The Wollongong Wolves are drawing on the miracle of Subiaco Oval as they prepare for a must-win Australian Championship match against Marconi Stallions on Saturday. The Wolves need to win by a margin of 6-0 to advance to the quarter-finals.
In 2000, the Wolves pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Australian football history, defeating Perth Glory 7-6 on penalties after trailing 3-0 at halftime in the National Soccer League grand final. Goals from Scott Chipperfield, Matt Horsley, and Paul Reid forced extra time, and goalkeeper Les Pogliacomi saved two penalties to secure the title.
Now, the Wolves face a similar challenge. Heading into the final round of group stage matches, Heidelberg United leads Group B with 11 points, followed by Marconi on 10, Wollongong Wolves on 7, and South Hobart on 0. A 6-0 victory would see the Wolves leapfrog Marconi into second place.
Head coach Luke Wilkshire remains optimistic. 'We want to go through, it's as simple as that. That's what we're planning for,' he said. 'There's no excuse, and we've left ourselves a mountain to climb, but we're preparing to climb it.'
Wilkshire expects Marconi to play their usual attacking style. 'I don't know if they know any other way to play. I haven't seen them play any other way than they've played, which is try to win every game they play,' he said. 'We're gonna go for it. We're not rolling over.'
The Wolves will host Marconi at Collegians Sports Centre on Saturday. 'It only takes a couple of goals for the wobbles to come for the opposition and for the players to get even more of a lift,' Wilkshire added. 'The boys have been positive in training. We've dusted ourselves off and are ready to go.'
