Terrigal v Umina
Reigning League Champions and Premiers Umina will be looking to start where they finished off last season as they travel to Duffy’s Oval this Easter Sunday for the WPL round 2 match of the round.
Terrigal was supposed to get their season underway last week, but the wet weather postponed their opening-round fixture against Kincumber. Terrigal’s WPL side will have quite a different look this season as the experienced Gabby Blanch takes the reins of the O’lasses for 2023.
“I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect coming into the WPL setup, but the girls have welcomed Me, and our new staff with open arms. They have shown commitment to the program and are having a lot of fun doing it. I feel like I am exactly where I need to be right now. I am really enjoying being able to provide structure and process to Terrigal’s Premier League program,” spoke Gabby.
Gabby brings a wealth of coaching knowledge to Terrigal as her squad will be determined to improve on the success of last season and cement their name as one of the competition favourites for 2023.
“My expectations for the season ahead are high. I saw what the girls did in the backend of 2022 and the players know I have set the bar high, I ask a lot of them in training, and on game day. I know we have the players to go all the way, in both grades. But it will take discipline, and there is a lot of learning to be done. I believe we have the right mix of players and staff to get the job done this year.”
It felt like Terrigal fell just short of their goals in 2022. They made the Association Cup Grand Final but fell to Umina 1-0 on that day in a very intense and close contest.
Terrigal almost booked their place in the 2022 WPL Grand Final also but a late goal against Southern saw them come up short once again in their quest to win silverware and when it comes to Umina, Terrigal failed to pick up any points against the E-Gals outfit last year.
“We had a somewhat disjointed pre-season, as I expect many of our counterparts did. With minimal pitch availability, we are slightly tactically behind where I would have liked, coming into the season. However, we have worked hard on building a positive team culture, and our strength and conditioning program has set us up well for Round 1.”
“Winning is important to me but being our first round game of the season, what’s more important at this stage is the players showing me they understand, and can execute, the playing style we want to achieve. I believe the squad will gain more from a strong football performance on Sunday, if a win comes from that it’s a bonus.”
As the new season starts for both these sides, a win for Terrigal will be a massive feat and could set up the success of their whole season.
“I anticipate a tough, even contest with Umina. We met them only a few weeks back in pre-season, the conditions were tough but both sides were highly competitive. Umina are tough on any day and will give us a run for our money. Regardless, I’m looking forward to a good game of football,” spoke an excited Gabby.
As for Umina, they enter the 2023 season once again as the competition favourites after winning multiple trophies last season including the Association Cup, WPL League Champions and Premiers. With Steve Donaldson at the helm again for the E-Gals, Umina will continue to have a massive target on their back as their WPL opposition will be looking to dethrone the champions any chance they get.
“This year’s squad has seen a few key changes. We see the 2020 Player of the Year Gemma Crowson move away. Leisel Collins joins up with the Mariners A-League team. And our right back Nicole Carmichael, who was the top scorer in the pre-season cup, left due to work. Amongst a squad of 13 new players, we’re looking very different, but much stronger in our squad in reserves overall. As well as perfect signings to replace the three that we lost,” spoke Steve.
“Preseason has been generally pretty smooth. We’ve had a pretty good run with the cup making the GF. However, haven’t been able to lock in our eleven in any of the games yet so we’re still adapting.”
Umina finished last year off on an unstoppable run of form, winning their last nine competition games and kept that form going into the 2022 finals series where they won another two games to take their streak to eleven.
However, the E-Gals struggled with consistency at the beginning of last year which they hope will not be the case again in 2023.
“I’ve always put winning the league as the highest achievement and it is always our expectation. The Grand Final, Club Championship and the Cup were great titles to win last year, but winning the league proves who the best team is.”
Steve also added, “We find ourselves very short the first month of games, so I’m hoping with a bit of luck we can get a result Sunday. Getting to play the teams three times this year gives two more chances of making back any points lost though. Terrigal has always put up a tough test against us, and they’re always quick off the mark. I think a few matchups will be key to who comes out on top and will be interesting to see if either team can make the most of what is usually a low-scoring game.”
Don’t miss this WPL blockbuster this Easter Sunday at Duffy’s Oval!
Match Official – Troy Ward
All WPL Round 2 Fixtures:
