The Devonport Strikers return to the national stage when they face a long road trip west to take on the champions of Western Australia, Perth SC in the PlayStation 4 NPL 2016 Finals Series.
The Strikers will head into the game looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat in the League Cup final, though perhaps it might not have been the worst wake up call for the side ahead of this game.
The Strikers' success has largely been based on minimizing errors, defending furiously and having total team commitment to the cause. That wasn’t the case on Saturday and it showed how awry things can get if they deviate from the game plan.
They also played more expansively which left them more isolated at the back. One would expect a return to the defence first, counter attacking game plan for this match, just as they utilised in their previous ventures onto the National stage in the FFA Cup.
Niko Giantsopoulos will miss with his shoulder injury but that will open up the second Visa slot to Daniel Syson, who will get a much deserved shot on the big stage. The tenacious Englishmen will have his usual mountain of work to do against a side expected to control possession but along with Blizzard and Hingston they form a strong midfield three that will make life difficult for their Western opponents.
The rest of the team will be as per usual as the Strikers look to provide more upsets on the National stage against their highly fancied opposition.
PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2016 Elimination Finals
Perth SC v Devonport Strikers
Saturday 17 September 2016
E&D Litis Stadium, Leederville, WA
Kick-off: 6:00pm local (8:00pm AEST)
Coverage details: Watch the LIVE stream at www.nationalpremierleagues.com.au. Slice of Cheese will provide a live blog of the game.
Twitter: @PerthSoccerClub @DevStrikers @FootballWest @FootballFedTas Join in the conversation using the hashtag #PSCvDEV