THE coach of Swan Hill’s senior men’s soccer side has called for calm heading into this Sunday’s pre-season cup clash with Colts United.
Swan Hill has begun the Bendigo Amateur Soccer League (BASL) Division 2 Inter-League Cup with one draw and a loss, but hasn’t taken to the field over the past two weekends.
This Sunday it takes on Colts United away at Strathfieldsaye Recreation Reserve.
Coach Tony Di Palma said his side started off the pre-season cup with high expectations after finishing the championship in second place last season and having won their last seven matches in a row.
However, he didn’t want his players to get ahead of themselves.
“We need to stay mellow and I think every other side are all good but our expectation (this season) is to stay in the top four,” he said.
“Our expectations are to stay mid-table and if we get anything else apart from that, like we did last year, that’s great.
“This is a pre season competition, the results aren’t meaning too much and once round 1 comes the boys will take it more serious.
“We are focusing on round 1, we have been getting our fitness up and that is happening slowly, our skills and scoring are high and our defence is the strongest part of our team.”
Looking to this Sunday’s game, Di Palma said it would be a pretty even match.
He said Colts United had a very good forward line and an “outstanding” goalkeeper who kept them in the game both times Swan Hill played them last year — which ended with a win each for both sides.
“We are going to try and win the game from the backline, that is where the heart and soul of the side is, they will only win for that reason. It will be a good battle up there,” he said.
“A result, a draw or a win will be good. If we do lose we will take it on the chin but then work out what we need to work on a bit more.
“Like I said, it is a learning curve for us at the moment.”
Pre-season trial
nearly over girls
The new-look Swan Hill women’s soccer side is still in trial and error mode as it looks to finish off the pre-season cup tournament this weekend.
Coach Sue Fox said the side was still using the BASL Women’s Inter-league Cup to set the girls up in their positions and figure out the team for round 1 in a fortnight’s time.
“As we are a new team, this is the time to trial everything, we haven’t played this team before so I don’t know how they will go,” Fox said.
“As it is an away game and an early morning start, it will be tough.”
The Swan Hill girls enjoyed a break last week after a baptism of fire in their first three rounds which included taking on first and third place Epsom and Strathdale.
This Sunday, the women will join their senior and junior men counterparts in taking on their final pre-season opponents in fourth-placed Colts United at Strathfieldsaye.
Despite the fact the side was still finding its feet, Fox said her girls were excited about what was to come this season.
“We have been working on basic skills on kicking passes and some game play,” she said.
“We just focus on our game and where we need to be and the girls will do their best.
“We are looking forward to the season ahead.”
Solution needed to
plug defensive holes
SWAN Hill’s youth soccer side are confident they can win their third consecutive match this Sunday, despite going into the game – being played against the second most prolific attacking outfits in their division – without their key defender.
Swan Hill Soccer League’s youngsters take on Colts United in the fifth and final round of the BASL Youth Inter-League Cup.
Colts are second on the pre-season cup ladder with three wins from three, having scored 27 goals and conceded just two.
For its part, Swan Hill have bounced back from a first round loss by winning its next two matches, but have suffered a big injury setback with first-choice centre back Shaeer Ares to miss out on the game.
Coach Wiseman Sibanda was still hopeful his side could pull off the win, though.
“We are hoping to come up with strategies to come up with a way to get around(the injury) and come away with a win,” he said.
“The goal difference is a bit misleading because of the quality of the opposition and if we can fill the injury I am pretty sure we will come away with the win.
Forward Shannon Rein and midfielder/captain Cooper Fox are in red hot form, having both scored three goals in as many matches, and Sibanda is hoping they can deliver again this weekend.
“For this game we need to come up with a defensive strategy. Losing our first choice centre back is huge and now it is a priority to defend well,” he said.
“Once we have come up with that and improve our midfield we should be in a better position. They aren’t fit enough at this stage due to the expectation on them and we will come up with a fix for that too.
“I don’t feel like they are making enough runs to support the attack and defence.”
