Wanganui Athletic's James Oxtoby, here going for the header against Feilding's Aron Richardson, will want a big game against North End AFC today. Photo/File
It's a big weekend for the Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic team as they travel to Skoglund Park to take on North End AFC for the first time this season in the Lotto Federation League.
Meanwhile, Wanganui City grace the home grounds at Wembley Park as they host Red Sox Manawatu A in the Westerns Premiership, and tomorrow sees Wembley again providing football entertainment as the Wanganui Athletic Women face off against Lower Hutt City in the Central League.
Sitting just two points from the top of the competition table with a game in hand, Athletic need to grasp maximum points from their fixture against North End AFC today if they are to make a play in the final round of the league.
Having not played North End yet this season due to a postponed fixture when they competed in the Chatham Cup, Athletic will need to quickly get the measure of the opposition, who currently sit third on the ladder.
Today will be the first of two games in the space of three weeks against North End for the Reds, and with every game being critical there will be no room for mistakes, or lack of composure in front of goal.
Athletic still hold the title for the most miserly defence in the league, having only conceded four goals in 11 matches, and it's this sort of defending that will need to anchor them, with both teams sporting similar form over their last four matches winning three and drawing one.
But football is a simple game, and the team that scores more goals takes home the honours.
Modern football does not leave room for "parking the bus", which means Athletic will have to do more in the middle and attacking thirds of the park today.
James Oxtoby and Troy Smith will need to be in the best form of their season if the Reds are to control the match.
There's no room today for Josh Smith and Anthony Bell to start sending opportunities wide or high they simply must find the back of the net.
In recent matches, they've shown they have the goods, and with Joe Sowden and Jordan Joblin-Hall starting to get in on the scoring action, the Reds are proving they have the attacking depth to do the job.
Athletic will need to be wary of North End though, as it was only last weekend that they toppled league leaders Team Taranaki 4-2 and Athletic can't afford to give their opponents the satisfaction of becoming king-slayers.
This match is going to be an epic battle, with the majority of the game played in the midfield, with few scoring opportunities likely for either side.
A draw may be okay for the Reds, but maximum points will be the only satisfactory result for Troy Smith and his coaching staff.
I'm picking the Reds to score an early goal, with the game settling into a stalemate affair for the remaining time, bringing a 1-0 victory to Athletic.
In the Western Premiership, Wanganui City firmly have their grasp on the top rung of the ladder, sitting 11 points clear of their nearest rival.
They have the luxury of going into this fixture with the Red Sox without the pressure of a tight title race, but sometimes that can cause the wrong mentality and a lead can slip away before you know it.
Coach Kelvin Francis was well aware of this after last weekend's match, saying he would be reminding his charges that a lapse in concentration could cost them dearly.
The game kicks off at 12.30pm on Wembley Park's main ground and is sure to provide plenty of attacking football for the casual spectator as well as the loyal fans.
City will need to keep their wits about them, with Red Sox boasting three wins and a draw from their last five matches, and scoring 13 goals along the way.
But City have also been showing that teams from Wanganui know how to protect their goal, and have bested Athletic's efforts in the Federation League, conceding just two goals in their 10 matches to date, the last of which was four games ago.
Jason Fergusson will be urging Adrian Ngaau and Dylan Howells to continue to stonewall any prospective attacks in front of him, while Chris Annabell will no doubt be the puppet master in the centre of the park once more, setting the tone and direction of the match.
City will be looking to take the game to the visitors right from the first whistle, and prevent Red Sox from getting out of their own half.
If City can keep the ball on the deck and stick to their game plan, it will be another three competition points in the bank.
This will be a fairly open match in the first half, with both teams getting opportunities early as they sound each other out, before City settle into their work and control the game.
I'm picking a 4-0 victory to City, so get along to Wembley at 12.30pm and cheer the local boys on.
It will be a buoyant Wanganui Athletic women's team that takes the pitch tomorrow after recording their first goal last weekend against Upper Hutt City in the Central League.
Athletic again have an opportunity to record their first competition points this season as they host Lower Hutt City at Wembley Park at 1pm.
Lower Hutt sit in seventh place, just one spot above Athletic, and have only notched one win and a draw in their season to date.
Tanya Grunwald will surely be one of the keys to Athletic's success tomorrow, with her years of experience being called upon to help settle the team and keep the game plan of coach Donna Kahl in motion.
Rose Lockett will be looking to get herself on the scoresheet as well. After battling her way to several opportunities, she will surely feel like she is due some reward.
If Athletic can find a way to control possession, building on their progress to date, and tap some reserves in the tank at the end of the second half, they could record a result in their favour.
Strong defending will also be vital if they are to protect Melanie Ragg in goal. Ragg had a great game last week, preventing the score from blowing out, and will be hungry to prove she is indeed capable of keeping a clean sheet.