Australia Cup specialist Liam Boland has urged his teammates to make tomorrow's clash with Edgeworth Eagles a night to remember for everyone connected with Olympic Kingsway.
The NPLWA league leaders are playing in the national Round of 32 for the first time and a bumper crowd is set to have Kingsway Reserve rocking when the Northern NSW side come to town.
Victory for the Green Machine will see them join Perth Glory in the last 16 after the A-League side's incredible 5-4 extra-time win against Melbourne City on Saturday.
While this is new ground for the Wanneroo club and many of their players, Boland has history in the competition from a decade in Melbourne including an outrageous 40-yard screamer for Green Gully against Central Coast in 2016 and a hat-trick while at Avondale two years ago.
In all, the striker has notched 11 goals in the FFA/Australia Cup from the Round of 32 onwards, just one off the record held by all-time A-League great Besart Berisha.
Boland said: “As an NPL player, it’s as big as we get on the national stage and you want to be involved in these occasions. When I look back at the end of my career these are the games I’ll remember.
“We’ve spoken about the Australia Cup, and I’ve just told the players to soak it in. A couple of the boys have played in it, so they know what it’s like. But a couple of the younger ones, just soak it in.
“It’s a massive occasion for the club. Hopefully we can create a memorable night for all the people who have put in the hard work at the club. It's possibly the biggest game in the club’s history and you want to reward everyone for their hard work.”
Olympic have knocked out Dianella White Eagles, Mandurah City, Western Knights and Perth SC in the preliminary rounds to get this far. The game against Knights saw Joe Knowles and Joe Hobson inspire a thrilling 3-2 comeback win after they were trailing 2-0 with under 20 minutes remaining.
“That was massive. Knowlesy and Hobbo linking up in that couple of minutes and getting a couple of goals,” Boland said. “I don’t think the momentum has stopped from there.
“We have had some unbelievable games throughout the year. We are an exciting team that’s for sure and people enjoy it when they come and watch us.
“I played for a good two-to-three years against Knowlesy in Melbourne and one of those years he was the best player in the league by a mile and that was when he picked up his A-League contract. It’s been great to play with him and see what he can do on the pitch.”
As well as the cup run, Olympic have been flying in the league and will head into the final four games with a five-point buffer over Perth RedStar.
Boland said: "There are a few boys who are unsung heroes, like Tyler (Garner), Joshy (Josh Samson), those kind of players who put in a heap of work, every week. You know what you are going to get from them and they are good footballers as well. They are the difference-makers in the team and been massive for us this year.
“Aryn Williams is another. He has been unbelievable, especially in the second half of the season. I know him well from playing against him over in Melbourne and he’s a winner.”
Despite the team's on-field successes, Boland’s return to WA has not been plain sailing.
“I missed the whole pre-season with a meniscus surgery and got back to training a week before Round One,” he said.
“I managed to play Round One, obviously super unfit. I got my fitness as I played, so there were a few tough games to start.
“I was scoring goals, which is what you want as a striker, but it was hard work.
“Then before Round Six I hurt myself on a Thursday night at training, I did a Grade Two syndesmosis which is a high ankle sprain. I played on it for three weeks because I’m stubborn and didn’t want to miss any more time, but in the end I had to and I probably missed around 10 weeks afterwards.”
Boland returned to NPL action in the last round as a substitute against his former club Perth SC, and three minutes after coming off the bench he had set up Knowles for the only goal.
He said: “It was one of those games where you have a lot of chances and unfortunately we couldn’t take them. So to come on after a long time out and first touch you have an impact, it was good, especially as it ended up being the difference.
“It was a big three points, especially with RedStar dropping points the following day. We talked about that, how much pressure we could apply if we got the three points and it was a real hard graft on a Friday night at Dorrien. It was wet, it was muddy, it was just one of those games, so it was a big win for sure. Now we have a bit of a gap we’ve just to keep our foot down and keep going.
“Our priority at the start of the season was to win the league as that is the pinnacle in football. But every competition you are in you want to win.
“The game on Tuesday is huge for club. I did it at Green Gully and I saw the difference it made there. We’re a big community club and I’m sure we’ll have good turnout and it’s about making it a big positive experience for everyone who comes to support us.”
Tomorrow's Australia Cup game between Olympic Kingsway and Edgeworth Eagles kicks off at 6.30pm.
The club is encouraging fans to pre-purchase tickets, which can be bought HERE.
