Soccer: Three goalkeepers - but Knights need a ring-in

New Zealand Knights goalkeeper Michael Turnbull is sidelined with a groin injury. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Blacktown City goalkeeper Ivan Meseski has come to the rescue of the New Zealand Knights ahead of tomorrow night's A-League Pre-Season Cup clash with Adelaide United.

The SOS call to 26-year-old Meseski came late yesterday when Knights coach Paul Nevin found he did not have a goalkeeper to play the crucial match at Hindmarsh Stadium. Provided the Hyundai A-League bosses give the okay, Meseski will play.

The Knights have three goalkeepers on their books. For a variety of reasons, none are able to play this week.

Michael Turnbull is sidelined with a groin injury; Danny Milosevic, who took Turnbull's place at the last minute and did a sterling job in the team's 0-0 draw with Sydney FC last Saturday, has been allowed by Nevin to stay home to be with his wife for the impending birth of their first child (likely today); and new signing Mark Paston is in England with the All Whites.

Nevin could have looked locally but regulations stymied that.

Had he called in a player from the Northern League, that player would have then faced a four-week stand-down on returning to his club and would have then been unable to sign for a New Zealand Football Championship team as Fifa regulations allow a player to be registered with only two clubs in a 12-month period.

Young East Coast Bays and former national age group goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley trained with the Knights yesterday but is unable to travel and play for them as he would then be registered with a professional team thus negating his chance of taking up his football scholarship with an American university.

"It hasn't been easy," said Nevin.

The Knights go into the match - one of four being played in the bonus round this weekend - in second place in their pool.

A win would almost certainly secure their place in the semifinals.

KNIGHTS SQUAD

Michael Turnbull, Ivan Meseski, Darren Bazeley , Sime Kovacevic, Frank van Eijs, Greg Duruz, Noah Hickey, Jonas Salley, Malik Buari, Richard Johnson, Jonti Richter, Michael White, Adam Casey, Dani Rodrigues, Sean Devine. Not considered: Neil Emblen, Scott Gemmill, Che Bunce, Danny Milosevic.