Coyne pleased with Baysie application
Football West News
Bayswater City head coach Chris Coyne
The NPL WA is back tonight as champions Perth SC start their quest for a third successive title away to Bayswater City (kick-off 7.30pm).
COVID-19 has forced the season to be restarted and a mid-season split of the table means there will another reset after 11 rounds.
But after many weeks when there was a real possibility of no football at all for the remainder of 2020, it is fitting the two top teams of the NPL era will get the ball rolling.
Bayswater coach Chris Coyne says his players have impressed during the build-up to tonight.
“It’s been a long pre-season and a long time to keep the boys motivated,” he said. “But be fair they are a pleasure and have accepted it for what it is.
“We brought them back at the start in small groups, The hardest bit was doing the training and they couldn’t see a football. But they knew why we were doing it and they put the time in. Hopefully tonight we’ll see a strong performance.”
Coyne and his fellow coaches will be tested on how best to manage their squads this year with the competition points reset when the midway split comes in, especially if they secure a spot in the top six early on.
“I would have liked to have seen maybe a handicap system brought in for after the split, with the teams at the top starting with an advantage,” Coyne said, while also acknowledging that the enforced break had left the game “between a rock and a hard place”.
Although defender Riley Warland has rejoined ECU Joondalup, Coyne said Bayswater still had a squad of 21 or 22 who will all challenge for a first-team spot.
“Everyone is fit and raring to go and fortunately this year we have no serious injuries,” he said.
All of the other Round One matches will take place on Saturday.
Promoted Gwelup Croatia are at home to 2019 runners-up Inglewood United, while Floreat Athena host Armadale.
ECU Joondalup, who have strengthened under Kenny Lowe, take on Cockburn City, Perth Glory head to Balcatta, while Rockingham City face Sorrento.
All first team and Under 20s matches in the men’s NPL and first team Women's NPL will be live streamed on the Football West Facebook and YouTube pages.
FIXTURES
Friday, 3 July
NPL WA
Bayswater City v Perth SC (Frank Drago Reserve, 7.30pm)
Saturday, 4 July
NPL WA
Gwelup Croatia v Inglewood United (Croatian Sporting Complex, 3pm)
Floreat Athena v Armadale SC (E&D Litis Stadium, 3pm)
ECU Joondalup v Cockburn City (ECU Football Stadium, 3pm)
Balcatta v Perth Glory (Grindleford Reserve, 3pm)
Rockingham City v Sorrento (SafeRad Stadium, 3pm)
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