NSW NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL
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WITH an FFA Cup berth at their fingertips, the South Coast can turn their focus to getting themselves off the bottom of the ladder against St George on Sunday.
The 12th-placed Wolves head to Jubilee Oval to play the newly promoted Saints, who sit just a single point above them in the NSW National Premier League.
"It is a massive opportunity for us to get off the bottom of the ladder for the first time this year," Wolves coach Nahuel Arrarte said.
"It is there for the taking and ultimately it is up to us to make sure they are mentally prepared and are hopefully following the instructions we have given them."
The Wolves should be buoyed by a midweek win in the Waratah Cup over Sutherland Sharks which put them within touching distance of the FFA Cup draw.
A youthful South Coast line-up defeated the Sharks 4-3 in a penalty shootout after Matt Bailey scored in the final minute of extra time to level the scores at 1-1.
The result moves them into the quarter-finals stage of the Waratah Cup with seven of eight remaining clubs set to earn a berth in the inaugural national knockout.
It also gave the Wolves their second straight victory after they demolished Manly United 6-1 at WIN Stadium last Saturday.
"It was great to see us changing the losing habit and the frame of mind," Arrarte said.
"The boys were able to come back and fight right to the end to get a result [in the Cup] was awesome and to get the win against Manly was obviously a lot earlier than we expected to do something like that.
"It show the boys' capabilities and what they are capable of doing when they are on song."
The six goals South Coast piled on against Manly was coincidentally the same number that St George conceded last week [6-0] to Blacktown Spartans.
But Arrarte is under no illusions about the Premier League new boys' current predicament.
"They are in a similar situation to us but the reality is, the table doesn't lie ... they are on top of us," Arrarte said.
"It is a good opportunity for us if we get a result to jump them as well but at the same time at the moment they are in front of us so it will be tough."
Star striker Ricky Zucco will return from suspension while Joey Lavalle and Jacob Timpano will remain out through injury.