Soccer: Wolves in lair dangerous foes for Kingz

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Wynton Rufer hopes the clash with former team-mate Dino Mennillo will bring out the best in the Football Kingz in tomorrow night's National Soccer League away game with the Wollongong Wolves.

Player-coach Rufer knows it will not be easy against the team he says are the only one to cause the Kingz real problems so far in their debut season.

"We played them twice at home for only one point, and that with a 95th-minute equaliser," Rufer said, adding in a reference to Mennillo: "They have stolen one of our best players but really they are no better than us."

Of last week's 0-1 loss to Newcastle in Wellington, Rufer said his team had struggled to get any real go-forward against a team who had crossed the Tasman intent on getting a point.

"They played with their whole team behind the ball for much of the game and we struggled to create anything," Rufer said.

"We haven't got the players who can create things. That is why we often do better away from home when teams come at us and give us the chance to open up."

Without Fred de Jong, who is expected to be out for a month with a knee injury, the task against Wollongong is going to be even more difficult. And, with Rufer - the logical attacking replacement - also under an injury cloud with a calf strain, there could be a massive shuffle in the Kingz' line-up.

Jones, who scored a dramatic late goal in the 3-3 draw at North Harbour Stadium in October, returns to the side after suspension and with no one sidelined for disciplinary reasons, Rufer has a reasonably strong squad from who to name the 14 or 15 players who will travel tomorrow.

"We are going on the day of the game because it is being played handy to Sydney and there should be no problems," Rufer said. "David Moya is likely to come back in for what we see as a special game."

Jason Batty has trained well this week and could be ready to put some pressure on incumbent goalkeeper Michael Utting when the travelling squad are named at training this morning. Batty has been sidelined through injury for some weeks but has continued to train in the hope of winning back his place.

The game is scheduled for an 8.30pm kickoff (NZ time).