Plenty at stake for Cockburn, Kingsway
It is third-bottom against third-top in Round 19 of the NPLWA - Men’s competition and both Cockburn City and Olympic Kingsway know the importance of victory at Dalmatinac Park on Saturday.
Olympic have been in excellent form as they carry a six-game unbeaten run into the clash, with five clean sheets during that streak. A win is imperative for David Tough’s team as they aim to keep pace at the top ahead of next weekend’s game in hand against title rivals Stirling Macedonia.
Victory will be equally significant for Cockburn, if for entirely different reasons. They start the weekend in 10th place, just a point and a place above the relegation play-off spot. Yet such is the nature of this year’s competition, they are just one win from the top four.
City were sent back into the lower reaches last week when they went down 3-1 at home to Floreat Athena. But winger Friday Zico says the Cockerels can take plenty of heart from their recent performances overall as they attack a fourth home game in a row.
“We should be proud of ourselves for our efforts on the weekend, given we were down a man early in the game and managed to stay in it for a long period of time,” he said.
“Sometimes, though, when you want to get that equalising goal you have to sacrifice a bit at the back. We threw the extra man forward and they got the last goal late.
“For us at Cockburn, we are trying to put a string of performances together and the most important thing for us now is to regroup. We’ve shown we can take points off Kingsway this season and we beat Stirling here, and it was close against (league leaders) RedStar.”
Zico, who was at Cockburn between 2015-17, has returned to Dalmatinac Park after a tough couple of years battling injury with Armadale and Gwelup Croatia. The South Sudan international has been rejuvenated by a change of position which has seen him record his best goalscoring season to date, with many of a spectacular nature.
“I think previously playing in defence I was a bit restricted because your aim there is always to defend first and attack second. But this year I’m further forward and I’m able to play more around the pitch, and working to find that space right, left or centrally has worked for me,” he said.
“It’s been really good having that freedom to be able to express myself. The coach, Macca (Steve McDonald), has encouraged me a lot and given me the confidence to try different things to help the team, which is nice.
“Last year was really difficult for me because I was struggling with injury and it was all very stop-start. I was getting to a stage where I was looking at going back to the Sunday Leagues to help Jaguar get promotion, because all my boys are there, and I do go and support them almost every week.
“But I live near Cockburn, Macca asked me to come down, and the coaching staff and players have been great with their support for me. I’m thankful I joined, and they’ve helped me regain my confidence again.
“Cockburn is a great family club which is very tight-knit and the boys welcomed me back as if I never left, even if it was six or seven years ago.”
While Zico’s immediate aim involves helping Cockburn maintain their NPL status, the 28-year-old hopes to represent South Sudan once again on the international stage.
“That’s my goal. I’m trying to get that confidence back to propel me to play for the national team again and show people what I can do with no fear,” he said.
“That’s something I have been able to do before and I really want to get back to that and continue my progress.
“I’ve obviously had to change my body a little bit to get stronger and make sure I’m not getting those little injuries I used to get. I’ve tried to do the right thing physically and now I’m hoping to add a few more goals before the end of the season.
“I’m really enjoying being able to contribute. It’s been one of the most enjoyable seasons I’ve had playing and now I really want to help Cockburn as much as I can.”
At the top of the league, Perth RedStar will look to hold off the chasers below when they host Armadale at RedStar Arena.
A win will guarantee Callum Salmon’s side remain top with three rounds remaining, while Armadale will be under new leadership in the dugout after the club parted ways with head coach John O’Reilly during the week.
O’Reilly was the top flight’s longest-serving coach prior to his departure, winning the club’s first State Cup in 2018 and twice putting them on the national stage with two Australia Cup Round of 32 appearances. The club are currently a point above the relegation play-off place and are without a win in five.
Stirling Macedonia, a point behind RedStar with a game in hand, are at home to Sorrento FC with both teams coming off dramatic late wins in Round 18.
Fourth-placed Perth SC head to Floreat Athena with the latter coming off back-to-back wins which have lifted them off the bottom of the league.
There is an important game in the top four race when fifth-placed Balcatta go to sixth-placed Bayswater City.
Finally, the bottom two sides in the division meet at Lark Hill as Perth Glory host Inglewood United. Inglewood, currently in the automatic relegation spot, are three points behind Saturday’s opponents who occupy the relegation play-off place and are one point from safety.
All games live on Streamer.