Coastal Premier League to kick off sophomore season on Saturday

Coastal Premier League teams are ready to roll as the fledgling comp looks to build

Boambee's new coach and player, former A-League premiership winner, Troy Hearfield, in action against Sawtell FC. Coastal Premier League CPL.

The Mid North Coast’s newest sporting competition is looking to get off to a flyer despite rain delaying this year’s action.

The Coastal Premier League kicks off on Saturday with everything to play for after constant rain led to the first round, due to take place last weekend, being postponed.

After a hectic first season beset by pandemic induced disruption, the quick-thinking North Coast Football administration will be hoping for a smoother ride in 2021.

It was still a great year for Coffs Coast sides with Coffs City United Lions claiming the inaugural premiership in both grades and Boambee FC edging them in a re-jigged Northern Conference grand final.

Despite the off-field setbacks the new competition was a hit, with teams relishing the opportunity to take on new opposition from outside their traditional heartland and showing plenty of quality on the field to create a real buzz about the new format.

ROUND 2 FIXTURES

Saturday April 17

Northern Storm v Coffs United, Korora Oval, 2.30pm

Port Saints v Taree Wildcats, Findlay Park, 3pm

Macleay Valley Rangers v Kempsey Saints, Dangar St, 3pm

Coffs Coast Tigers v Port United, Polwarth Drive, 5pm.

Sunday April 18

Boambee v Sawtell, Ayrshire Park, 2pm

CPL SEASON PREVIEW - Contributed

The beauty about the start of a new Coastal Premier League season is that everyone is on the same footing, but nothing is forever.

If we learned anything about the inaugural season it was that there were three distinct groups of teams – the frontrunners, the challengers and the underdogs.

Sawtell, Kempsey and Taree have some significant ground to make up as the teams who occupied the bottom three rungs of the ladder when the pandemic ended the competition after nine rounds.

The Scorpions, Saints and Wildcats were 11 points, 14 points and 15 points respectively behind the premiers Coffs United after nine rounds.

But a new season brings fresh hope and expectations with Saints mentor Evan Clarke focused on having his team prove people wrong after he made the transition from Macleay Valley.

Sawtell coach Joe Skrtic finds himself in a similar position to Clarke with both teams placing an emphasis on a young and fit, but inexperienced playing roster.

The Scorpions conceded too many goals in key moments of fixtures last season and they must find a way to stop that happening again if they are to close the gap between themselves and the frontrunners.

Taree will hope the addition of Jackson Witt can solve their goalscoring woes after they scored a measly three goals in nine matches.

The gap between themselves and those at the top of the competition appears to be too much to bridge in 12 months and they are likely to again feature in the bottom half.

Port United, Coffs Tigers, Macleay Valley and Northern Storm were all hamstrung by inconsistency in 2020.

United registered a win, a draw and a loss against the top three sides which proved they had the ability to match it with the best in the competition.

But they gifted Taree their only win of the season and were held to a home draw by Kempsey and also suffered on the wrong end of the scoreboard up at Sawtell.

The Tigers also had a win, a draw and a loss against the top three sides, but defeats to Port United, Coffs United and Northern Storm proved costly.

Macleay Valley only had two losses, but it was their inability to convert leads into victories that brought them undone.

Four draws from eight starts ultimately cost them the premiers plate with a 3-2 loss at home to Northern Storm a match they were left to rue.

Whether Northern Storm can step up and challenge the pacesetters is the one question they will need to answer to make the finals this year.

The Storm beat who they should have beaten, but three defeats in their three matches against the top three sides meant there are more questions than answers regarding their ability to challenge for the title.

It again looks likely Coffs United, Boambee and Port Saints will again be up towards the top of the ladder.

All three clubs have stability in their playing rosters with pieces of individual brilliance likely to be the key between winning and losing.

Blow that whistle, ref!