Defender Ally Macleod is among a couple of big ‘ins’ for the Wagga City Wanderers on Saturday, as they continue to chase their first win of the season in the State League Two competition.
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Macleod will return from suspension to play against University of NSW, knowing he owes his teammates after his second enforced break of the year.
“Sometimes it causes us pain – he’s been sent off twice – but he wears his heart on his sleeve,” coach Blaise Fagan said.
You might think he wouldn’t be in the coach’s good books, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fagan is forgiving because he likes the way Macleod approaches his football.
“Ally goes in hard and he wins the hard ball,” Fagan said. “He’s very brave and he’s very tough. And unfortunately, if your timing is off by half a second, consequently the ref will say, ‘Off you go.’”
Fagan holds up Macleod’s passion as an example to the rest of the team. He says he doesn’t tolerate ill-discipline, but insists there is a difference between playing the game hard – and accepting the consequences – and being guilty of letting your team down.
“The funny thing is, he’s up front about it. He apologises to the boys,” Fagan said.” But he gives 110 percent every game. As the last man in defence, he’s had to throw his body into places where it’s a line-ball decision. Sometimes he gets a millisecond of timing wrong and he cops the punishment.
“He has to dive in and sort of take on the world.”
Nick Tsipiras is also expected to return from suspension, although there has been some confusion about his penalty.
The Wanderers believe he was sent off for a second yellow against Hurstville FC a fortnight ago – meaning a mandatory one-game ban – however Football NSW officials are yet to confirm if he can play after suggestions the referee had handed him a straight red card.
Fagan is confident the matter will be resolved in the Wanderers’ favour by Saturday.
The good news is that exciting midfielder Adrien Jolly has returned from holidays and will provide some spark in attack against the only team Wagga hasn’t played this year.
University of NSW sit two places above the Wanderers on the ladder, with one win for the season (back in round one) and the Gissing Oval game represents an opportunity for the home side’s first points of the year.
Still cursing the lapses that continue to lead to defeat, Fagan says he’s far from losing heart midway through the season.
“The pressure on me is not to be always winning but to develop a good attacking football side. We’re still a big work in progress. We’ve still got a lot to learn at this level.”
