Soccer: Oxley Vale Attunga close to full strength for FFA Cup clash with Port United FC

The match was originally scheduled to be played at Johnson Field but was transferred on Friday after the ground was closed due to the wet weather.

It will be the first time the Mushies have hit the field since their dramatic shoot-out win over Tamworth FC to be crowned Premier Division champions last year.

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The sole Northern Inland Football representative in the competition, they will be looking to turn the tables on the Port Macquarie side after they knocked them out last year with a 4-1 win.

It proved to be a rare blip with the Mushies going on to finish the season undefeated.

Coach Tim Coates said they should be a stronger outfit on Saturday than they were for that game with 16 of their best 18 available.

"There'll be no excuses, we've been training pretty well," he said.

He said they have been pretty lucky with the numbers they have been getting to training to run half and three-quarter opposed games amongst themselves.

They have also been pretty fortunate to retain a lot of last year's squad including grand final hero Adam Watson.

The "ever-green" stalwart was planning to play reserve grade this season but will suit up against Port and likely in a more forward role than last year as the Mushies look for another strike option after Jack Diebold moved back to Newcastle.

He was down there last year but came back to Tamworth when the pandemic hit and went on to be the equal-leading (with fellow forward Mitchell O'Keefe) goalscorer for the competition.

He is one of a couple of players they have lost.

Offsetting that they have picked up a few, a couple of which will line up against Port.

Coates is expecting the visitors, who won the Coastal Premier League last year, to be "fit and fast" and "play structured pretty football".

"It will be a very stiff task for us," he said.

But he has faith and confidence in his side.

The game is scheduled to kick-off at 3pm.

Coates said there is no contingency if the ground is closed or deemed unsafe with Scully Park unavailable, but they can play again next week if they need to.

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