Shepparton United’s last round heroes will look to create more history in the Australia Cup
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Shepparton United head coach Roven Shaholli has declared that his side has “nothing to lose and everything to gain” ahead of a blockbuster clash with Uni Hill Eagles in the New Balance Dockerty Cup.
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Having masterminded a giant-killing against Brandon Park in the previous round, a date with destiny beckons for the boys in blue on Sunday, March 15.
United will be hoping to spring another surprise in round three of the Australia Cup at McEwen Reserve in what promises to be a captivating match-up.
The magic of the cup will be on display once more as the two teams - separated by four tiers in the overall national league pyramid - go head-to-head for a place in the coveted fourth round.
Now, Shepp boss Shaholli has issued some words of motivation to players and fans alike as he attempts to create history in the coming days against State League 2’s Uni Hill.
“We have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” he said, on the eve of the game.
“The whole club is pretty excited, obviously the boys don’t want to stop here and want to gain a lot more respect for the club.”
Having already overseen a fairytale run that will live long in the memory, the coach has confirmed that levels in training have been high amongst his troops during the week.
“They’ve been really pushing themselves in training and there were some really good signs at last night’s session,” he said.
“There’s a few things obviously that have changed around, being two weeks (since Brandon Park) but nothing serious.
“So we’ve got a little bit of movement in terms of the side and we’ve been trying to study the opposition a little bit - there’s no major movements but the boys are comfortable.
“The belief is there, you can see the difference.”
Ahead of what could prove to be a seminal day in his own managerial career, coach Shaholi is aware that the task ahead of him is sizeable as he looks to produce another chapter in what has been a dream journey to Round 3.
With the two sides separated by four tiers in the overall Australian league pyramid, the Blues helmsman called on fans to be the club’s twelfth man down at McEwen Reserve this weekend.
“We’re very lucky to have these games and being an ex-player myself, I keep reminding the players that these games don’t come around often,” Shaholli said.
“These times don’t last forever so I have been trying to get them to embrace the moment and enjoy it!
“I don’t want them to have any regrets and want them to have fun while they’re doing it.”
Shepparton United coach Roven Shaholli is looking to mastermind another Australia Cup upset
Photo by
Megan Fisher
From the next round, Victoria’s top tier clubs will enter the draw, meaning that a win over Uni Hill would potentially put the Blues on a collision path with the state’s elite semi-professional clubs.
“I think they are an older side than us so it is pretty similar to the last team,” Shaolli said, as he sized up the Eagles ahead of the clash.
“I’ve been trying to put the puzzle together in my head and I’ve played the game over and over in my head countless times.
“It’s one of those things where you try and play it out with the coaching staff and do that little bit extra for these lads to get that win.“
Addressing the prospect of a David versus Goliath clash under lights, Shaholli dared to dream about welcoming one of Melbourne’s National Premier League Victoria giants to Shepparton in Round 4.
“It would be really good for our league for Melbourne teams to come down and for us to see all of their qualities,” he said.
“That would be massive for all the people involved with Shepparton United, all of the volunteers, it would be a massive reward.
“You can’t beat putting smiles on people’s faces - that’s one of the best rewards as a coach.
“Obviously there's a lot more people coming to training and it just gets things happening in and around the club.”
“People have been sending messages to the players, there is that buzz and fans have been reaching out making sure they are all switched on and happy with the environment.
“A lot of the boys’ mates and families have been rocking up, it’s been incredible - I haven’t seen something like that in a long, long time.”
In a closing address to everyone involved with Shepparton United, he spoke of his pride at how the community has come together to help push the Blues during what has been a spectacular run in the Australia Cup this year.
“You cant beat it and winning games puts everything together,” he said.
“It’s a massive deal for me and the coaching staff as well as the club. They’ve been trying their best to make the boys feel the love and support.
“It’s very stressful on the day but it’s all worth it at the end of the day with these last couple of Australian Cup games.
“We want to continue this [cup run] - we need all the support we can get and we’ll give it our best.”
