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Strong win needed on Feilding trip
Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic are back on the road today, travelling to Timona Park to take on a Jack Gleave Decorating Feilding 1sts team who last weekend shocked North End AFC with a 2-0 victory in the Lotto Federation League.
Meanwhile, Wanganui City head to Skoglund Park in an attempt to stamp their mark over second place Red Sox Manawatu A in the Western Premiership, and the wounded Athletic Women's team limp back to Wembley to face Central League leaders Massey.
Athletic will have the chance to go top of the table when they come up against a buoyant Feilding 1sts this afternoon.
A strong win in Feilding will give the Reds a one-point lead over Team Taranaki, which may only last a day if North End fail to topple the incumbent leaders on Sunday.
Troy Smith and the coaching staff will be hoping that last weekend's strong result will give them the impetus to keep finding the back of the net, while continuing to play positive football in the middle of the park.
While Athletic have been able to show depth in their attack so far, they will need to be careful not to rely too heavily on Anthony Bell, or last week's marksman Josh Smith, to lead the scoring.
Heavy reliance on a single player can backfire should injuries or poor discipline strike.
I'm picking this should be a comfortable win for Athletic, and would not be surprised to see a decent score put on against Feiding.
The win will be crucial for the Reds, as they build for a challenge the following week in their Chatham Cup knockout tie against Miramar in Wellington.
Just a bit further down the road in Palmerston North, Wanganui City will be looking to put the pretenders to the throne in their place and cement their position on top of the table in the Western Premiership against Red Sox Manawatu A.
While the City team has been playing well together to date, with a brand of football that is enjoyable to watch, today's match will be a true test of the team's unity. This will be the second week in a row the City boys will be up against a similar attacking-styled opponent.
Last Saturday saw them scrape by with a 1-0 win over Hokowhitu, while this week coach Kelvin Francis will be hoping his charges can keep the team united and will be expecting them to maintain level heads for 90 minutes.
Francis will not want to be put in the same position as last week, needing to drag a player 20 minutes into the match.
With such an important game so early in the season, City need to take the three points in this one.
Jake Lockett could again prove crucial in this fixture, but in my eyes Jason Fergusson at goal will be the difference between the two teams and could decide the match.
At the end of last season, if you had asked the Athletic Women's team how they envisaged their 2014 Central League campaign after three rounds, you can be sure no one would have even dreamed that they would have been 25 goals in the hole, with a zero in the "goals for" column. And it appears it might only get worse.
Up against league leaders Massey tomorrow afternoon, Athletic will be hoping they can get a good home crowd over to Wembley Park to help provide a much needed spark. Massey will be looking to heap misery upon the ladies in red on their home ground, while Athletic will be looking to stop the rot.
It's hard to imagine Athletic could secure anything more than a draw at best, but if the ladies tighten up at the back and start to take the league they're playing in more seriously, they can salvage their season. Coach Shane Wye may need set realistic expectations tomorrow and then focus on the weeks to come, with the knowledge fellow cellar-dwellers Valeron are on the horizon, and a win there will be crucial to lifting them off the foot of the table.