United Defend Recruits

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday August 18, 2007

By PAUL ZALUNARDO

WOLLONGONG United midfielder Danial Cummins yesterday defended the club's decision to bring in a host of new players in the middle of the season.

United are stuck in 10th spot with three rounds left, hardly the situation club power brokers expected after making Cummins one of the seven signings they made at the end of the state league competition.

After ruffling plenty of feathers by signing so many players in the lead-up to the registration deadline, United haven't been able to climb into the top eight.

Matt Hunter, Matt Smith, James Lawrence, Daniel Farias and Cummins were all there last year, with Ben Spruce the only new player.

Prized signing Steve Karavatakis ended up playing just one game.

As well as saying there wasn't any added pressure placed on the shoulders of the mid-season arrivals, Cummins said the club wasn't playing as badly as its position indicated.

"I don't think there is extra pressure, but there are expectations when you drop back into the Illawarra league. Pressure is there, but it is no more than what you put on yourself. There has been a lot of talk about the number of boys that have been brought in, but in reality there is only one player that wasn't there last year."

United face the toughest task in the league when they visit Dandaloo Sports Ground this afternoon. Cummins will go head-to-head with Dandy captain Matt O'Shea, a player he knows well both on and off the field.

"I've known him since I was 17, I have worked with him, played in the same team as him, we've gone on holidays together," he said.

Cummins didn't miss an opportunity to question how O'Shea had all of a sudden become a goal-scoring midfielder after having struggled to find the back of the net earlier in his career.

"When we were younger he never scored at training, let alone in a game. Now, at Dandaloo, he scored 17 goals in his first year," he said with a wry smile.

In today's other matches, Tarrawanna host Port Kembla, Picton Rangers meet Cringila at Hume Oval, South Coast United face Warilla at Sir Ian McLennan Park and Dapto welcome Kiama to Kanahooka Lodge.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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