Words: Staff Writers
Image: Anthony Napoli/Brisbane City FC

Brisbane Strikers coach Kevin A’herne-Evans is enthusiastic about facing fellow PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland club Brisbane City in their first Westfield FFA Cup match of 2015.

Strikers were drawn at home against their near-neighbours for the Brisbane Zone Qualifying Round 5 clash on Thursday, and A’herne-Evans said his team will look to set the agenda in the cup tie.

“It’s always good to get that first draw and, pulling an NPL team as well, we know exactly how tough a test it will be against Brisbane City under new management”, A’herne-Evans explained.

“We’re happy with a home draw and we believe that, for any team coming here, we’re always going on about how we want to be the team taking the game to the opposition - and it will be no different in that game.”

“We had a really good run in the FFA Cup last year and it’s something that we want to reproduce this year.”

Strikers advanced to the national stage of the competition in 2014, with their Round of 32 win against Broadmeadow Magic broadcast live on Fox Sports - the first time Strikers had played a televised match since the National Soccer League.

A’herne-Evans explained that all clubs were now aware of how important the Westfield FFA Cup can be.

“Some teams last year got caught up in the whole hype of the FFA Cup too late. The game had already gone and they’d been knocked out and had just taken it as another midweek training opportunity”, A’herne-Evans said.

“But when they saw someone like Olympic and ourselves and Palm Beach progress to the latter stages, then all of a sudden you could see the importance of the FFA Cup.”

“I know that Brisbane City, from reading reports at the start of the year, were putting a high importance on the FFA Cup this year and it’s no different from us.”

A’herne-Evans also added that while some may consider drawing a lower-tier community club the easier option, his experiences last season with Sunshine Coast FC had taught him that isn’t necessarily the case.

“Even when you play a Capital League One or Capital League Two team you face different pressures”, he explained.

“They really go in with the underdog status and it’s something I had last year going in against a community team from the Sunshine Coast.”

“They lift beyond belief. They know it’s that one game, and everything hinges on it and whatever happens at the end of the season it doesn’t matter, because they’ve got that one huge result that is a huge boost in the arm for them,” he concluded.