Force aim to press top three

BIG RESULT: North Force players celebrate their recent 3-2 win over Manukau City. PHOTO/LAURENCE BERRY

A week off for North Force's first team has "freshened them up a bit", according to coach Russell Baddeley.

Coming off a 3-2 round-10 victory in which North Force knocked top side Manukau City from first place in the Lotto NRFL Division 2 standings, Baddeley said his players would be looking to carry their momentum forward as they travelled to Auckland to play Fencibles United today.

"For us it's an opportunity to really put pressure on those three [teams] above us," Baddeley said.

"Our results so far haven't been great away [so] it's about putting together back-to-back performances."

With North Force fourth on the ladder and Fencibles United fifth, a win for either team would boost their aim of cracking the top three.

In the first round, North Force had a 1-0 win over Fencibles at Kamo Sports Park and the Northern side will look to replicate that at Riverhills Park today in order to secure three valuable points.

"Everybody's in an upbeat mood - it's in our own hands," Baddeley said.

"We've got the players to do it, [the] motivation's there and the intensity level's there."

Craig Oldridge returns to the squad this week but captain Jeremy Rintoul is unavailable because of work commitments.

North Force: Leon Jarman-Taylor, Nathan Steel, Bradley Douglas, Craig Oldridge, Mark Ruddell, Jason Teal, Murray Wootten, Jamie Burgess, Marcus Crum, Steve Schimmel, Jo Luiten, Scott Burgess, Aaron Taylor, Andrew Dunn and Shane Stanners.