Killarney v Avoca
Three points this Sunday will see Chris Ackerley and Killarney awarded MPL First Grade League Champions for the seventh straight year. However, The Terriers must overcome a dangerous Avoca side coming off a fantastic win over Terrigal.
The competition’s gold standard of the last few years finds themselves at the pinnacle of the First-Grade ladder once again as we have just two rounds left to play in 2023.
Coming off a perfect winter season last year where the Terriers finished the year with 18 wins from 18 games. Another unbeaten start to the season this year had Killarney looking to possibly remain undefeated until they recorded their inaugural defeat of 2023 to Terrigal in round 13.
The O’lads once again got the best of their rivals Killarney at Pluim Park on that day but that remains Killarney’s one and only loss of 2023.
Last round Killarney made the long trek south to the peninsula where they faced a Woy Woy side fighting for relegation and desperate for club championship points.
It was a day to forget for Ackerley and his men who dropped points in all three grades, but their attention now turns to this massive fixture at home against Avoca.
When questioned about what went wrong against Woy Woy, Chris Ackerley praised the opposition for how well they played.
“Nothing went wrong last week, Woy Woy set up well and defended extremely well with their keeper having a good game too. It was our first game in three weeks so hopefully, any cobwebs have gone.”
What this club has achieved in the past six seasons is nothing short of incredible and this weekend serves as an opportunity to further create history and cement their spot as the greatest team in Central Coast MPL history.
“Blown away,” stated Ackerley when asked what this historic feat means to himself and the club.
“The chance to win seven in a row is an amazing thing which hopefully we can achieve. It means a lot as we have had many changes over the years but have kept our consistency which is the pleasing thing.”
“However, this season has been quite difficult due to the number of injuries throughout the club and players not being available due to work and travel commitments.”
With their attention now firmly set on Avoca, Ackerley gave high praise to this team. “Avoca are an extremely well-coached side who I expect to come at us and have a go as they are safe from relegation. The key for us this weekend will make sure we turn up with the right attitude to get the job done.”
What a round it was last weekend for this week’s opposition Avoca who secured a 3-0 victory over rivals Terrigal, marking the first time in the club’s history that they have done the double over the O’lads in an MPL season.
The Sharkies took a 3-0 lead on the trying pitch of Fagan Park and were able to hold out for a 3-2 victory to record their fifth win of the season.
Neal Hide spoke on that win as he stated it’s more of a true reflection of his squad’s ability. “Very satisfying to beat Terrigal last weekend, they are a club that we admire and are well coached and organised. It was only a few weeks ago that we were hammered 8-0, so this gave us more confidence in realising that that result was not a reflection of our true ability.”
After their win over Terrigal saw the O’lads drop out of the top four, another win this weekend could see Southern close the gap on the league leaders to just one point with only one round to go if they are successful against Woy Woy.
Avoca have struggled all season with their squad numbers and player availability which has extremely affected Avoca’s potential within this competition.
Neal spoke in more detail about whether he felt that 2023 has been a successful season or not. “It’s been a frustrating season. Like all clubs, we have had numerous injuries, several for most of the season, illness and players travelling overseas. For every match day, our squad has had over 10 players absent, which obviously impacts a small, young squad like Avoca.”
When these two sides met earlier in the year at Paul Oval it was not to be for Neal Hide’s side who fell 3-1 in a fairly one-sided match.
Avoca’s attacking duo of Cooper Ebrington and Tyler Wade are responsible for over 50% of their goals scored this season and this pair will be the key for Avoca to get a result again this weekend.
“Killarney are still the gold standard in the MPL,” voiced Neal. “They are still setting that we all aspire to. Huge credit to Chris, his coaches and players for their consistency, quality, and winning mentality.”
“For Avoca to win we will have to show the same attitude as the Terrigal game, take our chances and compete for the full 90 minutes,” added Neal.
Match Official – Troy Ward
All Round 18 Fixtures –
