Momentum carrying Devils into Paddies clash

Fresh off a stunning 1-1 draw with the ladder leaders and league favourites, Wangaratta City FC’s senior men’s side will charge into their weekend’s fixture with confidence. The Devils head to Albury’s Ian Barker Fields to take on the struggling St Pat’s, with last weekend’s statement derby result spurring them on. With the season rapidly coming to a head, senior coach Vitaly Leschen said it was about positioning the side as well as possible to go deep into finals. “Mathematically, I think we can still drop out of finals, but if we win on the weekend that should lock us in,” he said. “Our target is really that seventh [place], or if we get on a bit of a run, sixth spot. “While we’ve performed well against Myrtleford, I do think avoiding Myrtleford in that quarter final gives us the best chance of progressing, and that will be in that seventh spot - unless they royally stuff up the league in the next few games.” Some players did pull up sore and injured from the derby last weekend, with the depth and talent in the reserves set to bolster stocks in the ones. “I think we’ll lean on the twos this weekend – not to count chickens, but hopefully St Pat’s is a game that I can muddle the twos’ line-up a bit and they can still get a win, considering they’re fighting for the league themselves,” Leschen said. “We’ll try our best to get the balance right between shuffling too many pieces around the board, but with injuries, sometimes things have to occur. “I think we’re shaping up well, we’ve got players slowly coming back. “Archer [Hill] is almost back, he’s back training, ‘Juzzy’ [Justin Cirillo] will be back fit, Raul [Pahina] is touch-and-go for finals. “Come finals, hopefully we’ve got a set and fit team.” While further improving on the staggering 5-0 scoreline from their last meeting with the Paddies was unlikely, Leschen said producing consistently good football and banking the three points was all they were interested in. “I would like to see us maintain the things that got us that result, and got us the result against Myrtleford, but not bring in any complacency or arrogance,” he said. “We’re still seventh on the ladder, and we still need to recognise that’s where we are. “These games are non-negotiable to pull points away from.” The division one Devils take on St Pat’s from 3pm at Ian Barker Fields on Sunday, 20 July, while the senior women’s side has the bye.

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