Knights primed to bounce back

Ipswich Knights coach Billy Livingstone is keen to make the grand final after some untimely setbacks this year.

THE usual upbeat manner was missing. The willingness for a joke was temporarily on hold. The feeling was overwhelming disappointment.

Ipswich Knights coach Billy Livingstone is the first to admit he was upset and needed 24 hours to reflect on what happened.

He’d watched his team play 15 weeks of finals-style football and stumble at the second last hurdle.

His team’s bid for possible Premier League promotion was over after two losses in five days.

“Our focus all year has been getting into the top two. We have got that psychological barrier to get over,” Livingstone conceded.

However, the Knights mentor backed his team to show its character tomorrow before focusing on a grand final shot.

“The challenge is picking ourselves up mentally,” Livingstone said, preparing to tackle Western Spirit in the final round clash at Kippen Park.

“I don’t think it’s going to be too much of an issue for us because there’s going to be a crowd down there (Goodna).

“We’re battling for the title of best team in Ipswich so that should be enough to get them up.”

The 5pm match is also being televised by Pauly TV as Football Brisbane’s game of the round.

While the fourth-placed Knights are hurting, Western Spirit are one point ahead and can challenge for second spot if results go their way.

Regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, both teams have finals spots wrapped up.

“Most of all, I think the boys will look forward to getting on a decent playing surface again,” Livingstone said.

Wednesday night’s 3-1 loss to North Star was staged on what some players called a cow paddock.

“I’ve said all along we’ve got a really strong squad and it’s certainly been tested in the last few weeks,” Livingstone said.

“Things haven’t gone very well for us. But even in those two games, I can’t be critical of the guys’ effort.”

After gambling on all-out attack in recent games to lift Ipswich’s goal average, Livingstone planned to revert back to his team’s more conventional 4-3-2-1 formation.

He was waiting to see how his players pulled up before finalising his line-up.

TOP CAUSE

Players from both sides will wear pink socks and contribute match payments at Kippen Park (Goodna) tomorrow as part of a fundraising effort for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Donations will be collected on entry into Kippen Park and throughout both games. The Reserve grade game kicks off at 2.45pm.