GALAXY SET FOR GRAND FINAL SHOWDOWN
THE message from Galaxy United coach Kat Smith was clear.
Anything less than a win in Sunday’s WNPL grand final against South Melbourne would not be acceptable.
And it was hammered home to her charges again on Tuesday night as the region’s premier women’s team prepared for its date with destiny.
“We certainly see nothing other than a win as being satisfactory,” Smith said.
“My message has been very clear, and it was exactly that. I’m not undermining what we have been able to do and achieve in our short history.
“But at the end of the day we are aware of what we set as our goal at the start of the year. As much as the job is half done, we want to enjoy this week because it’s something that’s very special.”
It is back-to-back grand finals for United, which has only had a senior women’s side for two seasons.
There is a culture of success already bred into the playing group at Banyul Warri fields and that will hold it in good stead against one of soccer’s powerhouse clubs.
South Melbourne finished the home-and-away season clear on top of the ladder.
Australian international veteran Lisa De Vanna (15 games, 17 goals) and sharp shooter Melina Ayres (27 games, 39 goals) will lead the line and be hard to contain.
But Galaxy will not be losing focus of the bigger picture.
“There’s no secret with what their ambitions were this season and they’ve recruited well,” Smith said.
“No disrespect to them (De Vanna and Ayres), they will get the respect and attention they deserve on the day. But at the same time we have strengths we want to leverage.
“We don’t want to compromise that hat on one or two players.” .”
Galaxy hadd two 3-3 draws and lost 2-0 in this year’s r’s encounters.
Taking two points from a possible nine will give Smith confidence her side can get a result.
However, in n finals anything g is possible.
“Finals footballtball isn’t uncharted d waters for us, but it is a different ball game,” she said. “We don’t t go into finals football, or any y game, and be given a handicapcap on past results. Some players might draw confidence and motivation from it.
“They’ve been very consistent. They’ve got a world class player in Lisa De Vanna and some very experienced WNPL players.
“They’ll go in with a game plan and what they’ve been able to achieve all year has been based on that. It’s about executing that and we will be doing the same.”