The PGFC Academy teams return to their Ashfield home on Sunday when they entertain Floreat Athena in Round 19 of the Football West NPL.
The First Team currently sit on top of the table following a spectacular 5-3 win at ECU Joondalup last weekend, but for Head Coach John Gibson, it’s still very much a case of business as usual.
“We spoke to the players straight after the win at ECU and yes we were pleased to have produced another strong performance,”he said. “But we did let in three very soft goals, so the group is aware and know they need to concentrate for 90-plus minutes.
“Consistency and maturity have been key focuses for us this season and it’s pleasing to see the players strive to achieve that. It’s fantastic to see them getting rewarded for the hard work.”
In terms of Sunday’s game, Night Series winners Floreat have found some decent form in recent weeks and Gibson is keenly aware of the quality that they have within their ranks.
“Our focus is ourselves and concentrating on what we can control and improve and this weekend will be no different,” he said.”Floreat do have some outstanding players and it will be another tough challenge, but one we look forward to.”
Michael McDougall, meanwhile, helped himself to a brace in the win at ECU and the young midfielder believes that confidence is high among his teammates as they approach the business end of the season.
“I feel the [ECU] game was a good reflection of the efforts the boys have been putting in to the training sessions throughout the season,” he explained. “It shows that Gibbo [John Gibson] is making the training specific and it’s really benefiting us and helping us get the results we need.”
McDougall went on to reveal that he actually considered quitting the game at the start of the season, but after a chat to Gibson, opted to keep going.
“Yes, I’ve been having a real rough patch with football of late,” he said, “but I just stuck in there and I was able to earn some starts in the last few weeks. That has helped me build some confidence which was crucial in helping me deliver a good performance on the weekend.”
With Glory now in pole position, McDougall is aware that they have a target on their back as far as the chasing pack is concerned.
“We are under no illusions that teams will be coming for us now,” he said, “and I think the game on the weekend is going to be really difficult as Floreat are desperate for points. They are a very threatening team, but we’ve been training all week in preparation for the game so we know what we need to do to get the result.”
The Under-18s get Sunday’s action underway at 11am, with the Under-20s then starting at 1pm and the First Team kicking off at 3pm.
But if you can’t get along to Ashfield yourself, we will be streaming the game live on our Facebook page which can be found by clicking HERE.
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