Defender Scott Blackmore is pretty pleased with what Inglewood United’s new-look backline has achieved so far this season. With seven home and away games played the club boasts the second best defensive record in the competition, highlighted by cleans sheets against three-time league champions Bayswater City along with Floreat Athena and Perth Glory.
Blackmore, who is closing in on 50 appearances for Inglewood, has featured prominently at the back alongside club newcomers David Cyrus and Adam Tong. Together the trio form an imposing defensive line which Blackmore says will only get stronger. “Yes, we’ve been pretty solid but it’s still early days,” the 31-year old commented.
“It goes without saying that if you don’t concede goals then you give yourself a good chance of taking out the points, and the number of clean sheets we’ve been able to keep so far has been pleasing. While we haven’t got the pace of some of the younger lads, we’re all experienced campaigners and that’s something you can’t replace.”
“The defensive unit has been strong but it’s been a great whole team effort that has got put us on top of the ladder. The goalkeeper has made a few crucial saves, the midfielders have been making things easier for us by breaking up the play and the boys up top have been doing a good job of creating and scoring goals.”
On Saturday, Blackmore and his teammates will be faced by an Armadale side that has been scoring goals without getting the rewards. “From what I have seen and heard they have been unlucky to have not taken more points,” he said of the eleventh-placed Reds. “The new import players given them something going forward and they’ve already caused teams a fair bit of trouble.”
“Armadale are a gritty team that never lay down. You might feel in control but they can turn things around very quickly and once they get some momentum it is hard to break. They had a great Night Series and, while they haven’t started the season in that same form, we know they’ll be up for the weekend and we won’t be taking them lightly.”
