Woy Woy v Avoca
Woy Woy and Avoca headline Round 10 of the MPL competition as vital points are up for grabs for these two teams currently at the bottom of the MPL Club Championship standings.
A lot is on the line this weekend as both sides will be hoping this weekend can serve as a turning point in their quest to remain in the competition next season.
Woy Woy will be enjoying their fourth consecutive home fixture when they step onto Austin Butler Oval this weekend to face the Sharks.
In his initial season in charge of the Roosters, Shaun Macey and his side, despite their current standing on the ladder, have been extremely competitive in all fixtures which has shown in their results.
Entering the weekend with five losses so far in 2024, three of their losses have come by just one goal against stern competition in Killarney (2-1), Woongarrah (2-1) and league leaders Terrigal (3-2).
Despite their current situation, Macey feels his team is progressing positively as the year goes on. “With the obvious fact that it would be nice to have a few more points on the table, the squad has progressed really well in their style of play.”
“With the exception of a heavy loss a few weeks ago, we have been in every game with the opportunity for points.”
Last weekend looked to be heading for another loss for the Roosters who found themselves 2-0 down in the first half in front of a home crowd against Budgewoi.
However, a never-say-die attitude and goals from Matt Jacobsen and Ty Daniels in the second half saw Woy Woy claw their way back and salvage a point with a 2-2 draw.
Macey’s side will now look to take that performance from last week’s second half and carry that momentum into their fixture against Avoca as Woy Woy looked to do the double over the Sharks in 2024.
When these two sides met in their round 1 fixture, it was a five-goal thriller at Paul Oval that saw Woy Woy come from 2-1 down to claim a 3-2 victory.
When questioned if this win gives his side an advantage heading into Sunday, Macey stated, “If there is an advantage, it would only be a small one.”
“Our first meeting with Avoca was a tightly fought contest and they are coming off a wonderful result against Berkeley Vale which has no doubt lifted their confidence.”
“As I mentioned in the last fixture, when Avoca get their combinations going they can be really dangerous, and they have proven that at times throughout the season. I expect, no matter the score, Avoca will play hard until the final whistle.”
With only four club championship points currently separating Woy Woy from Avoca, the Roosters will be hoping to reproduce another victory as they look to lift themselves from the bottom of the ladder.
Macey commented if a win would serve as a turning point in their season. “I don’t feel that any one game will serve as a turning point to our season.”
“I believe that there are a few small but important moments that happen off the field that could be considered a ‘turning point’. One came a couple of weeks ago from within the squad. It was an attitudinal shift that I expect will start to show on the field in the coming games.”
As for the opposition, Avoca got their season off to a perfect start under the guidance of new head coach Joel Cangy.
The Sharks started their season with the difficult task of facing the newly promoted Woongarrah at the Wildcats home ground.
With plenty of hype surrounding the Wildcats in 2024, Avoca quickly put all of that talk to bed when they ambushed Woongarrah to claim an emphatic 6-0 victory.
However, it has been a downhill battle since for the Sharks who went on to record five straight losses since their opening fixture.
Their losing streak was snapped last weekend when they welcomed former league leaders Berkeley Vale to Fagan Park.
After setting up defensively with the hopes of holding out the Wombats, a late equaliser saw Avoca claim a point against the unbeaten side as they now looked to build on that result knowing that can match it against the competition favourites for the entire ninety minutes.
This highly anticipated matchup has been one Avoca have been looking forward to since their last meeting when they let a 2-1 lead slip.
Currently boasting the worst defensive record in the league, Avoca’s backline will need to be resilient as Woy Woy have scored in all but one of their fixtures this season and the Sharks are yet to keep a clean sheet since their opening fixture.
There is plenty on the line for both sides this weekend when they step onto Austin Butler Oval as both teams will be extremely focused on walking away with the three points.
Match Official – Hugo Fonseca
All Round 10 Fixtures –
