State League One soccer to kick off with a dozen sides set to battle across Adelaide
Cumberland United and West Torrens Birkalla are among the 12 contenders for the State League One soccer title as they kick their campaigns off on Friday night. Read the season previews here.
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Twelve clubs will once again vie to reach of SA soccer’s top flight when State League One kicks off on Friday night.
Two-time second-tier champions Cumberland United will be expected to contend and coach Neil Young hopes the club can produce positive results on its new artificial pitch.
Armed with a string of recruits and a redeveloped home at AA Bailey Reserve, Young said the Foxes were well positioned to return to the Premier League.
Cumberland drew 11 and won just five matches last season but it was enough to make the finals before falling at the second stage to Modbury.
It followed relegation in 2017.
“You can’t draw that many games and expect to be promoted,” Young said.
“The players we’ve brought in are more creative than last year and our problem last year was scoring.
“Turning those draws into wins is a big focus and, if we can do that, I think we will be very competitive.
“Automatic promotion would be fantastic.
“If you can get into the top six you give yourself a chance.”
Some familiar faces are pulling on a Cumberland shirt again in 2019.
Most notably, the Foxes welcome back former skipper Robby Lippett from Adelaide Olympic.
Lippett played 161 games for Cumberland and captained the club for four seasons.
Foxes junior Tom Briscoe, fresh off a successful season with Adelaide Comets, also returns to the club.
Noalunga United captain Jordan Pegoraro has been recruited after 11 State League One goals last season and Jack Yull will bolster the midfield on arrival from West Adelaide.
Captain and club champion Jack Schoen, top scorer Karl Phelps, goalkeeper Luke Schoen, Josh Harvey and Declan Gray are among the key players staying on.
Sturt Lions will attempt to bounce back to the top tier after being relegated in their debut Premier League season.
The Lions finished 11th last season to drop down despite a late charge.
They will begin their second-tier campaign at home against Western Strikers on Saturday.
West Torrens Birkalla is set to become the hunted as it begins its first season in the second tier since 2005 on Friday night.
Birks, relegated from the Premier League in 2018, will face White City on Friday night at Frank Mitchell Park in their first test of the new campaign.
It will be a much different season for West Torrens after 13 straight years in the top flight.
Former coach Chris Goddard returns to the club to take the reins once again.
Birkalla will also be boosted by the completion of its new articial pitch at its Novar Gardens base, Jack Smith Park, named for the Birkalla legend, who died in November.
The club, which has been busy on the recruiting front, will play its first match on the new pitch in round three against Cumberland United.
Birkalla finished bottom of the Premier League last season with 14 points, four wins, two draws and 16 defeats.
Modbury Jets were battered 4-1 in last year’s preliminary final by Adelaide Blue Eagles and would be hoping to make sure it did not let another chance at promotion slip.
Three-time first division champions White City will also be hopeful of a return to the top tier following a first-round finals exit last season.
Playford Patriots and Adelaide Victory make the jump up from State League Two.
Fulham United, which avoided relegation by goal difference last season, would be looking to improve as would northern side Salisbury United.
Plugging a leaky defence is the number one priority for Western Strikers, who are gunning for a return to the finals this upcoming soccer season.
The Royal Park club experienced a turbulent 2018 campaign, including the mid-season sacking of coach Brenton Hiern, conceding a league-high 60 goals – 16 more than any other side – and narrowly avoiding relegation.
Coach Dino Paris, who took over from Hiern in May and retained the job, said his off-season aim was to build a resolute defence – but even that had been difficult.
“This year the focus was to bring in more experience to support our young team,” Paris said.
“Our big signing is Andrej Rastovac from Adelaide Blue Eagles.
“He’s a centre-back who comes with a lot of experience.
“We conceded about 60 goals last year, so filling the two centre-back roles and a goalkeeper were priorities.”
Paris believed the Strikers were ready to return to the finals after a one-year absence.
They will have to do it without last season’s top scorer Nathan Munro, who has joined Premier League outfit Croydon after bagging 15 league goals for the Strikers last season.
“I think the belief is there,” Paris said.
“Our aim is to play finals football and I think we can do that.
“Unfortunately last season some results didn’t go our way, we drew a few we probably should have won and found ourselves in that battle with a few games to go.
“We finished two points off relegation but we were also only two points out of the top six, which shows how even it was.
“I think this year teams will be even further evenly matched.”
ROUND ONE
Friday February 22
White City v West Torrens Birkalla @ Frank Mitchell Park
Salisbury United v Cumberland United @ the Parks
Saturday February 23
Playford v Fulham United @ Ramsay Park
Adelaide Victory v Seaford Rangers @ Rushworth Reserve
Modbury Jets v Noalunga United @ Smith Partners Stadium
Sturt Lions v Western Strikers @ West Beach
patrick.keam@news.com.au
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