With exactly a month remaining to the Roar’s opening match of the A-League season come kick-off on Sunday, Head Coach Warren Moon says the test against Peninsula Power is exactly what his squad needs.
The Roar will meet the current NPL QLD Premiers at A.J. Kelly Park on Sunday in the third Dolphin Community Shield fixture, one month to the day from the Club’s opening A-League contest against Wellington Phoenix at Dolphin Stadium.
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The clash will be the Roar’s second against NPL QLD opposition this preparation, following a 9-1 victory over Magpies Crusaders in Mackay a fortnight ago.
The Power, who finished five points clear at the summit in the NPL QLD, will provide a stern test for Moon’s men.
“They’re the Queensland Premiers so obviously it’s going to be a good test for us & we’re looking forward to that,” Moon said.
“I think right now, we need a tough hit out, which we think they are and as we ramp up closer to the A-League season that’s what we need.”
The fixture is the first of three massive weekends of pre-season preparations for the Roar, who face an NPL QLD All-Stars outfit at Dolphin Stadium on Saturday, 5 December before a trip across the border to face the Newcastle Jets in Coffs Harbour a week later.
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“We’re getting closer to the start of the season so we need those tests against those kinds of oppositions,” Moon added.
More than 20 players took the pitch in last weekend’s meeting with FQPL outfit Rochedale Rovers. Moon has hinted that the opportunity beckons for plenty of players to earn minutes at A.J. Kelly Park on Sunday evening.
“I think we’ll do the same on Sunday & then probably after that start giving some serious minutes to some of our key players,” Moon continued.
“Sunday provides another great opportunity again to earn some minutes for a lot of the boys.
“We’ve had a few players come back at different times and at different stages, but we’re confident come four weeks time that we’ll be where we need to for Round 1.”
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