Two rounds out from the midway point of the season, some enthralling encounters await us in Round 10 this weekend.
South Coast Wolves v APIA-Leichhardt Tigers, Saturday 18th of May, 7:00 pm John Crehan Park
Last Week:
Sydney Olympic 2 South Coast Wolves 0
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 1 Rockdale City Suns 3
South Coast Wolves and APIA-Leichhardt Tigers have both endured a very difficult first nine rounds of the season with neither side managing to reach any great heights – not in form nor results.
These two sides have collected only one win between them this season, the Wolves the only one of the two to register a three-pointer thus far.
Coach Richard Lloyd will be confident his chargers can add further woe to a Tigers outfit that travels away from Lambert Park for the first time this season, in what is a season that is potentially running away from the side quickly, two weeks out from the midway stage.
Nicola Rizzo’s Tigers have played some decent football, though it has been a ragged run of luck in-front of goal that has prevented the side from cashing in on some goals, and points.
In anticipation of the new synthetic surface to be laid at Lambert Park, the trip away from the bumpy surface may even serve the Tigers well, with ball players Franco Parisi, and Rizzo himself, more than capable of turning a match on its head with only a half-chance.
With desperation starting to sink in for both sides, a last dash to challenge for finals football must start this weekend if either of these sides is to figure in the top-five at the season’s end.
Blacktown Spartans v Blacktown City FC, Saturday 18th of May, 7:00 pm Blacktown Football Park
Last Week:
Sutherland Sharks 3 Blacktown Spartans 1
Blacktown City FC 3 Marconi Stallions 0
The atmosphere promises to be electric when the two Blacktown sides meet in the first ‘Blacktown Derby’ for 2013 on Saturday night.
Following tentative starts to the campaign, both sides have kick-started their respective campaigns with a fine month of April.
The Spartans have secured nine-points from the last twelve up for grabs, losing last weekend to the red-hot Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw – in a match where Ben De Haan’s men were very good value for the entire 90’ minutes.
Blacktown City’s run too has been impressive with consecutive wins over Sydney United 58 FC and Marconi Stallions catapulting the side into fourth-spot on the ladder.
Coach Mark Crittenden has found the winning formula with Harris Gaitatzis and Sean Rooney gelling so very well with Matthew Mayora and Ryuji Miyazawa in the front-third.
The Spartans too have looked good in the front-third with midfielder Andre Carle in some exceptional form at the moment.
On a perfect playing pitch, with bragging rights on the line, 90’ minutes of passionate football is expected on Saturday night with a win for either side to keep the front-runners on high alert as we approach the midway point of the season.
Marconi Stallions v Sydney United 58 FC, Sunday 19th of May, 3:00 pm Marconi Stadium
Last Week:
Blacktown City FC 3 Marconi Stallions 0
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 Sydney United 58 FC 0
Traditional rivals Marconi Stallions and Sydney United 58 FC do battle this Sunday afternoon in Bossley Park with both title aspirants coming off losses in Round 9.
The Stallions three-goal loss was disappointing, following the good progress made by the side after an inconsistent start to the campaign.
Coach Jean-Paul De Marigny will be hoping to utilise the home ground advantage this weekend to get the win over the club he coached last season, with the Stallions in need of a win to remain close to the top-five.
Out of the Red corner, Mark Rudan’s men have somewhat seen their dominating form at the start of the season slowly diminish. The absence of influential striker, and captain, Luka Glavas through injury has coincided with the drop in form, something the Reds’ supporters will be hoping to see the end of as Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sutherland Sharks continue to extend its lead at the top of the table.
This encounter between two former NSL clubs always delivers action aplenty, and with more than three-points up for grabs on Sunday afternoon, an entertaining encounter is expected.
Manly United FC v Sutherland Sharks, Sunday 19th of May, 3:00 pm Cromer Park
Last Week:
Central Coast Mariners Academy 2 Manly United FC 2
Sutherland Sharks 3 Blacktown Spartans 1
At Cromer Park, Manly United FC will be looking to bounce back to winning ways though the job at hand will be a tough one against a very confident Sutherland Sharks outfit.
The Sharks have been flawless in recent weeks, proving its ability with some fabulous performances to match its current second-place standing on the ladder.
Coach Robbie Stanton has found the right mix for his chargers, and the experienced campaigners have gelled very well with the likes of Nicholas Olsen who has joined the first team this season.
Traditionally, the Sharks have struggled to get points on the road, though with a heap of confidence flowing freely amongst the playing squad, the Sharks start firm favourites against the Northern Beaches side.
Manly United’s run has not been bad at all, though a series of draws, namely against APIA-Leichhardt Tigers and Central Coast Mariners – both on the road.
Coach Craig Midgley will need to get the best out of leaders Matt Simm and Scott Balderson, meanwhile Graeme Forbes’ experience across the backline too will be important for this clash.
Sydney Olympic v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, Sunday 19th of May, 3:00 pm Belmore Sports Ground
Last Week:
Sydney Olympic 2 South Coast Wolves 0
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2 Sydney United 58 FC 0
The pick of the bunch Sunday fixtures takes place at Belmore Sports Ground and it sees title contenders Sydney Olympic host current leaders, and title contender, Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
The Blues, still struggling to re-ignite following the awesome pre-season form, got the job done against South Coast Wolves last weekend, though further improvement will be required if there is to be a win against the League leaders.
Elsid Barkhousir has gone off the boil somewhat with his goal scoring prowess, something the Blues supporters will be hoping comes to an end this weekend.
The White Eagles have been simply tremendous thus far, even in the tricky encounter against Sydney United 58 FC. It was far from an exceptional spectacle against the Reds, though the workmanlike performance of Brian Brown’s men showed just how good this side can be.
With Robbie Younis slowly returning back to full fitness following his brief stint on the sideline due to injury, the task at hand for the Blues will be a tough one.
Nevertheless the two sides, with some of the most passionate supporters in the competition, never fail to disappoint in this fixture.
Rockdale City Suns v Central Coast Mariners Academy, Sunday 19th of May, 3:00 pm Ilinden Sports Ground
Last Week:
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 1 Rockdale City Suns 3
Central Coast Mariners Academy 2 Manly United FC 2
In the final match of the round, Rockdale City Suns will be out to add further angst to the Central Coast Mariners Academy’s situation on the League ladder when the two sides meet at Ilinden Sports Ground.
The Suns are riding a positive wave of form and it is no surprise that Branko Culina’s men currently sit amongst the top-five on the ladder.
With the Mariners still win-less in 2013, nothing less than a win will suffice for the home side. And with a Richard Cardozo in exceptional form, it will take a very brave person to bet against a Rockdale City win.
The Mariners can take to the field for this occasion with no added pressure on their shoulders, seeing the Suns start outright favourites.
The ‘underdog’ tag could play into the favour of the visitors as the Suns have perhaps not enjoyed the ‘favourites’ role since gaining promotion into the top-flight.
A lot to play for on Sunday, for both sides, as a win for the Suns could see the side move into third-spot, meanwhile an upset could see the team from the Central Coast move off the foot of the table.
-By Joseph Carlucci
Archives for May 2013
Bonnyrigg White Eagles to face Young Socceroos in friendly match
IGA National Premier Leagues NSW Mens 1 leaders Bonnyrigg White Eagles will take on Paul Okon’s Australian Young Socceroos squad on Wednesday 15th May at the Bonnyrigg Sports Centre.
With kick off set for 7pm and entry being free, the game will be one not to be missed as a number of Australia’s future young talents will be on show before they shoot off for next month’s World Cup in Turkey.
The likes of players such as Terry Antonis, Yianni Perkatis, Adam Taggart, Reece Caira, Joshua Brillante, Connor Chapman, James Donachie, Corey Gameiro, Scott Galloway and Hayden Morton are just some of the youngsters that will take part in next Wednesday’s friendly match.
It will be equally special for one such Young Socceroos member, namely Melbourne Heart defender David Vrankovic.
The promising stopper spent his entire junior and senior playing career with the Bonnyrigg White Eagles before being snapped up by the Heart in this season’s Hyundai A-League competition.
Match Details
Wednesday 15th May
Bonnyrigg White Eagles v U20 Young Socceroos
Bonnyrigg Sports Club, 7pm – Free Entry
IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 Round 9 Preview
Round 9 of the competition continues this weekend with the Match of the Round taking place on Sunday at Bonnyrigg Sports Ground between the White Eagles and Sydney United 58 FC.
Central Coast Mariners Academy v Manly United FC, Saturday 11th of May, 6:30 pm Pluim Park
Last Week:
Blacktown Spartans 4 Central Coast Mariners Academy 0
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 1 Manly United FC 1
Central Coast Mariners Academy host Manly United FC at Pluim Park on Saturday evening, still in search of its first victory of the season.
The young Mariners have shown some positive signs in recent weeks, though the problem still remains the inability to maintain the positives for the full 90’ minutes.
Last weekend’s 0-4 loss at Blacktown Spartans was perhaps harsh after the side made a strong start to the encounter, the wheels falling off after Brady Smith was given his marching orders at the end of the first-half – signalling the Mariners capitulation.
For the visiting Manly United, the disappointment of seeing the one-goal lead at APIA-Leichhardt vanish in injury-time is still present, though with such a close competition at present, a win this weekend could sky-rocket the team into top-five contention.
Craig Midgley’s men have proven they can mix it with the competition’s best, and should the travel not be too consuming for the Northern Beaches outfit, the side will certainly start the encounter as firm favourites.
Blacktown City FC v Marconi Stallions, Saturday 11th of May, 7:00 pm Lily Homes Stadium
Last Week:
Blacktown City FC 3 Sydney United 58 FC 1
Marconi Stallions 1 Sutherland Sharks 2
One of the pick of the round fixtures takes place at Lily Homes Stadium with Blacktown City FC welcoming Marconi Stallions. With only one-point separating the two sides on the league ladder, the fixture promises to live up to the hype it always generates with some memorable encounters between the two sides over the years.
The home side will be riding high following the great showing against Sydney United 58 FC, ending the previously unbeaten side’s record for this season. Coach Mark Crittenden has found the right balance amongst his playing group and with Japanese import Ryuji Miyazawa in exceptional form, the side is more than capable of winning silverware this season.
The visiting Stallions too have been in great form, even though the reigning champions fine run over the past month came to a crushing end at home against Sutherland Sharks last weekend – another of the competition’s in-form sides.
The Bossley Park outfit is in the process of adding two major signings to the playing squad, a striker and a midfielder is the whisper ‘around the traps’.
With the club looking to finalise the signings before this weekend’s matches, we could see some additional big names added to bolster the squad at Jean-Paul De Marigny’s disposal.
Either way, this clash will without a doubt provide action aplenty on Saturday.
Sutherland Sharks v Blacktown Spartans, Saturday 11th of May, 7:00 pm Seymour Shaw Park
Last Week:
Marconi Stallions 1 Sutherland Sharks 2
Blacktown Spartans 4 Central Coast Mariners Academy 0
At Seymour Shaw, a red hot Sutherland Sharks will be expected to bring Blacktown Spartans’ impressive run of three consecutive wins to an end when the two sides meet on Saturday.
The Sharks have been relentless in recent weeks with Robbie Stanton’s players really finding their feet with some devastating displays.
The usual suspects, Panni Nikas and Nick Stavroulakis, continue to lead the side with their class and experience, meanwhile new addition to the first team, Nicholas Olsen, has been a breath of fresh air for both the club and the competition.
Add to the mix Brad Boardman, who was in great touch against the Stallions last weekend, with Nathan Elasi and Nik Tsattalios, and the proposition of facing this side becomes an intimidating one to say the least.
The Spartans will enter the contest with nothing to lose, and so they should, with the side securing three wins on the trot over the past three weeks.
Andre Carle remains the man of the moment with his rich run of goal scoring form and coach Ben De Haan will be hoping he can continue his fine run this weekend at Seymour Shaw.
With both sides adapted to playing on perfect playing surfaces, the contest on Saturday promises to be an entertaining battle with some good football on show with the Sharks, no doubt, starting the match as overwhelming favourites.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Sydney United 58 FC, Sunday 12th of May, 12:00 pm Bonnyrigg Sports Centre
Last Week:
South Coast Wolves 1 Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4
Blacktown City FC 3 Sydney United 58 FC 1
The Round 9 match of the round takes place at Bonnyrigg Sports Ground with the eagerly anticipated local derby between the White Eagles and Sydney United 58 FC.
The two sides in the competition thus far, there is no love lost between these two teams, and a passionate 90’ minutes of football is expected on Sunday.
Brian Brown’s men have been unbeatable this season, and the recent form of Robbie Younis and Mitchell Long on the South Coast last weekend, will definitely have the Reds defenders on high alert this weekend.
In midfield, Adrian Ucchino and Aleksander Canak have looked very strong – the latter netting the goal of the week for Round 8.
Sydney United too have been impressive, with the side only losing one game to-date – last weekend against Blacktown City FC.
Mark Rudan’s side possesses an equally impressive midfield, which will provide a stern test for Bonnyrigg, with this clash expected to test both defences. In the front-third, Yuichi Yamauchi will be pulling the strings with captain Luka Glavas’ availability not certain following a strain sustained against Sutherland in Round 7.
A win for Bonnyrigg will open up a healthy lead over its stern rival, meanwhile a win for the Reds, with a match still to come, could signal the opportunity for Mark Rudan’s men to challenge for the top-spot – both sides, however, both conscious of the movements of Sutherland Sharks who sneaked into second-spot following last weekend’s matches.
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers v Rockdale City Suns, Sunday 12th of May, 3:00 pm Lambert Park
Last Week:
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers 1 Manly United FC 1
Sydney Olympic 0 Rockdale City Suns 4
At Lambert Park, APIA-Leichhardt Tigers will attempt to find its first win of the season when Rockdale City Suns visit the Inner West, though the task for the Tigers will be far from an easy one with the Suns in exceptional form.
A massive 4-0 drubbing of Sydney Olympic has the Suns’ confidence sky high, the side proving it is more than capable of playing finals football this season.
Coach Branko Culina has instilled some big belief in his troops, and the results are starting to show. Richard Cardozo will be out to add more goals to his impressive tally thus far this season, meanwhile defensively, the side will be aiming for another clean sheet.
In the middle of the park, Culina will be awaiting on the fitness of Roberto Speranza who was amongst the best performers on the field prior to limping off with an ankle injury, meanwhile older brother Giorgio Speranza is closing in on a return after an injury of his own has kept him away from the first team.
APIA-Leichhardt is closing in on a win after some good performances, and the last-ditch effort against Manly United FC, where the side managed to secure a share of the spoils with a late goal despite playing the second-half with ten-men.
Franco Parisi will be called upon to be his usual creative self, meanwhile coach Nicola Rizzo may well need to utilise himself on the playing field to add some additional experience to the side.
The side will be without captain Marl Byrnes after his red card against Manly United, arriving at a bad moment for the Tigers who have fallen well behind the leading pack with only four points to show from the opening eight rounds to-date.
Sydney Olympic v South Coast Wolves, Sunday 12th of May, 3:00 pm Belmore Sports Ground
Last Week:
Sydney Olympic 0 Rockdale City Suns 4
South Coast Wolves 1 Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4
In the final match of the round, Sydney Olympic will be very eager to eliminate the disappointment of the heavy 4-0 loss against Rockdale City at home. The Blues were flat throughout the encounter, not helped by some key players underdone for the clash following niggling injuries.
Coach Peter Tsekenis will be hoping to have Phil Makrys and Brett Studman fit and ready for the encounter, meanwhile a return to the goal scorer’s list for Elsid Barkhousir will definitely assist with the side’s goal for a win.
The visiting Wolves too have struggled for consistency this season, and the trip to Belmore, notwithstanding the Blues drop in form, will be a tough ask to say the least.
The side was second best for the entire 90’ minutes against Bonnyrigg White Eagles last Saturday night, and a major lift will be required on Sunday if there is to be a change in fortune.
Coach Richard Lloyd picked out some schoolboy errors made by his chargers, and he will be looking at his players to remove any more such mistakes against a Sydney Olympic side too, desperate to return to winning ways.
-By Joseph Carlucci
AUDIO: Nikas continues to impress at Sharks
There’s not much more you can say about Sutherland Sharks’ mercurial playmaker Panny Nikas.
Regarded as one of the best players in the competition, Nikas chats to Football NSW Media Manager Mark Stavroulakis and discusses his year to date with the Sharks, his goalscoring spree as he currently sits with eight goals from eight matches, his thoughts on pushing for an A-League deal and more.
AUDIO: Taneski roaring at APIA
Promising young gun striker Nikola Taneski is certainly making a name for himself at Lambert Park.
With hype surrounding that Taneski could be the next big thing to come out of the Premier League, Football NSW Media Manager Mark Stavroulakis caught up with the 19-year-old and discussed all things football as well as his experiences with the Sydney FC National Youth League squad and hailing from the Nations Capital.