James Satherley will want one more big match to make sure Wanganui Athletic keep Wanganui City away from the Charity Cup - the only trophy either team can win this season.
James Satherley will want one more big match to make sure Wanganui Athletic keep Wanganui City away from the Charity Cup - the only trophy either team can win this season.
Come Hell or high water table, the Football Whanganui club season will finish up with the Charity Cup final at Wembley Park this Saturday afternoon.
It was been a long and frustrating few weeks down at the local park with heavy rainfall before the Saturday's putting pay to most senior football in August – including pushing the crown jewel game of GJ Gardner Homes Wanganui Athletic vs Versatile Wanganui City back a further seven days.
In addition, the Charity Plate between the top four local league teams has not been able to get underway until Saturday morning either, with shortened knockout games required, while the Charity Bowl was played on the smaller Wembley fields last weekend, won by the Wanganui Athletic Cosmos.
Even the GJ Gardner Homes Wanganui Athletic Reserves, supposed to be busy with Horizons Premiership, have been sidelined for a fortnight by cancelled games both at home and in Palmerston North, meaning 1sts coach Jason King could not even sneak some of his regulars in for some game time.
City coach Kelvin Francis has had an even tougher task – trying to keep a squad interested when they haven't played any competitive football since July 28, with Athletic going one week longer against North End AFC.
King said with Football Whanganui marking out temporary pitches on the Wembley Park extension ahead of the big secondary schools tournament next weekend, these were to be used for senior football if the early Friday morning rain saw Whanganui District Council close the main fields again.
"One way or another, there will be football.
"If we can't use the pitches we would like, then we'll have to use those ones.
"There's just that one hallow [that gets] full of water.
"It's a bit of park preservation as well, we need the park fairly flat."
Athletic, the Cup holders, should still have a fairly solid squad for the last game of the season, although with the Reserves also playing Feilding United AFC at the same 2.45pm kickoff time, there will be some new faces on the bench.
Kelvin Hove is away with work commitments, so Alex Rothman will keep the spot he held for the 2-all draw with North End in the last Lotto Federation League match on August 4.
Double goal scorer from that game, Ryan Holden, is ready, while James Satherley's yellow card for dissent doesn't require any stand down time.
"This week's [training] sessions were about ball movement and game situations," said King.
Athletic had City's number in League play this season, welcoming their neighbours back up to the grade with a 5-2 win on the April 7 opening day, while hanging on for a 3-2 victory in the rematch on June 9.
"That doesn't sit right with us," said Francis, reflecting on the campaign.
"The first game we weren't ready and we got caught on the hop.
City came back from 3-0 down in that match, which ultimately signalled a change in fortunes between the sides in the last month or so of League play, as title contenders Athletic dropped key matches to finish fourth with a 6-2-6 record, whereas City still finished seventh but were not far off the middle of the table after some impressive late wins, finishing on 5-1-8.
Francis hopes Athletic running out of gas is still playing on their minds.
"We will be as strong as fitness will allow. It's been really hard to keep guys interested.
"We have a different lineup, but we have had a different lineup all year.
"We'll give it everything we've got, which you always do on Derby Day."
Another motivation will be City farewelling Thomas Dixon, in his final game before heading to England.
Jake Lockett is fresh with no club rugby to split his time, while Kyle Graham-Luke is well over the illness which saw him miss the last League match.
Adrian Ngaau is back but Francis had yet to decide if he starts or comes off the bench, while two new faces will be veteran Nathan Clark, who has not played 1sts in many years, and speedy teenager Sonny Kumar, getting his chance in top grade.
New Zealand's FIFA World Cup referee Matthew Conger will officiate the Cup match.
The match will have true neutrality and officiating of the highest quality, as New Zealand's top referee Matthew Conger, the Texan now based in Palmerston North, will take the whistle.
An A-League regular, Conger attended the 2018 FIFA World Cup and refereed the Nigeria vs Iceland match on June 22.
"So one good thing, he doesn't know any players so he doesn't have any pre-conceived ideas, and will just call what he sees," said Francis.
The Cup match initially could have been a trial for the proposed Football Whanganui 'Invitational XI' representative squad which was going to play Hawke's Bay and Manawatu in September.
However, there are conflicting messages from the proposed co-coaches King and Francis. King said after Hawke's Bay pulled out, the delays have pushed the proposed dates for matches too late into September, as players have other commitments such as work and cricket preseason.
"While it was only going to be a trial, with things being short notice, lets pull the pin on it and look to next season."
However, Francis said he is still keen on trying out the concept this year and has been in touch with Manawatu to discuss options.
Today's Charity Plate will kickoff at 11am with knockout games, followed by the final in the afternoon.
Athletic Weekenders, City Hammers, Marist Celtic and Castlecliff St Anthony's will have a random draw to see who plays who in the first round.
