CSF Match Preview: Essendon Royals welcome Moreland Zebras for Australia Cup tie
Essendon Royals will look to bounce back from league disappointment when they welcome Moreland Zebras to Cross Keys Reserve on Tuesday night.
The Australia Cup tie pits the Royals against a side two divisions higher, but the Royals will take some confidence from having already played the Zebras in pre-season.
The Royals won the friendly 2-1 courtesy of goals from Luca Santilli and Graham Kelly.
Following a bruising encounter with George Cross, Interim Coach Mick Ferrante and Assistant Coach Davey Van’t Schip may consider rotating their side.
Goalkeeper Michael Stark was forced off with a knock following a tough knock on Saturday, whilst a number of players may need to be managed through the game.
Santilli remains out, as does Leigh Minopoulos and Anthony Ramzy.
The Royals may look to some of their more youthful players, with Josh Markovski having made his debut off the bench on Saturday and looking more than capable of handling himself in the senior game, particularly with a tough game at home on Saturday in the league against Yarraville Glory to come.
The Zebras may face similar dilemmas around rotation as they look to find a winning combination for the first time this season.
Moreland is yet to record a win in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 competition, drawing its season opener 0-0 against Pascoe Vale and losing 3-1 to North Geelong Warriors on the weekend.
Jay Kelly scored the Zebras’ only goal as the Warriors proved strong at Elcho Park.
Tuesday’s cup tie against the Royals will be Moreland’s first game in the Australia Cup this season.
The Royals and Zebras have previously faced off in the Australia Cup when they took each other on in what was then known as the FFA Cup in 2015.
Despite being three divisions below Moreland at the time, the Michael Curcija-led Royals picked up a fairytale 1-0 win, courtesy of some fine rearguard action and a goal from Neven Antic.
The home side will be hopeful of similar heroics on Tuesday night, as the Royals play at Cross Keys Reserve for the first time in 2022.
Match Details
Australia Cup
Round 4
Essendon Royals v Moreland Zebras
Cross Keys Reserve
7.30 PM Kick-Off