There is only one scenario for Sydney FC’s National Youth League side in their final match of the 2009/10 season – win and qualify for the finals.
There is only one scenario for Sydney FC-s National Youth League side in their final match of the 2009/10 season – win and qualify for the finals.
Sitting in fifth position, equal on 38 points with Gold Coast United but behind on goal difference, the youth Sky Blues must beat the co-competition leading Central Coast Mariners at Pluim Park on Saturday afternoon (4pm kick-off) to earn a post season berth.
Third placed Adelaide (39 points), play Gold Coast the following day with one of those teams to miss if Sydney, the defending champions, account for the Mariners a day earlier.
Sky Blues captain Sam Munro is confident Sydney FC can embark on a seek and destroy mission and leave the Central Coast with the most important competition points of the season.
“We will have to show a lot of maturity and step up this weekend. We feel we can beat any team so we are confident we can get the win on Saturday,” Munro said.
“We are looking at some video tonight, really go over them at the session. When we have played them we have made a few mistakes and given them the wins.
“I feel we have played the better football so hopefully we can get the goals and not make any mistakes.”
Alongside inform midfielder Iain Ramsay, Munro will be key to the Sky Blues chances of success.
“The boys have been sharp at training and we have to be. This week could be the last game of the season. Everyone is focused on getting this win,” Munro said.
“I am in good form. I have been training with the A-League team all year and I have learnt a lot of things. When I rejoin the youth league team I have to be one of the leaders and steer the boys around the park.”
The Mariners have had the edge over the Sky Blues this season, beating them twice in Sydney – 3-1 in Round four and 2-1 in Round 13 – and Munro feels concentration is the only thing preventing Steve O-Connor-s men getting the win.
“We need to just concentrate for the whole game and not have those 30 second stints where we lose all of our concentration, let them score and make silly mistakes,” Munro said.
“We need to be switched on for the whole 90 minutes and take our chances when they come because in every game we have had a million chances and we can-t put them away so we definitely have to take them on Saturday.”
The youth Sky Blues will be without Dimtri Petratos through suspension.
Sydney FC Youth line-up: Hussein AKIL, Luke AUSTIN, Joel CHIANESE, Sam GALLAGHER, Joseph GIBBS, Tim MCGOWAN, Sam MUNRO (c), Nenad VEKIC (gk), Iain RAMSAY, David VRANKOVIC, Antony GOLEC, Paul MACKEY, Steve TIBBETS, Mark PULLMAN (gk)
Unavailable: Dimitri PETRATOS (Suspended – 1 week), Kofi DANNING (Knee – season), Rhyan GRANT (Ankle – season), Matt Jurman (Foot – season)
