Nine rounds into the season and North Companions finally gave Jackson Zifodya what he had wanted.
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Zifodya says he side produced their best performance of the season in beating second-placed South Armidale - the Northern NSW Football club of the month for May - 2-1 in Armidale on Saturday.
Northies' third win of the season followed a 5-0 drubbing of last-placed East Armidale last round, and has first-year coach Zifodya believing that the best may lie ahead for his team.
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"They played really well," he said. "Stuck to our game plan and won the game for us. Fantastic effort."
"You can only hope," he added when asked if he expected the result to be a springboard for his young side.
"I hope they don't drop it and go back to their old habits ... I'd be very surprised if they did."
Zifodya said his players finally "showed me what they're capable of".
The last time the two sides met, in round two in Tamworth, South Armidale won 4-0.
On Saturday, North Companions got an early goal when Fin Carter rose above the defence to head in a corner.
Northies made it 2-0 about midway through the second half when Carter's brother, Joel, made the most of a through ball and beat the keeper.
South Armidale's sole goal came from a penalty goal.
Zifodya said: "We went there with a game plan, and the pleasing thing was they all stuck to it and listened to my instructions and it just worked out."
