The Kempsey Saints will be looking to get their 2021 Coastal Premier League season off to the perfect start this weekend as they take on the Northern Storm at Korora Oval.
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Originally the match was scheduled for Eden Street Playing Fields but council ground closures have seen all CPL fixtures moved to Coffs Harbour.
Saints will be looking to continue their FFA Cup form after defeating Macleay Valley Rangers 3-1 in March.
Coach Dan Baker was pleased to see a successful outcome and enjoying his start to life as a head coach.
"It's been a really good [few months], the boys are getting behind us which makes it easier," he told the Argus.
"It was great to see a win, we've really worked on fitness during pre-season and everyone seemed fit and up to the challenge throughout the game.
"The boys really dug deep and the whole squad performed how Evan and I wanted them to."
Co-coach Evan Clarke echoed those sentiments to CPL media.
"From day one the boys showed me they're keen to win and that's half the battle," he said.
"We've played two games in pre-season and one of those was a good (FFA Cup) win against Macleay Valley and I'm confident we're going to build on that."
Their opponents, Northern Storm, finished sixth in the regular CPL season last year and third in the Northern Conference when COVID-19 restrictions split the competition.
"We're not too sure what to expect, we're preparing for a hard game and hope to start the season with a win," Baker said.
The FFA Cup saw Saints field a similar side to last season with a few notable inclusions being the co-coaches and certain players making the step up from reserve grade last year.
"We've kept it fairly similar to the last few years," Baker added.
Kick off for the game is at 2:30.
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