Football: Home ties for senior sides

Wanganui Athletic's Liam Roberts, right, keeps the ball away from Team Taranaki's Patrick Hay in the 2-1 victory last Saturday which ensured they will win the Lotto Federation League. PHOTO/FILE

Both Wanganui senior teams are at home today, with Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic hosting North End AFC in a dead rubber match in the Lotto Federation League, while Wanganui City refocus on the Western Premiership when they face off against Levin AFC.

Athletic will still be on a high after confirming they'll take out the Federation League title last weekend with their win over Team Taranaki, and could be forgiven for not taking today's match too seriously with the result not meaning a thing.

But that is not the style of the Reds, who will be going out to show there's a reason that they will be crowned champions and will no doubt look to put the screws on North End for the second time in three weeks, as they play this make up match for when Athletic competed in the Chatham Cup.

The last time these two teams met up, the Reds ran away with a 7-2 win.

Athletic will be hoping to repeat that performance, with Josh Smith looking to add to his golden boot tally, of which he currently sit atop the league standings.

Athletic's keeper Nick Hayward will want to make up for the lapse in judgement which gave up a goal last weekend and finish on a high, with a clean sheet sure to be the only good result for him today.

The match is due to kick off at 2.30pm on the main ground at Wembley and I'm picking a 4-0 win to Athletic.

Wanganui City will have had the week to turn their focus back to their Western Premiership campaign after bowing out of the Federation Cup race last weekend, 3-2 against Francis Douglas Memorial College.

With a 9-point lead the top of the Premiership table, City are hitting cruise control to push for re-entry back into the Federation League next season.

The club wisely chose to step down from the league this season, having a more youthful squad than 2013.

City have made huge progress this year in rebuilding the squad and building a cohesive unit, as well as playing an attractive brand of attacking football.

But Levin are not a team to take lightly, with them forcing City to play in one of their hardest fought victories the first time the two faced off.

Levin will certainly bring their usual aggressive and physical style of play to Wembley today, hoping to put a dent in City's title hopes.

Coach Kelvin Francis will be welcoming the return to wider pitch at Wembley after being forced to play on a narrow pitch last weekend, which will allow City to return to their successful expansive method of play.

This week should see the return of Luke Lambe to the striker role, while Francis will also be carefully watching central defender Adrian Ngaau.

Ngaau last week played an outstanding 90 minutes while carrying an injury that was picked up during the team's warm-up, which he only revealed to Francis after the fulltime whistle.

I'm picking City to run away with it this time. With the match kicking off at 12.30pm, there'll be plenty of football action on the main fields to take in.