Story and photo courtesy of Northern NSW Football
Adamstown v Wallsend
Sunday 20th May, 2:30 pm
The Gardens
Last start: Adamstown lost 4-2 to Warners Bay, Wallsend lost 3-0 to Merewether
Position on ladder: Wallsend 4th, 13 points; Adamstown 6th, 7 points
Squad news
Adamstown has been dealt a cruel blow with keeper Olivia Sneddon out for the next 4-6 weeks due to a tear in her PCL. U20’s keeper Natalie Wiseman will join first grade and strike weapon Lauren Allan returns from the United States. There are no changes to Wallsend.
What the coaches say
Adamstown coach Paul Devitis is hoping there will be more effort from his side on Sunday.
“We will be looking to put in a strong performance and get a positive result,” Devitis said.
“Both clubs try to play a good brand of football so it should be a good spectacle.
“This weekend’s game against Wallsend is huge for us and the girls are up for the challenge.”
Wallsend coach Marc Hingston says he has been impressed with the standard of football his side has shown in the last two weeks.
“We have spent time with our attacking players this week to work on technique in front of goal,” Hingston said.
“The girls were hitting the target constantly and their confidence is starting to grow.
“Our stat of 46 shots in two games for four goals doesn’t read well but it says a lot about creating so many chances.
“Hopefully with a focus on finishing this week we can get a reward for playing well.”
Bottom line
Wallsend escaped with bragging rights over Adamstown back in Round four but it may not be smooth sailing this weekend. Adamstown has had terrible luck with injuries so far and the loss of Olivia Sneddon will hurt their defence massively. There is nobody more capable of filling the void than Natalie Wiseman and excitement is building for her performance on Sunday. The welcomed return of Lauren Allan from America is a huge bonus for the side as she scored 16 goals in eight matches last season for the Buds. Wallsend boasts quality across the park and has shown in the past they have the ability to compete with the best. It’s an exciting matchup that could go either way and executing opportunities will be the deciding factor.