BY RICHARD MENANOPO
Momentum is building for the Solomon Kings FC as the side prepares for its opening fixture of Round Three in Melbourne in the OFC Pro League, with frontman Jez Lofthouse expressing pride in the team’s early progress despite acknowledging room for improvement.
In a video interview shared on the club’s official Facebook page on Friday, Lofthouse reflected on the Kings’ performances across the first two rounds, describing them as encouraging while stressing the need to convert more chances in front of goal.
“I think our overall performances have been really strong. Obviously, we’ve still got a lot to improve; we need to start taking more of our chances.
“The Auckland game was good. We started clicking a little bit more and started finishing our chances, but overall, I’m really proud of the boys and how the team’s progressing. But it’s still a long way to go”, he said”.
Heading into the Melbourne leg, the Kings carry confidence drawn largely from their defensive solidity, having conceded just two goals so far—an achievement Lofthouse believes provides a strong platform for the campaign ahead.
“I think the big positive is the lack of goals we’ve conceded.
“I know that scoring goals has been a bit of an issue so far, but we’re more than capable of scoring a lot of goals and we all have complete belief in that. The defense, as a team, has been really resolute… to only have conceded two goals so far and be the best defense in the league, that’s a big positive and a good foundation to build off,” he added.
The striker also highlighted the step-up in tempo and tactical variety encountered at Pro League level, noting that adapting to the competition’s intensity has been one of the biggest challenges for the squad.
“It’s just a different intensity. You face a lot of different teams and a lot of different styles of football”, Lofthouse said.
“Some teams like to play in behind a lot and the intensity is so high with high pressing. The speed of the game can be really quick or sometimes slow, but the overall intensity is a bit different—and I’m really enjoying it”, he explained.
With the Kings representing the Solomon Islands on the regional professional stage, Lofthouse said the coaching staff has centered its message on belief, pride and hard work as the competition unfolds.
“They’re trying to instill belief in what we’re practicing on the pitch and just to believe in ourselves.
“We have that confidence and pride that we’re playing for our whole country back in the Solomon Islands. We believe we can do something special, but we’ve got to work really hard if we want to do that,” he said.
Round Three in Melbourne is expected to be a defining stretch for the Kings as they push to convert promising performances into results and keep their Pro League ambitions alive.
Photo: Supplied
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