Strikers’ mentor eyes minor premiership title
BY ALEX TIGANI
Singleton Strikers coach Mick Jarvis does not ride on other team’s results.
Yet even he can’t help but glance at the table in what has been touted as the most even Northern League One first grade competition in history.
“I’m watching it closely this year,” he laughed.
The Singleton Strikers commenced the season on top of the table with four season opening wins on the road against the Cessnock City Hornets (2-1), Thornton Redbacks (2-0), Kahibah (1-0) and Wallsend (9-0).
By the time they returned to Howe Park for their first home match the Strikers’ appeared invincible with a commanding 5-0 triumph against West Wallsend.
Three straight defeats to South Cardiff (4-3), Toronto-Awaba (3-0), Cessnock City (2-1) and a 1-1 draw with the Thornton Redbacks were then counteracted with three wins on the trot against Kahibah (2-0), Belmont Swansea (2-1) and Wallsend (2-0).
“We came off knowing that we hadn’t been good enough in the weeks prior to Kahibah and that we needed to play for 90 minutes,” he explained.
“We were starting to get troops back as well with Jake Barner (knee) and Ben Henry (hamstring) and Marcus Morris returned from suspension.”
The second placed Strikers will now travel to Johnston Park to play the fourth placed West Wallsend this Sunday.
Jarvis is weary of his opposition following their recent wins against top sides Toronto-Awaba (2-0), Wallsend (3-0), Thronton Redbacks (6-1) and Cessnock City (4-0).
“The competition is at a point now where you drop a game and you drop two or three positions,” he continued.
“Our perspective is that we want to keep that pressure on that first place.
“Everyone here wants that (minor) premiership because it is something that hasn’t been done before.
“The group won a grand final (in 2020) but they didn’t finish first so that’s our focus but you have to balance that goal without getting ahead of yourself.
“We have the sort of side where if everyone turns up then we’re not worried about anyone in the competition because there is enough talent here to beat anyone on our day.
“We are three on the trot now and hopefully that momentum rolls onto this week.”