Budgewoi v Avoca
After a weekend spoilt by the wet weather, Haydn Appo’s side will look to keep momentum rolling when they host Avoca for the MPL Round 8 Match of the Round.
In their two encounters with Avoca last season, it was a clean sweep for the Budgewoi boys who emerged victorious 2-1, and 3-1 during the winter season.
Since then, both teams have gone through tremendous change after falling short of their goals in 2024.
Budgewoi for the second straight season since being promoted into the MPL competition hit the market and welcomed an influx of talent as they look to establish themselves as a heavyweight within the competition.
Their most notable recruits are the trio of Charlie Entwistle, Stuart Adams, and Chris Lennon who have all found their stride in recent weeks to propel Budgewoi into second place.
After opening their year with a comfortable 2-0 win over Terrigal, Budgewoi recorded defeat in the following fixture, going down 3-2 against top-of-the-table Southern.
In their last three fixtures, Budgewoi have recorded three straight wins in dominant fashion. Appo’s men returned to winning ways with a 5-1 victory over Ourimbah. Budgewoi followed that victory up with a 3-0 result over Kanwal, handing the Bulls their first defeat of 2025.
But their biggest victory of the year and the MPL season so far would be their 8-3 victory over last year’s League Champions Woongarrah. Tahj Werner found himself on the scoresheet three times while teammates Stuart Adams and Charlie Entwistle both recorded a brace in that fixture.
Appo voiced that the reason for his strong attack all starts from his backline. “I think defence wins games, and your attack will determine by how much. There has not been any shooting practice of any sought. I think it just comes down to the more chances you are able to create, the better your odds of scoring.”
Thanks to that win, Budgewoi enters this weekend sitting on equal points with Berkeley Vale, but a superior goal difference has them in second place above the Wombats.
Plenty of emphasis will be on Stuart Adams again this weekend as the Budgewoi man will go up against his former club in Avoca. Adams, a two-time MPL Player of the Year, seems to be back to playing at his career best under Appo after being troubled by injuries last season.
“When teams cannot train, frustrations are always present,” commented Appo. “Corey and I have been fortunate enough not to have missed a single session with a ball at the players’ feet over the past three weeks.”
“Soccer5’s has been a saviour, with last Thursday’s downpour creating an additional challenge to the training environment. Attendance and intensity have been spot on by the playing group.”
Appo added, “I believe that Avoca will be fit side, well and truly up for the challenge this Sunday. I’m expecting it to be a great game. We will need to stick to our game plan, and what we have been building through our mid-week training sessions.”
Much like Budgewoi, 2024 failed to live up to expectations for the Avoca squad who will look to make the most of their lifeline in the Premier League this season.
Mitch Harrison was appointed the new head coach for the Sharks in their quest to reinstate themselves as a force within the MPL.
Despite losing arguably two of their best players in Stuarts Adams and Noah Ajala, Harrison and Avoca have proven that they are capable of matching it with the competition’s best every week.
After claiming their first victory of the season, a 3-1 win over rivals Terrigal in their fourth fixture, Avoca were unable to back that performance up as they fell 5-0 to league leaders Southern.
Itching to make amends for that defeat, the wet weather last weekend put a halt to all football as Harrison speaks on how he has been trying to keep his side physically and mentally switched on.
“The wet weather certainly hasn’t been ideal! We’ve just made sure to get something in to get the boys together. We’ve managed to get some sessions on artificial pitches, and we had some awesome workouts at REVL Kincumber.”
Harrison also commented on if anything in the league has surprised him so far. “At this stage in the season, I think I’ve been surprised by the number of new faces lighten up the league.”
“Outside of Southern, each side has had outstanding players that we haven’t seen much of in the MPL, and it’s great to see such a high level of football on the coast.”
Avoca currently sit in seventh place on four points, but the bottom six teams are only separated by three points so a win this weekend could see Avoca end the week as high as fifth while a loss could see the Sharks plummet into last place.
Harrison has a great respect for this week’s opposition and knows just how dangerous they can be. “Budgewoi have taken great strides since their promotion. They’ve got a great coaching staff, and to complement their strong juniors they’ve recruited well. Including Stuart Adams, a player who we know very well from his time at Avoca, in which he was outstanding.”
“They’ll be confident after a big win last week and have some real quality to supplement their athleticism.”
Lastly, Harrison added, “For us to succeed on the weekend, we need to perform for the full 90 minutes. We’re confident we can match and overcome any side we play this year. It’s no different this weekend, we feel there’s every chance we can take three points.”
Match Official – Alexander Robinson
All Round 8 Fixtures –
