FC plans to starve Redmen forwards

26 Jun, 2010 04:00 AM

TAMWORTH FC enters today’s NEM Premier League clash with unbeaten competition leaders North Armidale with something of a changed formation against the Redmen.

FC coach, Wayne May, is hopeful his side can stun the Reds and maybe catch them “on an off day”.

“They beat us 2-1 up there and we missed a penalty,’ May recalled.

“But we’ve missed four so far this season.”

Scoring goals too, has been one of his side’s problems.

They’ve only netted 13 so far while North Armidale have 37 in nine games and just nine against.

Tamworth FC has let in just eight to have the best defensive record in the PL, although they have played two less games than North

Armidale.

“We’ve got a game against South Armidale and OVA to catch up,” May said.

“We’ll play one of them, against South Armidale on July 10 in Armidale. That’s a general bye weekend. They are two hard games but then again every game is tough in the Premier League now.

“Every game is close, it’s a very even comp and that makes it good football every weekend.”

North Armidale present a particularly difficult proposition.

“Apart from South Armidale, who drew with them, no one’s got close,” May said.

“I rate their midfield as the main danger. We’ll try and close them down and stop them from delivering good ball to their three strikers (Tim Purser, Peter Ince and Chris Kelly).

“Jason Boundy, Willow Grieves and David Griffiths are very good in midfield .”

He will hand the job of closing those three Redmen down to Tim Smith, Scott May, Brent May and possibly Jarryd May.

“We’ve changed a few things around since we last played them.

“And we didn’t have Prince (Thompson) for that game either. But our trouble has been scoring goals not stopping them and against a side like North we will have to take every opportunity we get.”

May also coaches the Oxley High open and Bill Turner Cups side.

This week the open side received a forfeit from its Sydney opponents for the round of 16 game, elevating the side into a quarter final against a Newcastle or Sydney opponent next term.

The Oxley High Bill Turner Cup (Under 14) side plays St John’s Woodlawn in an Inter Regional Final at Gipps Street next Tuesday morning (9.45am kickoff).

•Meanwhile, UNE will be missing a number of players for its PL clash with South Armidale at Consett Davis, UNE tomorrow, reports Armidale Express sports editor Matt Nicholls.

Skipper Brock Lamont is out with a knee injury while a number of others are missing.

Souths coach, Andy Lennon, said “these are the games we have to win”.

“There’s no point in winning 6-2 one week and losing the next week,” he said.

In other games Gunnedah hosts OVA (Geoff Morgan Fields), East Armidale travel to Tamworth to play North Companions (Marius Street) and Demon Knights host Joeys FC (Rologas 1).

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