Woongarrah v Killarney
New league leaders Woongarrah look to continue their tremendous run of form but welcome in-form Killarney to Hamlyn Terrace who will be looking to dethrone the Wildcats and secure a spot inside the top four.
Entering their fixture last week, Luke Rogers and his men knew that three points against Terrigal would propel them to the top of the ladder after Berkeley Vale and Killarney battled to a 4-4 draw the night before.
The last meeting between Woongarrah and Terrigal finished in a stalemate at 0-0, so the pressure was mounting on the Wildcats backs even more before kick-off.
However, Woongarrah were able to put together one of their best performances this season to record their biggest win of the year, a 7-1 victory over the O’lads in front of an extremely pleased home crowd.
Rogers spoke on what exactly went right for his side last Sunday. “It was great to see all the hard work we’ve been putting in bear its fruit.”
“I was happy the boys got to enjoy the second half without the scoreboard pressure. It was definitely a team effort over the ninety minutes with seven different scorers and only the 1 goal against is proof of the collective effort.”
Now with only two fixtures remaining in the season, Woongarrah have taken the poll position to finish the year as MPL First Grade League Champions, which will be a first in the club’s history.
Nonetheless, Woongarrah will have an even bigger target on their back, especially as this weekend’s opponents look to continue their incredible run of form and secure a top-four finish.
Rogers commented on how he plans to keep getting the best out of his players who must continue to step up in the final two weeks. “I think before a ball was even kicked this season we have had the biggest target on our back out of all the clubs.”
“Now being on top, this won’t change that, the boys are used to it. With two rounds to go and the competition being so close, we have won nothing yet. We are just taking it one game at a time.”
Enjoying their fourth straight game at home, Woongarrah will enter the weekend knowing they have what it takes to get the best of this Killarney side after ninety minutes.
Although their previous meeting with the Terriers this season was a close affair, Woongarrah prevailed 3-2 thanks to goals from veterans Matthew Lewis and Jacob Melling who recorded a double.
With both camps having so much to play for, Rogers stated his team must concentrate for the whole ninety minutes if they wish to have the same success as last time. “Previous meeting with Killarney was a tight affair and either side could have won on the night, it was that close of a game. We will be expecting the same again.”
“You can’t switch off against a side like Killarney. We will have to be focused for the entirety of the match.”
As for Killarney, they are gearing up for their second straight week of facing the competition league leaders as the reigning champions once again look to claim points from the top side to further their chances of playing finals.
It was a big stage last week for the Terriers who travelled to Mingara Oval to face Berkeley Vale. The Wombats were celebrating their 50th anniversary and the fixture itself lived up to all expectations which finished in a 4-4 draw.
It was a frantic fixture from the first whistle and after thirty minutes the game had already seen six goals. Chris Ackerley voiced what went wrong and what went right in that game. “Played really well last week just went to sleep a couple of times defensively.”
A goal from Jayden Radford and a hat-trick for Ryan Gibson helped Killarney claim that vital point, taking Gibson’s tally to the year to 13 goals, as he continues to make his mark on the competition in his inaugural year.
After an uncharacteristic slow start to their season, the Terriers are back to the dominant ways. The second half of the year has seen an incredible turnaround in results from the reigning Champions.
After recording five losses in their opening seven fixtures, Killarney have only lost one match in their nine games since which makes them one of the most in-form and feared teams in the competition.
“The boys know what we have to do if we want to play semis so it’s all in their hands,” added Ackerley.
It’s no secret Killarney have been the absolute gold standard of the MPL competition for the last seven years, claiming seven straight First Grade titles which is a feat no other club has been able to do before.
Killarney are yet to lose to the same team twice this season, so despite coming up short last game against Woongarrah, the Terriers will be backing themselves to get the job done on Sunday despite being on enemy territory.
“Last time they got us in the last five minutes which showed they go right to the end, they have a lot of quality right across the park. We will need to defend well and take our chances to pick up all three points this weekend,” said Ackerley.
Match Official – Jason Blackwood
All Round 17 Fixtures –
