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Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

Mature renovators seek Levin revenge

By Jason King
Whanganui Chronicle·
21 Aug, 2015 09:00 PM5 mins to read

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A double-header at Wembley Park is on offer today, with the Wanganui City Renovators hosting the gritty Levin AFC 1sts at 12.30pm, followed at 2.30pm by Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic facing off against Red Sox Manawatu A in the Western Premiership.

Meanwhile, Evolution Painting & Decorating Wanganui City take their Lotto Federation League campaign to Palmerston North's Memorial Park, in an effort to claim a victory over North End, while the City Reserves will be not too far away as they look to rebound after last week's heavy defeat against the Red Sox Rovers in their Western Premiership fixture.

The Wanganui City first team have had a mixed season in terms of results, coupled with what may be being seen as waning enthusiasm at the tail end of the season.

But this side know how to put on strong performances at crucial times, clearly indicated by their ability to put themselves into a strong fourth position, and by how they have pegged back Team Taranaki each time they have lined up against each other.

Team Taranaki themselves are opening for the Wellington Phoenix vs New Zealand A match being played in New Plymouth tomorrow, with Havelock North arriving as their opposition for the curtain-raiser match.

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It's unfortunate that City missed out on the opportunity to play in this fixture, with a duel between them still to be played, as the match would have been one which would have pushed Team Taranaki to their limits and made them work hard for any points they desired.

Taranaki, no doubt, will be relishing the comfort of not having chanced an embarrassing defeat to City in such a feature match.

City will surely use this as motivation for their game against North End, as they look to claim their first win against them.

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It will be up to players such as Anthony Bell and Jamie Lambe to spearhead the attack, and capitalise on any opportunity that presents itself to them, while the titan of City's defence - Adrian Ngauu - will need to stand strong and command his lines to give the visitors their best chance to claim a win.

My pick is for this match to be a hard-fought battle, with a single goal being the difference between the two, and I believe that City will be the ones to bring home the victory today.

While their first team battle at Memorial Park, the Reserves will be down at Skoglund Park hoping to turn around last week's disappointing loss.

It was a heavy defeat that travelled back on the shoulders of the Reserve team last weekend, but they are known for grit and determination, not an attractive style of football.

A never-say-die attitude can count for a lot in football, and the Reserves will be looking to draw upon their desire again this weekend as they hope to claim a much needed, confidence-boosting win over the Red Sox Rovers.

Red Sox previously would have been an easy-beat team, but have recently started to find their form at the end of the regular season.

The Reserves will need to work hard if they are to get the result they are looking for, and I'm picking this one to be another close battle that could end in a draw.

The City Renovators open the day at home after having last weekend off due to catch up rounds being played.

The Renovators will still have their main focus on developing their side for next season, but will not want to give Levin an easy ride today.

Their last meeting saw Levin claim a 3-1 victory on their home turf, but it was a match where the young side put up a valiant resistance early on their maiden Western Premiership campaign.

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Since then the Renovators have built strength upon strength, and have developed into a stronger, more mature side, bolstered by some key senior players, so will be more than ready for this challenge.

The Renovators will need to ensure they do not get sucked into the physical style that Levin tend to employ, and rely on their open passing and possession game to frustrate the visitors and release their forwards on goal.

If the Renovators can set the pace of the match early, and keep their composure for the 90 minutes, I'm picking they will come away with at least a two-goal victory today.

In the feature match at Wembley, Wanganui Athletic will be determined to put on a better showing than last weekend, when they capitulated to the bottom-of-the-table team, albeit to spectacular shots on goal.

The Reds began a steady march up the table early, only to begin stumbling late season in what should raise some flags for those involved in planning next year's campaign.

Today's match against the Red Sox A will be a truly pivotal point in their season.

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Having fallen last weekend, these players need to prove to their own club that they are ready to make the step up and compete if they truly believe within themselves they're ready to make a play for the Federation League next year.

But this is a club steeped in history and wearing the club's crest into battle means more to some of these players than collecting a pay cheque each week for taking the field, and it will be these players who should lead the team today into glory.

Playing at 2.30pm, they will surely draw plenty of club support around Wembley's main ground.

That support will be crucial to the team's spirit throughout the match, and could well be the difference between success and defeat at the final whistle.

I'm picking the passion to be high in this match.

If the Reds can return to their game plan which saw them climb the table in the early stages of the season, I believe they can claim this match by a goal or two, and bring celebrations to the clubroom long into the night.

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