Terrigal v Kincumber
Our seven-team WPL competition now enters round 8 as our clubs have now played everyone at least once and our second round of fixtures kick-off this weekend as Terrigal and Kincumber headline the match of the round.
Enjoying just their third competition game at Duffys Oval this weekend, current league leaders will be out to repeat last week’s mid-week result against Kincumber and pick up all three points in front of a home crowd.
The biggest standout of the competition so far is undefeated Terrigal who enter Sunday as league leaders, sitting on 16 points with a record of 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 bye.
Hot on their heels is the other title contender East Gosford who also remains unbeaten after the opening seven weeks of the competition.
However, O’lasses head coach Gab Blanch knows the WPL competition in 2023 is extremely close and states that her side must continue to be consistent.
“It’s great seeing our hard work paying off, the girls deserve to be there (first place). I am realistic in acknowledging though, we’re only a loss or two away from sitting in 4th or 5th place.”
“So, we have to remain consistent, and understand that whilst we are sitting in a good spot right now, there were plenty of missed opportunities throughout round one, and we have a lot of work to do to address these.”
When asked if anyone from the team has brought up going the entire season undefeated, Gab voiced “Honestly, it’s such an unspoken thing within our camp. I think we have been humbled by the fact that every week we are battling for those points.”
“Some of the score lines may reflect a whitewash, yet week in, week out, we are having to break down and problem solve to earn the goals that earn the points. I believe round 2 will look very different for this exact reason, so we need to ensure we are continuing our upward trajectory and not resting on our laurels.”
Terrigal and Kincumber faced less than two weeks ago for a mid-week catch-up fixture at Pluim Park. Terrigal was able to secure a 2-0 win as Gab praised the competition newcomers when looking back on that fixture.
“The Roos are the dark horse in this competition for me. They are young and fit, they seem coachable, but most importantly they play as a team. They don’t rely on individuals to win them games, and I believe this is what will win them games this year.”
“Our preparation has been based around the consistency of high performance for the full 90 minutes. We are fit, and we play intelligent football, and we need to exhibit this at every opportunity. Sunday will be a good test for my girls to put this into practice, against an emerging opposition.”
Gab also spoke on what her side must do to record another win over Kincumber this weekend, which starts way before the whistle even blows for kick-off on Sunday. ”If we start the game with the level of intensity, intelligence and execution we know we are capable of, I have no doubt we will achieve a positive result this weekend.”
“A key focus for us this year has been collective preparation, so it’s no longer just about the ninety-minute game for us, it’s about what we do on Saturday, how we show up to the ground, how we warm up. All of these things coming together will be key for us to take our performance to another level.”
Kincumber has surprised many since their inclusion in the WPL competition in 2023. In their first-round fixture since returning to the competition, The Roos took it to title contenders Kanwal and fell just short, losing 2-1.
However, Kincumber got their first win in round 2 when they welcomed Killarney to Frost Reserve and defeated the Terriers 3-2.
Their only other win so far this season once again came in front of a home crowd at Frost Reserve as the Roos narrowly edged out last year’s grand finalist Southern & Ettalong in a 1-0 win.
Kincumber currently only sit four points away from fourth place and a semi-finals spot as the Roos look to keep themselves in finals contention and get back to winning ways this weekend.
“Morale is great. The girls are improving each week and are enjoying the challenge. We have a young team who will only go from strength to strength in coming seasons,” voiced Roos manager David Cullen.
Despite losing their last two matches and coming off their second biggest defeat of the season, Kincumber will take plenty away from last weekend’s 5-0 loss to Umina.
After a below-par opening 45 minutes, the Roos come out in the second period against the defending champs with a newfound determination which made for an extremely close second half.
If Kincumber can start the way they finished this weekend and sustain that performance for the entire 90 minutes they could be the ones to hand the current league leaders their first loss in 2023.
When asked about starting the way they finished, David stated a fast start will be very important against their opposition this weekend. “A good start is critical because when you are playing a quality team like Terrigal catch-up football is very difficult.”
“The girls from both teams know each other very well with half attending the same high school. The very formidable Terrigal side will be looking to make a strong point against the fledgling Kincumber outfit.”
“The key for the Roos will be to keep the effort and compete for everything. We need to out-enthuse the opposition.”
Match Official – Stephen Wrightson
All Round 8 Fixtures –
