NSW Premier League Grade 18s Feature: Peterson relishing Grand Final match for Blacktown City

Tony Candy?s side finished a strong second place in the league and a key component of his side is midfielder Ryan Peterson, who has had a fantastic season in the heart of the side.
Peterson is a vital cog in Candy?s midfield, strong in the tackle and an excellent passer of the ball. He made his full debut for the Grade 20s during the season and slotted in perfectly in the match against APIA Leichhardt at Lambert Park.
?He?s a real talent, a player of the future,? Candy said in the lead up to the Grand Final.
Peterson himself assessed the season as a successful one.
?We had a very strong beginning with some strong results against all opposition,? he said.
?We had our ups and downs of course, but the real highlights was our 10-0 win against Sydney Olympic.
?Everyone was pulling the strings that day.
?We?ve had injuries during the season but everyone has stepped up throughout the year to ensure that we?ve had a quality eleven on the pitch for every game,? Peterson added.
Sutherland Sharks won the Premiership by 11 points, but were vanquished in the Grand Final qualifier.
Peterson said the win was well deserved.
?Coming into the game, we felt like we knew a lot about Sutherland?s strengths? he said.
?We worked on some tactics in training and we implemented those strategies into the game,? he added.
Tony Candy?s side have forged a reputation as a formidable attacking outfit, never more so than in the aforementioned 10-0 win over Olympic.
Peterson had only words of praise for his coach.
?Tony?s a spectacular coach,? the youngster said.
?He?s a coach that wants the best for everyone.
?He likes a really attacking style of football, but he?s adaptable depending on the situation and the opposition.
?There are techniques and tactics we work on in training so that we?re all on the same page,? he said.
All of which has led to a Grand Final appearance on Monday, where Candy?s Blacktown City take on the Jakob Tielman coached Parramatta FC.
Having also defeated Sutherland, Parramatta FC are worthy opposition, something Peterson was keen to acknowledge.
?We?ve played Parramatta three times and they?ve all been close encounters,? he said.
?They?ve all been decided by the odd goal.
?We definitely respect them as opposition.
?We?re confident we?ve worked out their style of play though and that we can exploit their weaknesses on Monday,? he added.
For a young player with a bright future, Monday?s Grade 18 Grand Final could be the first step on a long football journey ahead.
-By Matthew Connellan