Football: North Force put slow start behind

If Bruce Plunkett is right, Albany will return home to Auckland with the taste of defeat in their mouths after playing a resurgent North Force at Tikipunga tomorrow.

Plunkett said that following a horror start to the season, the team are finally hitting their straps. They have picked up four points from their last two games including an away draw against third-placed Ellerslie.

"I think all we'll be this year is a mid-table side because our start was so poor, we lost the first five which made it quite difficult but now we're coming right - I don't expect us to lose too many more - especially not at home."

Albany, in seventh place, are six points clear of North Force, who have improved to ninth.

"They're the sort of side I expect to beat now we've got our stuff together and I'll be disappointed if we don't."

Although North Force aren't expecting any honours this year, relegation now no longer seems imminent and they're already turning an eye toward next year.

"We've got a good bunch of young players coming through and because we've been running the Under-13, U-15s and we had the U-17s in the Auckland youth competition, they're used to travelling," he said.

"Against Ellerslie I started with a 15 and a 16-year-old and I brought a 14-year-old on and the oldest on the bench was 17."

He said the young players are being slowly introduced to first team football and most of them are fitting in well.

The side also has some experience filtering back in with competition for places also likely to benefit the side.

Although Steve Schimmel is still injured, Sanjay Singh returns to marshall the defence, while Charlton and Cody Lacour are also available for selection.

The match starts at 3.15pm.