Tough task for Southern Utd to bounce back

Southern United is looking to put a forgettable performance behind it quickly but it faces a tough opponent to get back into the winner’s circle.

Auckland’s Eastern Suburbs comes to town to play the southern team at Forsyth Barr Stadium this afternoon with the sides at opposite ends of the table.

Eastern Suburbs sits one point behind leader Waitakere United and had an impressive 3-1 win over Team Wellington at home last weekend.

Southern United, on the other hand, is second-last and had a tough day at the office last Monday when it struggled to get anything going and eventually fell 3-0 to Wellington Phoenix under-20.

Southern United defender Harley Rodeka said it was one of those games in which not much went right.

"We scored an own goal to put them ahead and that gave them a bit of confidence. They pushed on and then we gave away a penalty and that put us right on the back foot," he said.

"We had to chase the game and they were a lot more clinical in the second half. But there were no real excuses, they just played better than us."

With just five days between games, there was not a lot of time to have a full debrief on what had caused last weekend’s loss.

"We did not really reflect too much. We knew what we did wrong and we’ve just got to get that right. Just have to show more intensity and be a little bit more on to it.

"These days you have to be fully focused for the whole 90-plus minutes and being switched on for the whole game."

Rodeka missed a good bulk of the season pre-Christmas hampered by a groin injury.

He was named captain of the squad at the start of the season but the injury meant the captain’s armband has been passed to Connor O’Keefe and the Irishman has held on to it, despite Rodeka getting back on the field.

Rodeka, who turns 29 next month, has also found himself moved to the left back position since coming back from injury, a change from normally playing in midfield or in the attacking third.

"It is new for me, really, although the odd time I’ve played back there. It is just about trying to work out the new position, being solid and doing the simple things well. Defensively being strong and then helping out when we are going forward."

Rodeka, who works as a sales representative for Total Food Equipment, is not sure whether he will play winter football.

Working fulltime and having to train four to five times a week with Southern United was tough with the standard of the league improving considerably from last year, Rodeka said.Southern United will be without one of its best today with livewire forward Andy Mulligan out through suspension. Cam McPhail is also out with injury.

This is the last game of the season  Southern United will play in Dunedin.  Next week’s final home game against Team Wellington will be played in Invercargill.

Eastern Suburbs will be missing key midfielder Tim Payne but it is a welcome home for former Southern United player Tristan Prattley. 

 

Southern United v Eastern Suburbs

Forsyth Barr Stadium, today, 1pm

Southern United: Liam Little, Danny Ledwith, Stephen Last, Conor O’Keeffe, Ross Howard, Sam Cosgrave, Harley Rodeka, Michael Hogan, Hamish Cotter, Danny Furlong, Eric Molloy, Sam Collier, Andrew Ridden, Tennessee Kinghorn, Josh Dijkstra, Riley Anderton

Eastern Suburbs: Silvio Rodic, Hayden Johns, Ross Haviland, Moses Dyer, Sean Lovemore, Armin Pasagic, Jordan Vale, Andrew Blake, Henry Chikere, Tristan Prattley, Derek Tieku, Ross Langworthy, Calvin Opperman, Michael O’Keeffe, Fabien Kurimata

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