Old foes clash in cup final

One of WA soccer’s fiercest rivalries comes to a head today when Bayswater City and Stirling Lions do battle in the Cool Ridge Cup final at Macedonia Park.

NPL WA leaders Bayswater beat Stirling 1-0 in the league last week and have the wood on their opponents, having defeated the Lions in the grand final last season.

But Stirling goalkeeper Aleks Vrteski said the Lions were confident of reversing that result and winning their seventh Cup title in today’s final.

“The rivalry has been ongoing for two seasons now,” Vrteski said.

“We lost 1-0 to Baysie last week and I’ve heard some people say that we should’ve been beaten comprehensively, but I feel we were well in the game and were unfortunate not to get something out of the game.

“You’ve always got to be confident and we have a strong belief we can beat Bayswater. It won’t be easy, but we can do it.”

Bayswater defender Trent Kay faces a fitness test this morning after suffering a hamstring strain against ECU Joondalup a fortnight ago.

Kay hasn’t been able to train since, but was 90 per cent sure he would play.

“It would be a massive disappointment if I couldn’t play because I’ve played in all the Cup games leading up to this one,” Kay said.

“You don’t want to miss out on the big one but you’ve got to do what’s best for the team.”

By reaching the Cool Ridge Cup final, Bayswater and Stirling qualified for the first round of the FFA Cup.

Stirling host A-League champions Brisbane Roar at Macedonia Park on August 19, while Bayswater meet heavyweight Melbourne Victory at the same venue the following day.