Terrigal v Woongarrah
Important points are on the line this Saturday night under the bright lights of Pluim Park as two struggling sides in Terrigal and Woongarrah meet and battle it out for the chance to turn their season around.
Terrigal enters this Match of the Round fixture sitting in eighth place on 6 points, recording only two wins in eight fixtures. Their opponents Woongarrah, and last year’s League Champions, find themselves at the bottom of the ladder with just four points to their name.
Despite not much going right for the O’lads in 2025, Terrigal will enter this important matchup with plenty of confidence as their two wins this year have both come at Pluim Park.
Their initial win was a 2-1 victory during Magic Round where Ryan Pearce’s men were able to overcome Wyoming.
Their second victory was less than a month ago when Terrigal put Killarney to the sword, defeating the Terriers 4-0 in the first instalment of the 2025 Ash Grant Cup.
Since that empathic victory over Killarney in round 9, Terrigal were unable to carry the momentum from that win, recording significant back-to-back losses since against Budgewoi (5-0) and Kanwal (3-0).
Despite a subpar run of form this season, Pearce is adamant his side are sticking together. “Morale is quite high even though we are really struggling to bank some points on the board.”
“I thought last weekend we really deserved more from that game, the scoreboard pressure got to us after we squandered some really clear chances to take the lead.”
Pearce also spoke about any revelations he has seen from the competition this year. “I think the biggest surprise has been how clinical teams and players are becoming. I feel as though more goals are being scored this year from well-designed set plays and some individual brilliance.”
Gearing up for three games in eight days, Terrigal will face Woongarrah twice during this period as well as a mid-week catch-up with defending Premiers Berkeley Vale.
Pearce spoke on this tough run of games and whether he thinks this period is make or break for his club in terms of avoiding relegation.
“These next two weeks are extremely important for us. We are playing teams in the same position as we are so points are vital to put a gap between us.”
“I believe Woongarrah to be fired up to really kick start their season. As I’m sure they would expect their side to be far higher up on the table pushing for finals footy.”
Pearce also added, “My boys need to stay mentally in the fight for 90 minutes, we show glimpses of highly competitive footy against good opponents, now it’s about maintaining that and getting results.”
The Wildcats get their first taste of Terrigal this Saturday as the reigning League Champions look for vital points to climb out of the relegation zone.
After gaining promotion into MPL last season, Woongarrah went their first three games without a win before turning things around to finish in first place.
With the majority of the squad still the same, this side has what it takes to build on momentum, momentum they will be hoping comes from a 3-point haul this weekend.
Woongarrah are yet to win since their Association Cup Grand Final victory against Budgewoi back in April. Their last win in the league outdates that victory, when they beat Avoca on opening day in the first weekend of April.
Much like the opposition, Luke Rogers is adamant his team are up for the battle to turn their poor run of form around. “Morale within the squad is good as our reserve grade and 23’s are doing really well.”
“However, we aren’t happy with where first grade is at the minute so while there is a lot of unhappy people with the situation, we are all determined to turn it around.”
Rogers went more in-depth on how important this double header in back-to-back weeks against Terrigal is for his squad in terms of relegation. “These are definitely must-win matches for us, as all have been lately.”
“Our performances are improving weekly, so I’m confident a win isn’t far away. I don’t think it’s make or break yet for us and relegation but it’s certainly heading into that time frame.”
Both these teams will be looking forward to playing on a nice flat pitch which is Pluim Park. Terrigal’s two wins this year have come at the home of Central Coast Football, while Woongarrah will have mixed feelings stepping back on Pluim 1.
Although they won silverware this year with a 1-0 victory over Budgewoi, Woongarrah have also registered a 7-1 defeat to Southern on this pitch, which is the second time they have conceded 7 goals on this field in the last year.
Rogers will be looking for a big response from his players, led by captain Alex Govorcin, as he is aware that Terrigal will be just as hungry to claim the points.
“Terrigal needs these three points as much as we do. So, I’m expecting a desperate Terrigal side on the weekend and full of energy.”
“To have a chance of winning on Saturday night we need to stop the simple errors in both our final thirds. If we do this then we will be a very hard team to beat.”
Match Official – Luke Dunkerley
All Round 12 Fixtures –
