Football: Athletic to pounce with others on break

Zeb Small, right, is among a handful of players being vocal about wanting an opportunity with the Athletic 1sts.

Is it better to be the front runner or the chaser on a league table?

The Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic 1sts will hope it is the latter after today in their battle for second place in the Lotto Men's Federation League.

With all the other teams in both the League and Horizions Premiership on a bye week due to the latest round of the knockout Chatham Cup and Lotto Federation Cup, Athletic will travel to take on sixth-placed Breakers Red Sox Manawatu at Skoglund Park for a rescheduled clash.

The visitors are currently tied for second place with rivals New Plymouth Rangers, while being six points behind leaders Havelock North.

So, if Jason King's team can pick up three points today it could be a big psychological boost - because even though those other teams will have one and two matches in hand respectively, it still asks the question of them to keep performing.

King will be taking a squad that is a mixture of his regular 1sts and some of the GVCA Wanganui Athletic Reserves, as this fixture was not originally on the schedule so a few players had previously made plans for the weekend.

The veterans like Ryan Holden (nine goals) will be there, while King will look to experiment somewhat with positions where there has already been regular rotation - like fullback and in the midfield.

Athletic's youngest player Jake Simcox did not get any game time in the slightly tense 3-1 win over Massey 1sts last weekend, so King will look to give him a decent stint.

Zeb Small is another player who has been passionate about getting an opportunity with the 1sts, which is an attitude King wants to foster in all the Reserves players.

"We're setting the bar high for him. He's been working hard down there.

"I do have a few players that jump in my ear or do ask the question, and I like that.

"I'm willing to give them the feedback, as long as they want to hear it."

Athletic beat the Red Sox 4-2 in their last outing at Wembley Park on May 6, where Raymond Hove scored a hat trick.

The club has been stung after Hove had a hard collision with the Feilding United keeper last weekend when playing for the Reserves, with initial fears the arm was broken.

"It's 'only' a fracture, he had surgery on it to get it straightened up," said King.

"The doctors have said he's out for the season, but he says he'll be back at the end for a game or two.

"There's another Hove who should be back soon," King added, referring to brother Calvin.

If the weather turns bad this afternoon, there is the possiblity the match may be moved from Skoglund to the Massey University grounds.

Red Sox have one win and a draw to their name this season, both against bottom of the table Massey 1sts.

Ryan Noble has scored two of their six goals in total.

While there is only one Men's League game being played, the GR Engineering Women's Federation League rolls on with Football Whanganui still hunting their first win as they head to Peringa Park to take on New Plymouth Girls High School tomorrow.

After their narrow 1-0 loss to the other Taranaki team in Moturoa AFC at Wembley on June 4, the Symon King-coached side regressed somewhat with a 5-1 defeat to Port Hill United at Marewa Park on June 18.

NPGHS have three wins and three draws from their nine games so far.