Panthers confident despite loses: skipper
LUCY ROWLES
30 Apr, 2010 04:00 AM
Going into the competition as defending premiers and attempting to secure their third consecutive premiership the Westside Panthers will be once again on the prowl for goodies for their trophy cabinet as the 2010 Western Premier Soccer League starts this weekend.

Facing the Canobolas Rangers in Orange this weekend captain Alan Auld remains hopeful about prospects for the season ahead despite losing a few players from last year’s premiership-winning side.

“We’ve lost a couple of good players in Dan Goodstat and Rhys Osborne,” he said.

“But Benny Fletcher has come over from Orana Spurs and Ben Dunlop has been moved up from second grade to first grade due to his good form.”

In the pre-season competition the Panthers played well against Orana Spurs with a 6-0 win but the Dubbo Bulls proved to be too strong leaving the Panthers in their wake as they proceeded to the grand final.

“As we didn’t have any pre-season trials this year we said to ourselves that we’d treat the pre-season competition like a trial,” Auld said.

“We were disappointed not to have made the finals but the way the Bulls played they were the better side.”

“The pre-season showed us there are a few things we need to work on, such as our defence, but it has also allowed us to try a few new formations, which obviously didn’t work against the Bulls, so we will now try new things.”

On the road to Canobolas Rangers this Sunday Auld knows they face a tough match particularly as they are known to make a slow start to the season.

“They are a hard side at home, but then again we can be a good side on the road,” he said.

“We’ve got a couple of players who are unavailable this weekend so we’ve had to pull a few up from the under-18s and second grade.

“Our main goal this season is to finish in the top four as we have done in previous years.

“But in the short term if we are able to win at least two of our first three games we will be happy.”

http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/news/local/sport/football-soccer/panthers-confident-despite-loses-skipper/1816690.aspx