Further details to follow…

Match stats

Inglewood United 2 (Ellis Healing 47, David Cyrus 73)
Stirling Lions 2 (own goal 4, David Tanevski 69)

Inglewood United (squad): Alex Dunn, Alex Ishida-Livings, Scott Robertson, David Cyrus, Scott Blackmore, Kenny Keogh, Hanafi Ghazali, Jason Barrera, Ellis Healing, Steve Burton, Brian Woodall, Michael Cohen, Rikki Smith, Brian Farrell, Miki Vujacic, Ash Rosindale

Stirling Lions (squad): Lance Alavakis, David Molinari, Liam Henderson, Alex Suleski, Abu Dulleh, Alex Tanevski, Darren O’Rordon, David Micevski, Matthew Cherrie, Ben Campbell, Robert Petrov, Pasquale Gioffre, David Filippou, Dhhors Chol, Zane Casella, Robbie McNeill

Vujacic will draw upon that deep knowledge he has of his former club when the new National Premier Leagues season kick-offs this evening.   “Stirling have a strong, youthful looking team and (coach) Keegan Ashley has them playing a pretty high-tempo brand of football which will take a lot teams by surprise,” Vujacic said.

“They lost a lot of experience and quality over the summer but they’ve been replaced by some really good players who are going to make them a tough team to beat.   Against Stirling you can’t relax until the final whistle, even when they’re down a goal or two they are capable of coming back to get a result.”

Vujacic joins Inglewood with a wealth of experience gained through spells at Perth SC, Future Glory, Adelaide City Force, Swan IC, Floreat Athena, Swan United and Stirling.   His transition to becoming an Inglewood player has been smooth thanks in no small part to a warm welcome from across the club.

“It’s been a great few weeks at Inglewood, the set-up is fantastic and the support from the committee, coaching staff and players has been really professional,” he commented.   “The players have been great.   They’re a close knit group who are all hungry for success, which shows in training and on match day.”

“I know most of the boys from previous seasons and since the day I came to the club they’ve made me feel like part of the family.   Andy (Keogh) has the team playing a good style of football which really suits my attributes, and hopefully I can repay the faith they've shown in me by helping Inglewood lift a trophy or two this year.”

National Premier Leagues, Round 1

Inglewood United vs Stirling Lions
Friday 23 February @ Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium

First team 7.00pm

Saturday 24 February @ Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium

Under-18s 8.00am
Under-20s 10.00am

Stirling have a psychological advantage going into the game having claimed victory three times from the last four meetings between the clubs.   However, Woodall says the time has come to reverse that trend.   “It does seem like we struggle against Stirling, I’m not sure why that is,” Woodall said.

“But I’m feeling very confident that we will beat them on Friday night.   We had a very tough pre-season so fitness-wise we are all ready to go, we are well-drilled and have a game plan that we will stick to.   Our goal is to start the season strongly and that means getting a win from game one.”

“This is my fourth season with Inglewood and the squad is definitely the best I’ve played with.   We have players that can play different positions and the versatility and competition that brings means everyone will they have to perform well to keep their place in the team.”

“But our real strength lies in an attitude of ‘helping your teams mates out’ which runs through the entire squad.   We all work hard for each other, there’s a common goal we are working towards and we perform as a team.   That is where our danger comes from - the unity of the squad.”

Ntoumenopoulos went on to be one of the star performers of the 2017 National Premier Leagues, playing a key role in Inglewood placing second in the league and making 26 appearances across all competitions.   His desire to play professionally has now taken him to Port Melbourne, where he hopes to catch the eye of an A-League club or two.

“One of my goals is to be playing in the A-League and I believe the Victorian NPL provides another stepping stone to challenge myself as a player, improve my understanding of the game and opens up another window to get recognised across Australia,” Ntoumenopoulos, a former Australia youth international, said.

“It was a difficult decision to leave Inglewood as the coaching staff gave me the belief to get back to my best form after a lengthy time away from the game.   I believe all a player can do is provide as much value to their club as they can and if everyone works together something special can happen.”

“Last year Inglewood went agonisingly close to finishing top of the league (and) it was devastating getting that close.   I’m sure the boys will learn from that experience and, hopefully, they’ll go one better this year.   As a club Inglewood has been extremely supportive and I’m tremendously appreciative for the effort that they put into me.”

Ntoumenopoulos has started the next chapter in his football career on a positive note.   “I’ve been with Port Melbourne only a few weeks, however, I have been able to fit in nicely with the new team and build some chemistry with the group,” he said.   “This will be my first season in Victoria, I am very excited to get started!”

Entry on the night is by gold coin donation with all proceeds going towards CanTeen, the national support organisation for young people living with cancer.   Food trucks, courtesy of Inglewood on Beaufort, will serve up their gastro-delights from 5.30pm with drinks available from the Clubhouse’s fully licenced bar.

The evening’s centrepiece is the NPL season opener between Inglewood and neighbourhood rivals Stirling Lions, which kicks off at 7.00pm.   Invite your friends and be part of the Inglewood community for what promises to be a memorable night under the stars in support of a terrific cause.

Junior Registration Day may have passed but that does not mean your son or daughter has missed out on playing for Inglewood United.

Junior registrations for the 2018 season remain open for all our Miniroos (U6-U12) and Development (U13) teams.

To register your child to learn, play and enjoy their football with Inglewood this year -

1. Download and complete our Miniroo (U6-U12) and Development (U13) Team Registration Form (pdf, 1844kb)

2. Return the completed form by -

• email to the Club Registrar via registrar@inglewoodunitedfc.com.au
• dropping into the Clubhouse on a Thursday evening, ask for Donna
• post to Inglewood United FC, PO Box 91, Inglewood 6932

3. Make payment for Registration Fees -

• by direct deposit - Bendigo Bank BSB:633000 A/C:151161551 - reference your child's age group, surname and playing level (MN=Miniroos / DEV=Development) (eg 14JonesMN)
• at any branch of the Bendigo Bank - Bendigo Bank BSB: 633000 A/C: 151161551 - reference your child's age group, surname and playing level (MN=Miniroos / DEV=Development) (eg 14JonesMN)

For further information contact the Club Registrar via registrar@inglewoodunitedfc.com.au

Dave Whalley Goalkeeping, in partnership with Inglewood United, will commence specialised goalkeeper coaching sessions at Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium (88 Hamer Parade, Inglewood) on Wednesday 21st February 2018.

Fremantle-based Dave Whalley, holder of the FFA Advanced Level 2 Goalkeeping Licence, is one of the most respected and reputable goalkeeping coaches in Australia.

Dave’s extensive knowledge and expertise is built on over 15-years as an active player, including a stint at Blackburn Rovers, and almost 20-years as a specialist goalkeeping coach.

Whether you are new to goalkeeping or an experienced player, Dave Whalley Goalkeeping will help you improve your performance between the posts.

To book yourself, or your child in for a session visit DAVE WHALLEY GOALKEEPING.

It will be the team’s first competitive outing since last month’s loss to Floreat Athena which saw them eliminated from the Night Series at the first hurdle.   Speaking on the eve of his fourth winter at Inglewood, Keogh made it clear he and his teammates have put that disappointment behind them.

“Getting knocked out of the Night Series was pretty tough to take.   We didn’t perform against Floreat and the whole team was disappointed with the result,” Keogh admitted.   “But we have re-grouped and are working very hard to be ready for the season opener against Stirling Lions in a couple of weeks.”

“The bonds we’ve got within the player group are brilliant.   In the last two years we’ve been through a lot together and those experiences have made us stronger as well as increased everyone’s desire to pick up a trophy.   We’re keen to raise our standards to make sure we’re better than we were last year.”

“It’s important that we start strongly and get as many points on the board as possible from those first few games.   The league was very close last year and it’ll be the same again this year, there are four or five teams that are very evenly matched and if you lose ground early it’s going to be difficult to recover.”

Inglewood United have been confirmed to begin the 2018 National Premier Leagues with a trio of night fixtures against Stirling Lions, Subiaco AFC and Cockburn City, following the release of new season fixtures.

Andy Keogh’s charges open their campaign against Stirling (23 February) before meeting Subiaco (2 March) and Cockburn (9 March), all three games being 7pm kick-offs at Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium.

A trip to neighbouring Bayswater City (17 March) provides an early season highlight while another game to put in the calendar is a mid-week clash with Perth SC (2 May).   Our season concludes away at Balcatta on the final weekend in August.

The team which tops the league ladder after 26 home-and-away games fixtures will be crowned champions and represent Western Australia in the NPL National Finals Series.   The Top Four Cup brings the 2018 season to a close across the opening week of September.

2018 Inglewood United fixture list –

February
23 - Stirling Lions (H)

March
2 - Subiaco AFC (H)
9 - Cockburn City (H)
17 - Bayswater City (A)
24 - Armadale (A)
31 - Sorrento (H)

April
2 - State Cup (Round 4)
7 - ECU Joondalup (H)
15 - Floreat Athena (A)
21 - Forrestfield United (H)
25 - State Cup (Round 5)
28 - Perth Glory (A)

May
2 - Perth SC (H)
5 - Joondalup United (A)
12 - Balcatta (H)
19/20 - State Cup (Round 6)
26 - Stirling Lions (A)

June
2 - Subiaco AFC (AH)
4 - State Cup (Semi-Finals)
9 - Cockburn City (A)
17 - Bayswater City (H)
23 - Armadale (H)
30 - Sorrento (H)

July
7 - ECU Joondalup (A)
14/15 - State Cup Cup (Final)
21 - Floreat Athena (H)
28 - Forrestfield United (A)

August
4 - Perth Glory (H)
11 - Perth SC (A)
18 - Joondalup United (H)
25 - Balcatta (A)

September
1 - Top Four Cup (Semi-Finals)
3/4 - Top Four Cup (Elimination Final)
8 - Top Four Cup (Grand Final)
15/16 - NPL National Finals (Quarter-Final)
22/23 - NPL National Finals (Semi-Final)
29/30 - NPL National Finals (Grand Final)

Your child will grow as a player, make new friends and foster a love of the world game by signing on to play the winter of 2018 at Inglewood.

To register bring your completed Miniroo (U6-U12) and Development (U13) Team Registration Form (pdf, 1844kb) along on the day.

Full payment (cash or EFTPOS) of registration fees is required on Sunday 4th February.

For further information download the Junior Registraton Day flyer (pdf, 535kb) or contact the Club Registrar via registrar@inglewoodunitedfc.com.au