A huge round this weekend as the penultimate matches of the Broken Hill Soccer Association fixtures take place from 12 pm at O’Neill Memorial Park this Sunday with St Joes taking on West Panthers, and Alma Goats tackling Celtic across all three senior leagues.
In the men’s A-Grade, Celtic have the opportunity to replace Alma in second place with a victory in a high stakes clash. Alma will be looking to regain that winning feeling after a humbling 3-1 defeat at the hands of St joes last weekend, while Celtic will be riding high after a 7-0 victory over West Panthers in the late kick off on the same day.
Last time Celtic and Alma did battle with one other, the spoils were shared with a tense nil-nil draw the result. St Joes seem likely to build on their lead at the top of the standings, facing West Panthers, a side they dispatched with some ease in their last clash 5-0.
“The lads are all excited about it,” Celtic coach Aaron Cunico told the Truth.
“They know they’ve got it in them. In the last three weeks, everything has started to gel. We have tried a few different things tactically, and it has worked wonders for us.”
After what was very much a two-horse race last season between St Joes and Alma, the rise of Celtic has been a welcome addition to the men’s competition, and is creating excitement, not just on the terraces, but on the training pitch as well.
“The boys are excited. They fired up to be a part of the business end of the season, which is something that has been a long time coming for us,” said Cunico.
The women’s competition is also set up nicely. Alma face Celtic in a match they are expected to win, and West take on St Joes in what is a danger fixture for the league leading West Panthers side.
Last time the West and St Joes faced each other, it was a comprehensive win for the Panthers 7-0, and the squad will be looking for a similar result to lock in top spot and a berth in the grand final.
An understrength Alma will be vulnerable and will need to be at their best against a poor Celtic side who are still looking for their first win of the season. A victory may be a tall order given they only scored their first goal last week, but a weakened Alma side is arguably their best chance at securing a victory in season 2023.
“Every weekend is a chance for an upset. If you go into the fixture with the right mindset, anything is possible,” Coach Cunico said.
FIXTURE TIMES
Women’s A-Grade: West vs St Joes (bottom pitch) 12pm
Men’s A-Grade: Celtic vs Alma (bottom pitch) 2pm
Men’s A-Grade: West vs St Joes (bottom pitch) 4pm
Women’s A-Grade: Celtic vs Alma (top pitch) 4.20pm
