And possibly the rest of the season.

The Rams, in fifth place on the competition ladder and desperate to stay in the semi-finals race, will take on Central Coast rivals Gosford in the Newcastle and District Hockey Association match at Maitland Park this weekend, and Rams coach Peter Lovell said his team must be switched on from the first whistle.

“We can’t afford to leave it until the last 15 or 20 minutes and then come back with a show of heart,” Lovell said.

“We have to start right from the get go.

“And then it has to be for the whole 70 minutes to be any good for this game.

“We have to show ourselves what we can do.”

A slow start was the problem for the Rams when they last met Gosford in round five and the Maitland squad suffered the consequences with a 4-2 loss.

The Rams Nathan Baker scored a second-half double at Wyong, but it was not enough to claw back a 3-0 half-time deficit.

Part of that powerful performance for Gosford, which has not been defeated since its 2-1 loss to Norths on May 17, was former NSW representative player David Fibbons.

Fibbons tore the Rams apart and Lovell said the striker’s prowess would be addressed this weekend.

“For Alex Kinsey (Rams defender), that (marking Fibbons) will be his job for the whole game,” Lovell said.

Keeping Gosford out will be one thing for the Rams, but scoring their own goals will be another.

One area that is working well for the boys in black and white is the short corner, and the Rams scored both of their goals from the dead ball play in last week’s 5-2 loss to Norths.

Lovell said the Rams, who defeated Gosford 4-3 in extra time in last year’s minor semi-final, needed to secure the two competition points in order to move northwards on the points score table and boost team morale.

“It will give us a lot more confidence and a better position on the ladder,” Lovell said.

Lovell said the Rams should be at full strength, especially when they welcome back skipper and Australian Country representative Peter Urquhart and regular goalkeeper Cameron Ling.

In other Premier League matches, Souths will want to hold onto second spot when it tackles the winless University, the fourth placed Tigers will have to fight it out with top of the table Norths while the Entrance meet Wests.