SOUTHERN Football League fans have been craving a mouth watering encounter all season and round eight today finally delivers. Unbeaten duo Lindisfarne (third) hosts Dodges Ferry (second) at Anzac Park in a game which promises to put some spark back into the competition. The Two Blues have played one less match than the Sharks and coach Daniel Willing has labelled the contest an eight-point match. Both sides will be looking to stamp themselves as a challenger to runaway league leaders New Norfolk, which gets to face both in the next three weeks. ``We are looking forward to it, probably a little more than any game we have played this year,'' Willing said. ``It's a bit of a season defining game, we look at it as an eight-point game for both clubs. ``They have played seven games and we have only played six, so if we get beaten we slip eight points behind them. ``We can't control what New Norfolk do so we can't worry about that. We know Dodges are a contender as well and we need to put our best foot forward and make the competition realise it's not just New Norfolk.'' The two teams enter the match brimming with confidence with nearly full strength squads to pick from. While both possess potent on-ball brigades -- Lindisfarne Gavin Quirk, Nick Braslin, Daniel Rattenbury and Tom Robinson and Dodges Craig McLeod, Jesse O'Neil, Isaac Bennett and Ty Little -- the respective forward battles could hold the key. Jamie Tubb and Justin Rainbird have caused many headaches for opposition coaches but the Sharks have proven stoppers in George Stirling and Brad Curran while Alan Haw and Jamie Curran are both capable of kicking a big bag for the visitors. ``All three sides at the top at the moment have been undefeated, now the test comes to see where we are compared to each other,'' Sharks' coach Danny Ling said. ``I know quite a few people who don't follow either side who are going to the game.'' In other matches, Triabunna hosts Kingborough, Brighton heads to Cygnet, Sorell and Huonville meet at Pembroke Park and the Central Hawks have the near-impossible ask of stopping New Norfolk.
Website Editor