Brookvale FC has been a powerhouse of the Manly Warringah Football Association Premier League competition and is not used to losing two games on the trot. Yet losses to Mosman (3-2) and Pittwater RSL (3-0) in recent weeks has seen intensity rise at Grahams Reserve, according to Brookvale coach Mark Hunt.
“Intensity has been good, yes,” Hunt said when asked if their had been a noticeable edge at training. “The squad is pulling together and they know they need to back each other. No reliance or expectation that others will do their job for them.
“We’re still creating chances. But we need to finish them and to lock down key moments in games,” Hunt said.
Harbord has won four games in 2021 and lost eight. Their form line reads LDLLL. Yet Hunt said his team is in for a “really tough and tight game”.
“They were well organised in our first game [a 1-0 win to Brookvale] and I expect their confidence to have grown as games have gone on. They’ve been good in their first full season in the Premier League and they’ve been building well. We will take nothing whatsover for granted,” Hunt said.
Harbord coach Paul Mulligan said his team will “give it our all as we do every game”.
“Brookvale is always a strong team with players that can turn a game. We have struggled in front of goal and have been low on numbers due to injuries. But we have some players back this week. So we are looking forward to it,” Mulligan said.
In other games Saint Augustine’s host Narrabeen, third-placed Mosman take on second-bottom Seaforth, in-form Pittwater RSL travel to Wyatt for the BTH Raiders, Wakehurst take on Manly Vale at Lionel Watts and in a very strong candidate for match-of-the-round first-placed CC Strikers host second-placed Curl Curl at St Matthews Farm Reserve. Check Monday’s match report of that latter fixture in these e-pages. All games kick-off Saturday at 3pm.
