Words: Steve Pitman & Michael Flynn

Brisbane Strikers coach Kevin A’herne-Evans says his players will not be distracted by the Westfield FFA Cup as they continue their PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Premiership tilt this weekend.

Strikers host FNQ Heat at Perry Park this Saturday as they seek to keep the pressure on league-leaders Moreton Bay United, who are only ahead of Strikers in the standings due to a superior number of goals for.

The match is Strikers’ first following Wednesday’s Westfield FFA Cup draw which saw the club dealt an away tie against PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria outfit Hume City.

However, A’herne-Evans said his played are squarely focused on the task at hand rather than dreaming of cup glory.

“You know what was probably the best thing about tonight’s training session?  I don’t actually think anybody mentioned Hume City”, said A’Herne-Evans following Thursday training.

“The focus is still on (Heat players) Alex Smith, it’s still on (Jamie) Carroll, it’s still on Chris O’Hare, it’s still on how can we exploit some of the possibilities that might come our way on Saturday.”

A’herne-Evans said his side will welcome back defenders David Salin from injury and Greig Henslee, who was suspended last round, for the clash with Heat.

He said he was aware of the dangers posed by the unpredictable Cairns club, who were disappointing in their last start loss to second-bottom side Brisbane City.

“They’ve got so much ability and so much potential that on any given week they can beat anybody in the competition. And then you see results like what they got last week.”

He added, “However, you always prepare against a team at their very best to make sure that when you turn up your players are in the best position to get a result.”

A’herne-Evans said the match is the start of a run that will possibly define whether Strikers will win the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Premiership and, in turn, represent Queensland in the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Finals Series for the first time.

“If you look at the opposition we’ve got we have to win all the games, basically,” he said.

“There’s no getting away from it. We’ve got to make sure we get a result on the weekend so when we go to Moreton Bay we are still level on points and looking to win up there.”

“But first of all let’s face the game that’s in front of us and make sure that we go out there on Saturday and get the three points,” he concluded.

This story originally appeared on the official Brisbane Strikers website

Fixture details:
Brisbane Strikers FC v FNQ FC Heat
Perry Park, Brisbane
Saturday, July 4
Kick-off - 6:00PM