Lol we've got a squad full of dreamers. No chance we were ready to go straight up. No chance we were going up. Now though, maybe. As I said earlier we'd need a few more players to commit. We'll see.Originally Posted by Drunken ranger
You guys have a thousand all age sides surely numbers aren't the problem.
This is a huge point you've brought up Wilso. The ZL2 comp (and all the ZL comps for that matter) are pretty evenly contested and I don't think there's a whole lot between each team. Last year I thought Olympic had by far the best squad and didn't make the finals. This year you've got two teams from ZL3 come up and are discussing potential promotion. And while 2 of the top 4 from last year got promoted, it still is crazy that potentially there will be 4 brand new teams in the semis.
IMO what you need in ZL2 is a good run of injury-free period, and a bit of help from the refs at times (because let's face it, the refs have been the deciding factor in many games), and you've got the comp wrapped up. But I would take every possible opportunity to claim promotion when I could (if I could, numbers-wise) because there's no guarentee your players will stick around or the injury and ref situtation will be the same for you the year after.
You look at ZL2 last year and every single club I talked to apart from Jesmond, said Jesmond were getting results way better than the football they played deserved. They ground teams out, and convinced no one, but still somehow managed to get top 2. And as I said before, you had Olympic who were the standout for me and they didn't even make the finals. It's a weird comp.
I've seen Barnsley and Terrace win ZL2 and then be a powerhouse in ZL1. Jesmond are going pretty good in ZL1 atm. I don't really see the step-up in quality to be that big (if you can retain and/or improve your squad a bit), it's just a matter of being that "lucky" club to get promoted.
If you have the numbers and similar or better squad quality, and are offered promotion, I genuinely think you're crazy not to take promotion.
OK
Finally. We have some quality conversation in this thread lol. I agree. I think you would take promotion no question
It's hard enough managing 30 lunatics from 'stoko'. I dunno if I could handle another 15! But then again I guess 'stoko are da bomb'
But yeah mad not to take it. Say yes. Gather numbers later. Not that we struggle. But even if you don't get them just pull out days before the comp starts like everyone else seemed to do at the start of this season.
Having said that I don't think we will be talking promotion over here on the peninsula this season. Scrape into the four would be a great effort for us! Very happy so far considering the aim was non relegation this season and winning a game!
Keeping players is always going to be the issue when it comes to Mussy going up to ZL1. By the time State Cup cup rolled around this year we only had 4 First Graders left from our Grand Final side last year. And this wasn't from people leaving for other clubs. There are only a handful that can commit to more than a single year playing here due to shift work and working visas.
If we had kept all the players that left last season and still picked up the quality that we have this year, I believe we would have been a decent chance had we taken the promotion but as it stands now the gap between our Ressies and Firsts is just too large and we just wouldn't have had the depth there to compete.
Our geographical local leaves us at a disadvantage also. When Macquarie teams get promotion they rarely have difficulty fielding a class team as there are plenty of players willing join from other clubs just for the opportunity to play a higher division (See Jesmond). We are not so lucky. If we lose players, we have to rely on our youth coming through. This has at times been a disaster which has seen us fall down into ZL3 but other times it has paid off as it may do this year.
So to the untrained eye, it may appear that Mussy just enjoy hovering in ZL2 but realistically we do push and make the serious considerations to play ZL1 football. It's just a pain in the arse when the team has to be rebuilt year after year.
Yep, as you know I keep a close watch on you Mussy boys and honestly I applauded you guys for rejecting promotion, solely because of the huge player&committee turnover you had. ZL1 could have proved to be a gigantic struggle for you guys this season.
I also had my doubts due to the player turnover how Westlakes would go when they jumped at the offer of promotion. But from all reports in the ZL1 thread, they're doing the club proud with fighting till the death of every game. But maybe they're not getting the results they should - I don't know, I've watched barely any of their games this season.
Like I said though, any team with similar or improved squads would be crazy to reject it IMO.
OK
Rd14
Bero v Terrace - up the Rangers
Stocko v Uni - da bomb
Mere wether v Medowie - mere wether to open their acct
Muswellbrook v Plattsy - Eagles at home to be tooooo good
Hamilton v Charlestown - Charlie in a close one
Olympic v Charlestown
Res 2-2
1st 0-1
Stocko v uni
Res 1 - 3
1sts 2 - 0
Bero v tez
Res 2-2
1sts terrace 1-0 played the last 20 ish with 10 men
Match report
Match reports
Firsts had a heap of chances. Should have had plenty more but couldn't finish. Our keeper had a pretty quiet game. Uni played well in possession but didn't do much in the final third. Took us a half of football to wake up.
Merewether vs Medowie
Res 1-3
1sts 5-3. Merewether went down 2-0 early but came back. Medowie ended the game with 8 players after 3 reds and merewether had one. Good to get a win on old boys day. Plenty of blokes backed up for Medowie from the reserves game.
3 reds what were they for haha
Bero v terrace
1sts 0-1 top of the table clash
Res 2-2
2 good games play with heart and determination in 1sts terrace scored early (didn't see what happen) and after that the game was arm wrest with both teams going end to end in the second half terrace had a player sent off with 25 to go and then defended the rest of the game pretty much boys dug and worked hard for each other terrace keeper made a good one on one save and had to earn he's shower after going down to 10 men
Ressies another good game with terrace taking the lead twice but bero showed there fighting spirit and pegged it back both times terrace first was a penalty early in the game bero equalised with 10 to go in 1st half second half terrace took the lead again and were fighting to the end to hold on a bad defensive mistake let bero striker cross the ball for the 2nd goal after that the game went end to end in search of a winner for both sides
Good games and terrace showed the fighting spirit and took away points
Eagles vs Plattsy at The Nest
Reserve Grade
Eagles 1
Plattsy 1
First Grade
Eagles 4
Plattsy 3
#screamingeagles#thenest#fortress
Match report please dread
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