Gunnedah FC will enter their major semi-final clash against North Companions at Riverside on Saturday fuelled by a desire to atone for grand final losses the past two seasons.
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Gunnedah go into the match buoyed by confidence, having won four straight games including a last-round 2-0 away win over minor premiers North Companions.
The side's surge to finish second on the table, four points behind Northies, coincided with the return from overseas of their coach, Andy Cygan.
Gunnedah skipper Matt Williams said there were several surviving members of FC's last premiership-winning side, when they beat Quirindi in a penalty shootout in 2016. That was Williams' first year at FC. He is "keen to feel that feeling again".
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He said the two subsequent grand final losses "might push us to do that little bit more in training over the next couple of weeks, to make sure we're not in that situation again".
To book another grand final spot, Williams said FC would look to replicate their form against Northies last round: "good heart, good strength through the whole game. "It was not an easy win by an stretch; they're a good team. But we just played a strong, physical game right through the 90 minutes, and that's what proved the difference."
He added: "We just need to come in with the right headspace [on Saturday]. But yeah, we should be able to back it up."
Williams said Gunnedah were at their best when they played physical soccer, as doing so tended to put the opposition "outside their comfort zone".
"One good thing about our team is we do rise up; we have a lot of players who can step up to the challenge, which they quite often do, and that brings the team up as well. If we produce a similar game [on Saturday] I think we can do it [win] again."
In reserve grade, minor premiers Gunnedah FC play South Lightning in the major semi at Riverside.
