Coach desperate for goal-scorers
Alan Kennedy | 15th May 2010
WEBBERS Retravision Cougars coach Brad Smith will not get an opportunity to experiment with his strike force against Brisbane Strikers at Ryan Park tomorrow.
OUT INJURED: Cougars fullback Joe Burke is a non-starter against Brisbane Strikers.
ALLAN REINIKKA AR--
WEBBERS Retravision Cougars coach Brad Smith will not get an opportunity to experiment with his strike force against Brisbane Strikers at Ryan Park tomorrow.
Following the game against North Queensland Razorbacks, the coach hinted he might experiment by adding the physical presence of Dai Thomas to try to achieve better results in the goalscoring department.
However, with only six defensive players in the squad, any thoughts of making a change have been placed on hold as fullback Joe Burke is a definite non-starter, while Michael Cay is still carrying an injury to his ankle.
“He did train on Thursday but he was in and out,” Smith said.
Burke, too, is suffering with an ankle problem after going over on it during last week's 5-0 loss to the Razorbacks.
Should Cay fail to make the starting line-up, it is expected he will be replaced by Ben McMaster, while Burke's fullback spot will go to Ben Radstaak, who played in that position with Berserker.
The concern for the Cougars remains. Who is going to score the goals?
Fergus McIntosh led the line with Jesse Thompson last week and, while he was named the Cougars' player of the day, he was guilty of missing the two real chances that came his way.
Thompson is a player who does not allow defenders to settle comfortably on the ball and so the decision, should Smith make one, will be who stays and who goes.
Tristan Fraser had a spell there last year and early this season, but even a player of his undoubted talent has had difficulty consistently keeping his shots on target.
However, the team would not lose anything playing Fraser up front, and that would give Smith the chance to give Oliver Saunders a place in the starting line-up, in the middle of the park with Anthony Hartnell.
That pairing looks to be less fluid than the Hartnell/Fraser combination but could be effective against a well structured Strikers team.
Likely to make a return to the starting line up is keeper Tim English, who trained well during the week and felt no discomfort from his ankle which he injured during the game against the Queensland Academy of Sport.
It is appropriate that Stuart McLaren will have his last game in charge of the Strikers in Rockhampton.
McLaren moves on to the assistant coach position at Fury next week and will be keen to leave on a winning note, especially playing in his former home town.
Smith and McLaren know a lot about each other as they were both with the Berserker Bears.
“I coached him as a kid and later we were team-mates,” Smith said.
The appointment of McLaren to the position with the A-League team could be good news for Rockhampton players keen to take the step to the A-League.
While the Fury is Rockhampton's closest geographical connection to A-League football, the previous organisation appeared to make little use of that link.
With McLaren in a senior position at the club the Cougars and the Fury should enjoy better communication.
Tomorrow's game will give present squad members a great opportunity to stake their claim for a call to help in the re-building of the Queensland Fury.
Kick-off tomorrow is 2pm.
HYUNDAI QSL
The Cougars squad to play against the Brisbane Strikers at Ryan Park on Sunday:
Tim English (Richard Buckle), Rob Lupton, Michael Cay (Ben Radstaak), Dai Thomas, Michael Cay, Justin McMullen, Fergus McIntosh, Matt Smillie, Anthony Hartnell, Martyn Davies, Jesse Thompson, Tristan Fraser (captain), Eduardo, Oliver Saunders, and Ben McMaster.
Coach: Brad Smith.
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2010/05/15/coach-desperate-for-goal-scorers/