Report by Tommy Doleman

Samuel Dweh, right, in action against Perth Glory earlier this season. Photo by Tom McCarthy

Gwelup Croatia travel to Inglewood United on Saturday in an NPLWA – Men’s fixture which could have implications in the races for survival and the Top Four Cup.

Andres Oliveira’s side are currently on a four-game winning streak which has lifted them to within four points of a finals spot.

Gwelup, in contrast, have suffered four straight losses and sit second bottom, just three points above Balcatta Etna.

But Gwelup forward Samuel Dweh says they will head to Inglewood Stadium upbeat, having taken plenty of positives from their 3-2 loss to Bayswater City last time out.

“It’s been frustrating because you can see all the boys are putting in 100% throughout the game, but we have that one moment where we switch off and let the opposition in, and we’re also not taking our chances which doesn’t help,” Dweh said.

“We’ve played top four teams (Perth RedStar and Bayswater) recently and have been in those games. The boys have shown we can do it, but it’s just those little moments and little mistakes, especially like in the Bayswater game, that we need to improve.

“It’s been different because I’ve usually been one of the youngest on the team, but we have a lot of U20s players in our squad. It’s been a good that Gwelup has given us the chance to play first team football though, and the boys are excited and really appreciate that opportunity, so with where we are on the ladder at the moment the boys just really want to fight for the club to stay up.

“I’m very grateful to Gwelup because in previous years I’ve been on the bench and not always had the opportunity, so it means the world to me to go out there every weekend, give my best and show what I’ve got.”

Liberia-born Dweh admits AFL and basketball were the sports he was more into growing up. But in 2014, aged 12, he trialed with a friend at Stirling Macedonia and has loved football ever since.

The winger, who can also play striker, went through the junior ranks up to U20s at Macedonia Park, before brief stints at Inglewood and Gwelup in 2019 and early 2020. After that, he went over to Spain and spent time in the academy of Spanish Segunda Division side Malaga, while also playing with local league side Alhendin Balompie.

Dweh, who celebrated his 20th birthday last weekend, believes those lessons learned abroad combined with regular first team football this term can only further his development as a player.

“I was exposed to a lot of different experiences in terms of the language barrier and just in general the standard was really high in terms of the training,” he said.

“We trained every day there, compared to the two or three (times a week) here, so that was a lot to adapt to. And then when I signed at Alhendin that was different again because everything is about football in Spain.

“It’s a lot mentally as well. It’s not just having the ball at your feet, but the movement off the ball and the focus and difficulty of that. I think that was the most important thing I learned because it’s all about knowing where to be for the next pass.

“I returned (to Perth) mostly due to Covid which was quite bad there. Even when I moved across to the local club, I couldn’t play as much as I’d like and every few weeks there was quarantine and the boys couldn’t play games, and then just being away from family for that long when not playing. So, I thought I’d come back and play games in the NPL here and I’m really enjoying that at the moment, but I loved the different environment there because it was football, football, football and hopefully I can go back one day.”

Gwelup hope their season can take a turn in the right direction and Dweh says the objective is to maintain the three-point margin between themselves and bottom side Balcatta, particularly with the pair still to meet twice this season.

“I think all the boys realise now that we just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard,” he said.

“The way the league is now, it’s us against Balcatta to stay up and that’s all we’re focused on. We need to go out there every weekend and battle, fight and make sure we get the three points. That’s what we need, those results to keep that gap between us and Balcatta and we can’t afford any slip-ups.

“So it’s nothing less than 100% from us every week now. Every one-on-one, every 50-50, we have to win and we can’t afford to have any passengers. We can’t have nine players playing at 100% and the others not, we need everyone in the whole squad.

“That includes the boys on the bench encouraging us and being ready to play too. It’s that important to us, and if we do that from the first whistle to the last, then I reckon we can do it.”

Elsewhere, Balcatta will aim to apply pressure on Gwelup by getting a result against Perth SC in the Ferrari Cup fixture at Dorrien Gardens. The match is the first of an NPL double-header on Saturday with Azzurri and Etna’s women’s sides meeting afterwards at 5pm.

Floreat Athena will look to stay top when they host Cockburn City. Vas Vujacic’s side are in good form with six wins from their last seven, but they did come unstuck to the Cockerels back in Round Five with a 3-0 defeat at Dalmatinac Park.

Stirling Macedonia moved up to second place, and two points behind Floreat, during the week with Amir Ajan’s goal giving them a 1-0 win over Cockburn in a Round Six catch-up fixture. They’re at home again to fourth-placed RedStar on an important weekend for the bunched-up chasing pack.

Third-place Bayswater’s game at home to fifth-placed Sorrento will also impact the top four and title races, as Gareth Naven’s side try to keep tabs with the pace-setters, while the Gulls seek to capitalise on any dropped points by those above.

Armadale are five points away from fourth spot and will also be looking to creep closer to that cluster of finals aspirants when they host Perth Glory at Alfred Skeet Reserve.

All of the weekend matches are live on NPL.TV. Sign up for FREE here: https://npl.tv/

Round 16 fixtures

Saturday (3pm): Armadale v Perth Glory, Bayswater City v Sorrento, Floreat Athena v Cockburn City, Inglewood United v Gwelup Croatia, Perth SC v Balcatta Etna, Stirling Macedonia v Perth RedStar.