CHAMPION vs champion is a tantalising prospect no matter what the sport.

Two champion teams face off on Saturday when the Coffs City United Lions host Byron Bay in the latest round of the nation-wide knockout competition known as the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Cup.

The Lions and Byron Bay meet in what promises to be a cutthroat and memorable encounter between two of the best teams in Northern NSW.

The Lions are the defending Coastal Premier League champions, while Byron Bay won last year’s Football Far North Coast title.

This weekend sees North Coast Football clubs enter this year’s FFA Cup – an annual knockout competition featuring teams from across the country in Australia’s version of the FA Cup.

Lions coach Glenn Wiliiams said Byron Bay held the advantage of having vital preparation heading into their FFA Cup tie.

“They have already played an FFA Cup game, and they also had a pre-season competition up north,” he said.

“Our preparation has been different as we had arranged trials with Kempsey and Maitland which were washed out.

“It definitely gives them an advantage.”

Williams shared his thoughts with News of The Area of the challenge of facing a quality side such as Byron Bay first up in the Cup.

“We have a hard one first up, but I want the guys to be challenged and we’re going to get that this week,” he said.

“It will definitely be a tough game as they have been quite strong up there in their comp in recent years.”

Perennial powerhouse of North Coast Football the Boambee Bombers begin their FFA Cup campaign with a local derby against the Sawtell Scorpions at Toormina Oval tomorrow afternoon.

The Bombers are the defending Coastal Premier League Northern Conference champions, while the Scorpions made a return to senior football in the inaugural Coastal Premier League last year.

As they prepared to face the Scorpions in their first FFA Cup match for 2021, Bombers president Fiona Clancy said the young Sawtell side were an unknown quantity heading into their knockout local derby.

“Sawtell are a young and ever improving side, I guess that lends itself towards us knowing little about how they will perform this season,” she said.

The Northern Storm hit the road to take on the Westlawn Tigers in tomorrow’s third round match at Junction Hill.

Round 3 also sees Bellingen FC travel to take on the Port Saints tomorrow.

The Nambucca Strikers and Coffs Coast Tigers played off in their mid-week fixture at Nambucca Heads on Tuesday night.

North Coast Football teams will take part in the Football Northern NSW Northern Conference for the preliminary rounds, against clubs from Football Far North Coast, Northern Inland Football, and Football Mid North Coast.

North Coast Football could eventually meet teams from the Southern Conference, which features clubs from Newcastle Football, Macquarie Football, and Hunter Valley Football.

NPL Northern NSW clubs will join the competition in later rounds.

A-League teams join the FFA Cup for the Round of 32.

 

By Aiden BURGESS