BY THE PALM TREES

What a difference the right result makes! It was a long wait, but putting an end to a couple of important statistics was a massive relief.

Sure, Perth was unlucky to lose key players before and during the match but the fact still remains we were the better side on the night. On paper Perth has appeared to have more depth than just about any other team but the reality was different. In fact, with Harry Ascroft setting the example, starting in Paul Okon’s team for the first time, it was the Mariners who showed their depth. Yes, we had our luck in the game but it didn’t all go our way. I’m not wasting too many words on it here but at least a couple of the big decisions didn’t go our way. Thankfully those decisions didn’t impact the result on this occasion.

Despite the horrendous Thursday night scheduling, a decent sized crowd of just under five and half thousand turned up for just the second match in Gosford this season. The Yellow Army was seemingly emboldened by their excellent performance away in Newcastle the previous weekend, turning it on as they led the boisterous crowd with great enthusiasm. It was a great night all round with the result providing the opportunity for fantastic post-match scenes as players, families and fans gathered for the “Family Photo”, celebrating the long awaited result together (see image).

There is a level of positivity around the club and what it’s doing at the moment which has been building since the current CEO took the reins. Intelligent appointments, financial prudence, genuine engagement with the fans, uncomplicated communications and innovative services give members and fans a feeling of greater involvement, and these are just a few of the notable things which are now “normal” at our club. As we strive toward greater success on the pitch, the great work done off the pitch will make an even greater impact as more interest is developed and more members and fans are attracted.

This weekend we host the Western Sydney Wanderers and their fans will be as loud as it gets. They have a massive population to draw from so I expect they will bring a large contingent of their large number of fans. Of course they know they have many more active supporters than we do but never the less some of them still get a thrill out of pointing that out to us. So what can we do? Well, the only response we can make is to show them how together we are. For me, I will leave my cushy seat in Bay 40 for some (or all) of this game and join my mates and fellow fans behind the goal in Bay 16. I do this every away match I attend but for this home match, I want to make a contribution. You can too so don’t be afraid. Get down there!

The Wanderers registered their fourth consecutive draw at Spotless Stadium last weekend (which included one against us) and continue to struggle to take advantage of their regular good play. There is no doubt they have the firepower to hurt most teams, they just haven’t been able to get it to click yet.

Watching the emotion, the pure elation on the faces of the boys and on the face of Paolo after the match last weekend demonstrated to me what a boost this win (and as importantly the clean sheet) can give to the team. As we look to continue our improving trajectory, we now approach this match full of confidence. A win would remove another statistical monkey from our back (consecutive wins) and while the Wanderers do have dangerous options, we now know we can have confidence in our own game plan.

 

 

Google+