WCFC to feel loss of James Vaughan

Wollongong Community Football Club will have to shake off the departure of import James Vaughan when they tackle defending NSW Premier League champions Sutherland tonight. Vaughan, 22, returned to England on Wednesday after securing a one-year contract with League One outfit Oldham Athletic. The right back, who trialled with Sydney FC and the Central Coast Mariners during his brief stay in Australia, will report to Boundary Park in early July.WCFC coach Glenn Fontana, who brought Vaughan to Australia last month, counselled him to return to Britain after a permanent A-League contract didn't look like materialising."We were talking about it for a long time and I advised him that his career in the UK would far outweigh the prospects here," Fontana said."Vaughan's a big loss, he was a really good player and had some of the things I'm looking for in the group I have, like commitment and communication. The other guys have to step up - we'll see how they go."James Lawrence will replace Vaughan for the Seymour Shaw Park clash, while Ilija Prenzoski will partner James Monie in a two-pronged attack.Samet Kaynak is unavailable due to an ankle injury, but Alfredo Esteves is back in the first team reckoning after a lay-off due to a quad strain."We're turning the corner but we have to win," Fontana said.Meantime, the defending champions haven't won since round 11 and Fontana was upbeat about his cellar-dwelling side's chances of inflicting their third loss in five games."They might be struggling a bit more after we have finished with them," Fontana said."We have put together a couple of results and I'm confident we can get another one on the weekend."WCFC trained on the Fraternity Club's artificial surface on Thursday in preparation for their visit to the state's only full-sized Tiger Turf pitch."We trained on Tiger Turf on Thursday night but things have been disjointed because of the weather," Fontana said."We have been coming over the top of teams and are as fit as anybody."