The team will need to work hard in the final blowout for 2016 if they hope to repeat or even dare to improve upon their heroics in holding a strong Palmerston North Marist side to a goal-less draw.
Athletic certainly have the calibre of players capable of reining in the Red Sox, who themselves suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat at the hands of Napier City Rovers last weekend in the Federation Cup final.
But their reliance upon players like Ryan Holden and keeper Matty Calvert to hold the team together could come under some strain if the home side cannot gel quickly.
Two players do not make a winning team, and if the Reds cannot get themselves into gear early they could quickly be looking down the barrel of a third consecutive defeat to Red Sox.
The final week of the Charity Cup preliminary rounds for Group B sees three teams in two fixtures that hold the balance of power over who will be joining the City Wanderers in the Cup knockout rounds next weekend.
The first match up has the Marist Celtic against the Athletic Cosmos, with Celtic needing to get the ball in the back of the net early to gain the required goal difference and progress.
Meanwhile the match straight afterwards between the Marist Bhoys and the City Hammers will see the Hammers trying to do the same, but having the benefit of knowing what their goal target needs to be to retain the top spot, while the Bhoys will be hoping to push their own claim for the finals berth by causing an upset.
With these two games deciding the opposition for the Athletic Reserves next weekend in the Charity Cup knockout stages, the intensity on-and-off the pitch will be high for the entirety of each 90 minute fixture.
