Berwick keen on knock-out cup

By Gavin Staindl
IF you have ever wondered how the likes of your local soccer club would fare against A-League teams Melbourne Victory and Heart, then you might not have to wait long to see it.
Football Federation last month announced the Mirabella Cup, a new tournament added to the winter fixture that is similar to the expired Dockerty cup and the FA cup system in Eng-land.
It will see clubs from as low as the Provisional Leagues battle it out with the state’s best teams in a knock-out format.
Round one begins this Saturday at 3pm with local club Berwick City meeting South Springvale and Keysborough taking on Springvale City, and while some teams remain sceptical about the idea, Berwick coach Tom O’Halloran can’t wait.
“I think it is a great idea,” O’Halloran said.
“How good would it be to play one of the best teams in the state.
“How good would it be for the club, the area? It would be sensational.
“Every club would love to be able to play in a one off game against a team like that (Melbourne), that’s why you play, to play against the best,” O’Halloran said.
O’Halloran scoffed at talk that he would be using Saturday’s game as a pre-season game to test juniors and new recruits.
“This is not a pre-season game, this is a cup game so I will put the best team out on park.
“Unless we can sign (Fernando) Torres or (Lionel) Messi, the team that starts this week will most likely be the team that starts in two weeks.
“It will be interesting to see how far we can go,” he said.
Saturday’s match-up against South Springvale also promises to be an interesting encounter between two similar clubs.
As Berwick City enter Division Three on the back of last year’s relegation, South Springvale enter Division Two on the back of promotion in 2010.
“It will be a good benchmark to see where we are at … both teams will be looking to win.”