AFTER falling to a 3-0 loss to Strathdale last week, the Swan Hill Soccer League men’s side will look to get its season back on track against Epsom Soccer Club.
Epsom will travel to Ken Harrison Oval to take on the Mallee’s soccer side, fresh off a 5-0 victory over Colts last weekend.
Swan Hill were again ravaged by injury before the match with Strathdale, with up to seven regular players missing from the line-up.
Despite failing to score last week, Swan Hill head coach Tony Di Palma said his side was playing well and he was backing them to win this weekend.
“I think after last week’s loss we are still positive at the moment and there have been a host of players who have not been able to play and start their season,” he said.
“We have very good depth but in saying that we have four or five youth players stepping up every week … it is a good sign when they can come up and play well.”
Coach Di Palma has figured out a clear game plan to relay to his troops before their match on Sunday.
“We need to score in the first five to 10 minutes of the match. We need to get it done early and then execute the game plan as much as we can,” he said.
“We are really wanting to get into the 18-yard box to take shots. Our defence has been brilliant and the midfield is working quite well.
“I still have faith in the attack … we didn’t have the right amount of scoring shots. I can say we are looking like being a top four team and if the result can come our way this week it will tell us where we are at and a good result would be fantastic.”
The men’s match will kick off at 2pm at Ken Harrison Reserve on Sunday.
Women
THE spirits of the Swan Hill Women’s soccer side continues to grow after finding the back of the net for the first time last week through Shannon Fox a 7-1 loss to Strathdale Soccer Club.
The historic goal officially gets the team on the board in the season-proper, handing them confidence.
Playing at Ken Harrison Reserve this weekend against Epsom, the ladies will look to bounce back in front of a home crowd.
Their goal at the weekend came in the first half of the match, trailing 4-1 at the halftime break, before only conceding three goals in the second stanza.
Goal keeper Kara Lierich was praised for her efforts before coming off the field with an injury after saving a shot.
The match will kick off at 12pm at Ken Harrison Reserve on Sunday.
Youth
An understrength Youth side was decimated last week when Strathdale ran the broom through them 8-1.
Down 5-0 at the break, it was not going to be an easy day with up to five players climbing up into the men’s side to plug injury concerns.
Lacking in troops for two weeks, the Swan Hill side are relegated to the bottom of the ladder with two losses.
Their opponents Epsom have won one match and lost another, sitting in sixth spot.
A win to the Swan Hill side by more than four goals could see them jump Epsom on the ladder.
Last week it was captain Cooper Fox who got his side off the doughnut in the second.
The youth match will kick off at 10am at Ken Harrison Reserve on Sunday.
It wasn’t enough to rally his team as they eventually fell 8-1.
