Reds look to rule in home clashes

HOME GAME: Wanganui Athletic's Jordan Gilmore during the high-scoring game against Team Taranaki last weekend.PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Promise of excitement for local fans at Wembley Park

WEMBLEY Park will be awash with Wanganui Athletic red today as both the Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic firsts and the Athletic Reserves play at home in the Lotto Federation League and Western Premiership respectively.

The firsts host the Palmerston North Marist Reserves at 2.30pm, and the Reserves open the day at 12.30pm against the Red Sox Manawatu Rovers.

The Reds will be hoping to capitalise on last weekend's strong performance today, in an effort to truly show what they're made of.

The disappointing scoreline from last weekend didn't reflect the effort put into the match by the club's first team, and could possible signal a turning of the tide for the beleaguered side, who are still trying to find their first competition points this season.

But Marist will not be easy beats, and the hard yards will need to be put in for the entire 90 minutes, with Marist holding the form over Athletic to the tune of a 7-1 victory the last time they met.

The key will fall into Athletic's ability to dominate midfield play, and keep Marist from exploiting the width of Wembley's main ground, while also being patient in defence, striking fast against a side who have the third-best defensive record in the competition.

It will not be an easy task, with the Reds only just starting to find their competitive competency, but a home-ground advantage and lots of spirit could well just see them cause an upset.

Having had last weekend off due to the weather postponing some fixtures in the Manawatu, the Athletic Reserves should be champing at the bit to get back on the pitch, and get their season heading back in the right direction.

The team are coming off only one win in their past five matches, yet they have shown form earlier in the season, proving they can put on a display of football worthy of their having a place in the Western Premiership. The young side will need to work hard against the Red Sox Rovers, who have pulled off wins over tough opposition and caused a few upsets along the way.

It might just be a case of needing to get back to the basics, and remembering the reason they play football in the first place for the Reserves - showing the strong crowd which are sure to be there to support them just why they were selected to play in one of the region's premier leagues.

And with three games left in the first round of play, now is the opportune time for the Reserves to get their mojo back and find themselves another victory.

Claiming the scalp of such a side as the Rovers would surely give the developing youngsters the morale boost they're looking for and set them up for a strong finish to the first round.

If they can put out a strong defensive performance, and do not drop their heads if they go behind early, the Reserves have the manpower and the talent to do the job required, and cause an upset of their own.