Southern United will be glad the 4.30am rises for away games are a thing of the past.
As the side prepares for its first away game of the season, against Tasman United in Nelson tomorrow, it will have the added bonus of a few extra hours’ sleep and no travel on game day.
That should see its players in far better shape than on last season’s away trips as they seek to topple a Tasman side that has impressed early on.
"It’s way better than last year," coach Paul O’Reilly said.
"All of our away games last year we were getting the 6am flight out of Dunedin.
"It was massively difficult, so this year I’ve got to commend New Zealand Football; they’re flying us up the day before the game now.
"We stay over in a hotel and then we play Sunday.
"It just means, from a preparation point of view, the players aren’t getting out of bed at 4.30am and travelling all day and then playing in the afternoon."
O’Reilly felt the side had defended well in its opening two games, which had been key in its draw with Auckland City and close loss to Eastern Suburbs.
That would be key once again, as Tasman was threatening up front.
Having claimed first-up wins against Hamilton Wanderers and Canterbury United, Tasman was a lot stronger than last year, he said.
"They’ve brought in a lot of players. They’re all good players; certainly in the attacking third they’ve got a lot of strength and a lot of threat.
"So, defensively, we’re going to have to match the performance of the last two games and make sure we’re very tight and compact and difficult to break down.
"If we can add a bit of quality going forward, hopefully, we can try to get something out of the game."
That quality going forward with possession was something he hoped the side could add.
It would have to do so without a key forward, though.
Garbhan Coughlan would miss a minimum of two games after being concussed in a game against Eastern Suburbs last week that put him off the field in the first half.
Defenders Stephen Last and Roland Bala had been hampered by, respectively, hip and knee injuries this week, although Ben Wade was looking likely to play.
Since coming into the league last season, Tasman has built a strong following, often attracting 1000 people to its games.
O’Reilly praised the setup and said it made for a good atmosphere to be part of.‘‘For the players, I wouldn’t say it’s a hostile environment. I’ve played in more hostile places.
"But it’s an enjoyable place for players and coaches to be involved with. It’s a big crowd, they make a bit of noise, they obviously support their own local team.
"But they just make for a bit of a carnival atmosphere, which is good to play in. It’d be great to see it at more crowds around the national league."
• In the national youth league, Southern United plays Tasman United at Trafalgar Park today.
• In the national futsal league, Southern United seeks to continue its strong start in Christchurch.
It plays two games each against Manawatu and Capital, two games today and two tomorrow.
Southern Utd v Tasman Utd
Trafalgar Park, tomorrow, 2pm
Southern United (subject to change): Ben Wade, Cody Brook, Conor O’Keeffe, Danny Furlong, Danny Ledwith, Jared Grove, Kristian Gibson, Liam Little, Morgan Day, Omar Guardiola, Stephen Last, Tom Connor, Tom Stevens, Michael Hogan.
Tasman United (from): Cory Wilson, Luca Perico, Cam Lindsay, Mark Johnston, Brian Kaltak, Ryan Stewart, Paul Ifill, Maksym Kowal, Kieran Smith, Alex Ridsdale, Cory Chettleburgh, Rob Pearson, Tinashe Marowa, Dan Allan, Callan Elliot, Mat Tod-Smith, Lyle Matthysen, Alex Britton, Abdulla Al-Kalisy, Yousif Al-Kalisy, Sam Ayers.
