Northern Rangers coach Lino Sciulli cited a creditable fifth NPL Tasmania finish provides ample motivation for the rest of the season.
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Amid most recent 4-0 and 7-1 losses punctured further by a week off, Sciulli’s side travels south to maintain their slender lead among the bottom four battlers.
Rangers sits goal difference ahead of Sunday hosts Clarence United and Kingborough Lions on five points.
Launceston City is a point off the pace in the race to finish behind the top four clubs.
South Hobart holds fourth 13 points above Rangers.
“If they are not up and ready for games like this, they are in the wrong league,” Sciulli said of the winnable clash at Clarence.
The improved Rangers also face City next game and the Lions a fortnight later.
Sciulli believes there is honour for Rangers to be the best of the rest rising from last season’s wooden spoon.
“We’ve been competitive in most games, but that’s now not enough,” he said.
“We have got some opportunities in the next few weeks to win those games and a few of them that anything but a win would really be not drastic, but put us well behind the eight-ball.”
Ben Brookfield is putting behind a poor couple of weeks in charge, believing that City can still rise up the competition table.
The first-year coach guided City into the Lakoseljac Cup semi-finals during an upset 2-1 victory over raging hot favourites South Hobart.
But flopped in a 6-0 defeat to Southern championship side Glenorchy Knights on the back of a 5-0 home loss to Hobart Zebras in the league.
City will next be tested against equal-top Devonport City away at Valley Road.
“I think we need to get a bit of pride back first after the weekend to be honest,” Brookfield said.
“Losing 6-0 in that manner was a total disaster. I just want to see some heart; some ticker, basically, and just give it our all and see if we can come up with a result.”
But Brookfield remains optimistic that a strong performance on Saturday can lift City off the bottom.
“That is what we’ve got to play for now,” he said.
“Realistically, there’s a massive gulf in quality, but if we are going to get that fifth spot, I think we have to take a scalp here or there and then beat the guys around us.
“We still have plenty to play for – we still have the playoffs at the end of the season.”
Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
