Wollongong Wolves coach Luke Wilkshire has declared his team will turn up desperate for victory when they face Sydney United 58 at WIN Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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The Wolves dream season hit an unexpected snag on Wednesday night, with the team falling to Mount Druitt 1-0 in their FFA Cup Round Seven clash at Ian McLennan Park. The Wolves started the match slowly, with the game's only goal coming in the third minute.
Wollongong pushed hard for an equaliser, but the Rangers defence held firm.
Wilkshire conceded the Wolves were lacking in desire at times throughout the game but he's confident that will not be a factor in this weekend's match.
"We were very disappointed with the result and going out of the Cup," Wilkshire said. "But when you lose you learn. On another day we could've scored a couple more goals, but there were some elements we weren't at our best and we got punished for it.
"The attitude in the first 10 minutes wasn't there. We speak a lot about hunger and desire, if the opponent has more hunger, your quality can be cancelled out.
"I have no doubt the desire will be there on Sunday. The boys are disappointed but you learn from it and you move on. We're lucky these games are coming around quick, we don't have to wait too long before we can rectify what happened."
Like the Wolves, Sydney United 58 also featured in mid-week play, with the side claiming a 3-2 extra-time victory over Northern Tigers in their FFA Cup clash.
The win marked a return to form for United 58, after they fell to fourth on the NSW National Premier League ladder with last week's 4-2 loss to Blacktown City.
As such, a victory would carry even more weight for Wollongong, with Sunday's match another opportunity for the Wolves to extend their buffer at the top of the NPL table.
Wilkshire however, said his squad is focused purely on producing their best performance.
"We're not too bothered about them, every team's different. It took them to extra-time to get through on Wednesday.
"We're focused on ourselves and this game on Sunday at WIN Stadium. We're hoping for a bumper crowd for what will be a big game."
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From a health perspective, the Wolves survived Wednesday's match unscathed, with no players picking up any injuries.
For Wilkshire, that makes the task of finalising his final XI a tough one, though it's a challenge he's pleased to encounter.
"We have a fully fit squad, I have 22 players fit and available and some fantastic options.
"It is a good challenge to have. I've had a lot of thoughts about the side, there are a lot of decisions to be made, but in saying that, it's what the players do that make those decisions easier for me and harder for me.
"My team is still up in the air with a few things, I'll be working through those over the next couple of days and settle on my team probably Saturday evening."
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