven this year to be a great squad, they give a lot, and we must be at our best to walk away with the three points.”
Kincumber entered the WPL season in 2023 as the newcomers but quickly proved they deserved to be in the competition.
With only three games remaining in their season and finals contention now mathematically impossible, Kincumber will still have plenty to prove in the final rounds of the season as they look to further build and improve in their first year in WPL and build some momentum themselves heading in 2024.
David Cullen of Kincumber spoke on what this first year in the competition has meant to this squad and the club as they continue to build a pathway for their junior women’s football programs.
“2023 has been very successful. The WPL First and Reserves have galvanised as competitive units, with strong comradery and a healthy competition between the girls for first-grade spots. Both sides have been competitive in most matches with the firsts likely to finish above two other teams. The team has also had very strong matches against higher ranked teams including Kanwal and Terrigal.”
Dave also added, “The club has an eye to the future and a commitment to women’s football. The Kincumber Roos WPL presence has had a profound impact upon the junior girl’s football programs. Kincumber has leading teams in the girls U12, U14, and U16s competitions with a clearly defined pathway to the WPL for girls in the U16s team. The club has a focus on building within.”
Dave also touched on how important it is for Kincumber to continue to build and grow game by game, even with finals football now out of the question.
“Every game is important for the Kincumber Roos WPL squad. It is clear the girls have grown from match to match and the final few games will be as keenly contested as early season matches.”
East Gosford coach Jorge Chavez has stated in the past his respect and admiration for the Kincumber squad and what they are trying to build and achieve within their club in regard to women’s football.
There is plenty of mutual respect between these two sides as Dave Cullen also commends this weekend’s opposition.
“East Gosford is a quality, well-travelled team with depth across the park. They will be keen to take as much momentum into the finals as possible. Both the first and reserves have had their moments with East Gosford throughout the season and will be itching to do their best. The Roos will leave nothing in the tank.”
Match Official – Graeme Gurr
All Round 19 Fixtures –
