Match Preview

Southern United vs Waitakere United
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Sunday 3 February, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #SUvWU

Referee: M Conger
Assistant Referees: A Verolino, C Marsh
Fourth Official: C Berg

Squads

Southern United: 1. Liam Little (GK), 2. Conor O’Keeffe, 3. Jared Grove, 4. Stephen Last, 5. Erik Panzer, 6. Danny Ledwith, 7. Hayato Wakino, 8. Tony Whitehead, 9. Garbhan Coughlan, 10. Abdulla Al-Kalisy, 11. Ben Deeley, 12. Adam Hewson, 13. Azariah Soromon, 14. Sam Pickering, 16. Stewart Catto (GK)
Coach: Paul O’Reilly

Waitakere United: 1. Silvio Rodic (GK), 3. Niko Steinmetz, 5. Kris Carpenter, 6. Hayden Aish, 7. Oscar Browne, 8. Sam Burfoot, 9. Alex Connor-McClean, 13. Dane Schnell, 15. Ignacio Machuca Maturena, 16. Reilly O’Meagher, 18. Lachlan McIsaac, 20. Oliver Bassett, 21. Andrew Abba, 22. Nick Draper (GK), 23. Jake Mechell
Coach: Chris Milicich

Lowdown

Southern were handed a tough assignment recently in facing the top three sides in consecutive weeks and they failed to pick up a point. Two of those losses were by narrow, one-goal margins but the defeat to Eastern Suburbs was potentially very damaging to their confidence levels as Southern were outclassed 6-1. But they showed their resolve by bouncing back from that tricky run to sweep aside Hamilton 3-1 and then held Wellington to a draw to lay the foundations for an unbeaten run. They will feel they are more than capable of extending that against a Waitakere side that has won only three matches and is now without talismanic skipper Jake Butler, who has returned to Werribee City in Melbourne. The inconsistent west Aucklanders are capable of beating any side on their day though, as they proved with a 2-1 win over Wellington last month.

#UnitedWeStand