Report by Tommy Doleman

Stirling Macedonia beat Floreat 3-2 in the Australia Cup last month. Photo by FotoEnzo

One of local football’s biggest rivalries headlines Round 10 of the NPLWA - Men’s competition as league leaders Stirling Macedonia host Floreat Athena on Saturday evening at Macedonia Park.

This will be the first league meeting between the pair since a goalless draw in Round 21 in 2019, but 10-man Stirling did knock Athena out of the Australia Cup last month.

That result, paired with a 7-3 loss in the Night Series, means Floreat will not need any added incentive to get the win and move to within a point of their opponents, according to skipper Jason Saldaris.

“We had a chat on Tuesday and we know we don’t need motivation to get three points this week, because we owe it to ourselves really after the last two results,” the Floreat keeper said.

“In the Night Series they blew us away, and then in the cup game I wasn’t available, but things just worked out better for them on the day with 10 men, they ground out the result and deserved it in the end.

“It’s always a packed house (at Macedonia Park) and there’s voices all around you, that banter coming from the crowd, the big tackles and everyone coming together. It’s a football match, but it’s also a battle. You’ve got to look your opponent in the eye and try and be better than them, but then block out what’s coming from the outside also.

“At the end of the day, we’ve just got to try not to over-complicate it too much. It’s about trying to catch them out early, get an early goal, hold them off and roll that momentum through the remainder of the game. I feel every team is beatable in the league, but it’s just about who comes to the party on the day and can bring that extra 10% on top of the 100%.

“The league is leveling out quite well. You could have tried to pick your top four at the start of the season, but now 7-8 games in it’s shaping up nicely. Every point is going to count in the end and I think the league will continue to be really tight this year."

Athena go into Saturday’s game following a solid 3-1 win away at previous leaders Sorrento last time out. Bayley Brown-Montgomery bagged a treble to take his tally to five for the season and Saldaris said he has been an excellent addition to the squad.

“Bayley getting a hat-trick at Sorrento was fantastic for him and good for his confidence. He’s aggressive, wants the ball and you don’t need to tell him when to shoot. He’s fit right into the group and has that winning attitude, which has rubbed off on a few of the other younger boys,” he said.

“We went into that game with a couple of injuries and a player out through Covid, so we went in with a younger side, but we almost wanted to try and 'out-Sorrento' Sorrento.

“The younger boys took their opportunity and all pulled through and stepped up at the weekend to help get a big result. It’s a good platform because we were in a bit of a rut, so nice to get the three points and hopefully things can now turn our way.

“We are a bit of a big-game side, but we need to be a more consistent side. Especially with a couple of the outs, we’ve got to try and pick up as many points as possible and hopefully come home with a wet sail.”

Promoted Stirling have been in superb form this season and won 5-1 against Balcatta on Wednesday to make it five straight wins and move three points clear at the top of the league.

Balcatta did pull it back to 1-1 at the start of the second half, but Stirling coach Ian Ferguson praised the resolve of his squad as they responded quickly and continued to create chances.

“I think this season we’ve shown when we got beat against Glory we bounced back the week after, and even in games when we’re down we’re willing to fight back like against RedStar. They never know when they’re beat, regardless of the score, and that’s what I like about them,” he said.

“The most pleasing aspect was the five goals and we could have score more from set-pieces, but the fact it went to 1-1 and within a minute to score, it was a great response.

“There’s obviously a long way to go but we’re delighted with the start we’ve had and if anyone had said that to me at the start of the season we’d have taken it in a heartbeat. There’s some very good sides in this league and a few games which could have gone either way, but we managed to get the wins which has been good for us and gives the boys confidence.”

Ferguson admitted the dynamic may shift now they have hit the summit and it would require a different type of focus, which starts this week against Floreat.

“I said to the boys after the game that it’s a different prospect now we’re top of the league and the hardest thing to do is remain there,” he said.

“That’s a big challenge because you’re going to have a target on your back and teams are going to want to come and knock you off your perch. That challenge applies no matter who you play, so we’ve got to put in the hard yards to stay there.

“The last game (with Floreat in the Australia Cup) was fantastic. Two great teams going for it and both teams wanted to win that game, all-out attack and it was entertaining for the neutrals. Not so much for me though, it was quite nervy!

“They’ve got good players who work hard and will be up for challenge. So, we’ve got to make sure we’re up for winning those individual and team battles, but this is a massive game for us, a six-pointer early in the season, and we’re looking forward to it because the rivalry is well renowned around Perth. We’ve played them twice, but this is the one we really want to win to get those points in the league.”

Round 10 looks like a superb weekend with rivals Perth SC and Bayswater City meeting at Dorrien Gardens in a 5pm kick-off for the Johnny Birighitti Cup.

The Azzurri will hope to build on last week’s seven-goal win at Gwelup, while Bayswater will look to return to the top four after losing their place last weekend with a draw against Armadale.

There’s also a northern derby between two sides entrenched in the title race with Perth RedStar hosting Sorrento. Both sides have led the league in the past week and won’t want to lose further ground on the weekend.

Cockburn City, beaten at home by second-bottom Gwelup Croatia on Wednesday, play Perth Glory in a 6pm kick-off at Forrestfield with both sides having gone off the boil. City are winless in five in the league and Glory three.

Meanwhile, Armadale welcome Inglewood in a mid-table clash where both teams need the three points to close the gap on a runaway top half.

The big showdown at the bottom between Balcatta and Gwelup has been put on hold after the match was postponed this morning.

Fixtures (3pm unless stated): Armadale v Inglewood United, Perth Glory v Cockburn City (6pm), Perth RedStar v Sorrento, Perth SC v Bayswater City (5pm), Stirling Macedonia v Floreat Athena (5pm). Postponed: Balcatta v Gwelup Croatia.