He’s been the engine in the middle of our field, and this season, not only has Angus Thurgate showcased his range of excellent passing and dynamism, but also his ability to score goals, and in crucial moments.
The recently turned 22-year-old found the back of the net when we met Melbourne City on his birthday on Tuesday night, and also managed a fantastic goal against Brisbane the previous week which ended up being the match winner.
The midfielder from Port Macquarie has now taken his total goal tally to six with his two recent goals marking the second time he’s scored in consecutive appearances.
While scoring goals was an element of his game Thurgate has been looking to considerably improve in 2022, the young leader said he would have preferred the win over City instead.
“It’s pleasing to get another goal, but I’d swap it for the three points everyday of the week,” Thurgate said.
“The performance as a team is what means the most. We need to improve, and we will.
“We have a lot of things we need to improve on based on that performance [against City].
“We need to dust ourselves off. Good thing about this schedule is we get the opportunity to put in a better performance this Saturday.”
The team travels to Melbourne this Friday in preparation our clash with the Victory who are fresh off a Cup final win.
Our upcoming opposition currently sit inside the top four and have recently also experienced a busy schedule similar to our team.
With both teams experiencing short turnarounds, Thurgate believes the clash will be a tussle.
“They’ve had the high of winning the Cup and they’ve shown early on this season that they’re a good team,” he said.
“It’ll be a tough game, but one we’ll be ready for. We’re ready to show a strong reaction.
“Each team is going through different stages. We need to focus on ourselves and make sure we’re ready to play – the opposition will change every week.
“The focus is on us getting fresh, improving in areas we need to, and putting in better-rounded performances.
“It has been intense going from not playing in six weeks or seven weeks to playing three games in a short space of time. I’ve got to credit the support staff we’ve got here. They help us recover quickly and be as fresh as possible for the next game.”
While the schedule has provided a challenge for our men, the team are doing their best to take it in their stride.
Although the plethora of games being played takes it’s toll on the body, the thriving midfielder said the players’ mentality isn’t being shaken and they know they have the potential to be a top side regardless.
“We believe we’re a finals team,” he said.
“If we keep trusting in the process, results will take care of themselves.
“There’s not too many complaints although it can be challenging on the body…but from a mindset point of view, we’re positive and trying to improve.”
