The Hunter River Times

BY ALEX TIGANI

Singleton Strikers first year coach Mick Jarvis set himself a personal goal in 2022.

He hoped to see all three of the Singleton Strikers’ senior sides play finals in the Northern League One competition.

Fast forward to the final fortnight of the competition and the dream is now closer to a reality.

“We are happy with the momentum we are gaining,” Jarvis told The Hunter River Times after his first-grade side’s 3-1 win over Toronto-Awaba.

“Everyone seems to be fit which is good and we are starting to get a bit of consistency with the football which is good.”

An early Brad Cox goal saw the Strikers capture a 1-0 lead at the first break before leaders Hayden Nicol and Jackson Cox sealed the win.

The club’s 2020 grand final hero Joel Barner also displayed an impressive first half despite battling food poising earlier in the week.

The Strikers proved to be more clinical and disciplined and now sit in fifth place on the table.

“We spoke at halftime about the fact that we weren’t good enough in our last outing against them (Toronto-Awaba) where they beat us 4-1 on a Tuesday night down at Lake Macquarie,” he reflected.

“That was pretty much the turning point for us.”

The first-grade side will finish the season against West Wallsend (sixth) and Belmont Swansea (second) who played off in a scoreless draw on Sunday.

“On paper West Wallsend are probably the most experienced team in Northern League One,” he explained.

“You can’t take anything for granted in this competition, it is one of the tightest NL1 comps that I have seen in years’ gone by.”

The Strikers’ reserve grade side also remains in the top five despite its disappointing 1-0 defeat to the Stags on Saturday.

Interestingly they will finish the season against the bottom of the table West Wallsend side before travelling to Belmont-Swansea who sit on top of the table.

The fourth placed under-18 side will play host to the fifth place West Wallsend in their quest to end a long finals drought.

They will kick off the action at 11:10am this Saturday at Civic Park.

“I have been impressed with the amount of work that the executive has put together to get us on this year with Howe Park being out of action,” he concluded.

“So, it is all coming together…. touchwood.”