Another big weekend of action is around the corner in National Premier Leagues NSW season with six big matches schedule for Round 5.
Blacktown City lead the competition and will this week host reigning Champions Manly United.
Rockdale City Suns pulled off the unlikeliest of comebacks last week to snatch a 4-3 win against Bonnyrigg White Eagles after trailing 3-0, this week they have another huge challenge in APIA Leichhardt Tigers.
Sydney United 58 has rediscovered its winning ways under new coach Jason Culina. This round they travel to take on a Sutherland Sharks side which has gone three games undefeated.
Early season rust has been shaken off and the time is now for all sides to find their groove.
Sutherland Sharks FC v Sydney United 58 FC, 6.30pm Saturday at Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks have the chance to claim back to back wins for the first time this season when they host Sydney United 58 on Saturday.
Sutherland has quietly gone three games undefeated after bouncing back from their Round 1 defeat and have been in great form over that stretch.
Their 3-0 win against Wollongong Wolves was the best performance of the season so far for the Grant Lee coached side.
Jacob Tratt has been a great addition to the Sharks this season with the defender giving Sutherland added steel at the back.
Tratt has played a key role in Sutherland’s turn around and his ability at set pieces can provide a game changer for the Sharks.
One player keen on wanting to put on a good display for the home side is former United 58 attacker Nick Olsen. He has been in scintillating form and has been the go to player for the Sharks especially after his thunderous volley in last weekend’s victory over the Wolves.
Their opposition this week will be a Sydney United 58 outfit which has rebounded from a tough opening weeks to the campaign.
Coach Jason Culina has notched back to back wins with The Reds rediscovering the goalscoring touch in a 5-3 win against Sydney FC last week.
Panny Nikas was at his entertaining best, the mercurial midfielder scoring a hat trick in a vintage performance.
With Nikas at his best, United 58 are always a team to watch out for and with strike partner Chris Payne and Matt Sim also in great form it will be a test of Sutherland’s defence.
One aspect of United 58’s game will be to sure up its defence however. Having leaked seven goals in four matches is a concern for the visitors so they will need to be on their guard when they face an attacking minded Sharks on Saturday.
The battle of two inform teams is sure to provide plenty for fans of both sides.
Rockdale City Suns FC v APIA Leichhardt Tigers FC, 7pm Saturday at Ilinden Sports Centre
After their unlikely great escape in round 4, Rockdale City Suns will hope to secure a more conventional victory when they host APIA Leichhardt Tigers on Saturday.
Trailing 3-0 to Bonnyrigg White Eagles, Paul Reid’s Suns scored four second half goals in what will surely be one of the performances of the season.
However, Rockdale’s first half will be cause for concern and against APIA a similar defensive performance could end poorly.
Alec Urosevski has one again shown he is the main man in attack for the Suns with his speed and clinical finishing proving deadly in front of goal.
More will be asked of veteran defenders Trent McClenahan and Daniel Petkovski after a run of poor defensive efforts.
APIA suffered their first loss of the season last round against a fired up Blacktown City side.
Jordan Murray, Sean Symons and Tasuku Sekiya created chance after chance for the Tigers but were guilty of spurning their opportunities.
They will surely be far more clinical this round with the trio a deadly combination in attack when on song.
APIA will be fired up to bounce back from their defeat making them a dangerous opposition to face. However, Rockdale have demonstrated they can respond when the going gets tough so expect a high quality clash between two high quality outfits.
Blacktown City FC v Manly United FC, 7pm Saturday at Lily Homes Stadium
On top of the table and firing on all cylinders, Blacktown City is once again the team to beat in the National Premier Leagues NSW competition and will be determined to flex their premiership credentials once again when the host reigning Champions Manly United on Saturday.
City was at its ruthless best to top APIA Leichhardt Tigers in Round 4 with a screamer from Joey Gibbs and a clinical Devante Clut finish the difference.
Their all star attack and rock solid defence, led by captain Matt Lewis as well as defenders Giorgio Speranza and Grant Lynch, continue to perform at an incredible level season after season with Manly in for a tough match.
Clut has showed all his class since joining City at the start of the campaign after his release from A-League side Newcastle Jets.
The midfield dynamo is dangerous in possession and can both create and finish making him a player opponents can’t ignore.
However, it won’t be a walk in the park for City with Manly United full of confidence after snapping their losing streak with a win against Marconi Stallions.
The penny finally dropped for Paul Dee’s Manly side after weeks of early season struggles.
Winger Nikola Taneski was Manly’s primary outlet in attack, and with Scott Balderson out injured, the responsibility going forward will be shared between him and club captain Brendan Cholakian.
Both are liveware’s with the ball at their feet and will keep the Blacktown defence honest.
Manly will be in for their biggest test yet against Blacktown’s high powered attack, but with their never say die attitude anything could happen.
Marconi Stallions v Sydney Olympic FC, 7pm Saturday at Marconi Stadium – Live streamed on Facebook
Round 5 of the National Premier Leagues NSW season is all about bouncing back for Marconi Stallions.
A 4-2 loss at the hands of Manly United last week was Marconi’s first loss of the campaign and how they respond to their first major hurdle will be telling as to where this team is at.
The Stallions will be ruing the defeat especially as they lead twice in the match but conceded easy goals against a fired up opposition.
Mateo Poljak’s expereince in the heart of midfield has been influential for Marconi while fellow A-League alumni Michael Beauchamp, Marko Jesic and Sean Rooney all give Peter Tsekenis’ side experience and star power their rivals would envy.
Their opponents this week is an in-form Sydney Olympic outfit riding high on the back of three consecutive home wins.
Olympic looked as if they were set to struggle at the start of the season when coach Gorka Etxeberria departed the Belmore club.
However, it has been anything but bad times at Olympic with new coach Abbas Saad employing an entertaining style which encourages his players to attack and show off their individual flair.
Jason Madonis and Will Angel provide great width to Olympic’s attack, while club captain Hagi Gligor in midfield is one of the side’s unheralded stars.
While no one can fault their Spanish sensation, Alejandro Sanchez-Lopez, who has been the in-form player of the NPL NSW Men’s quickly establishing himself as one of the finest imports to kick off the 2018 season.
Olympic are scoring freely and testing opposition defences which will surely have Marconi on the back foot on Saturday night.
But if Marconi’s big name attacking stars can fire this game could go any direction.
Sydney FC v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 7.45pm Saturday at Lambert Park
It will be back to basics this week for Sydney FC when they host Bonnyrigg White Eagles on Saturday night.
A week after conceding five goals to Sydney United 58, Robbie Stanton’s side will be focused on fixing their backline and instilling a new level of discipline to their game.
However, it hasn’t been all bad news this season for the Young Sky Blues with captain Sam McIllhatton one of the breakout players of the competition’s opening rounds.
The goal scoring prowess of Jeremy Cox has been another standout point to their season so far with the young striker leading the golden boot race with five goals in four games.
The pair will play a big role if Sydney FC are to clinch all three points.
For Bonnyrigg White Eagles the game is a chance for them to rediscover the killer edge the club has been famous for.
The question is, will it happen in the next few matches?
Their unbelievable 4-3 loss to Rockdale last round after leading 3-0 was a bitter pill to swallow for Brian Brown’s men and it should be the turning point of their season.
The White Eagles fans were left stunned and shocked at the club’s capitulation showing their dismay at the final whistle against the Suns as they hope their team can get back to winning ways.
A concern for the White Eagles also is that not only do they sit at the foot of the NPL NSW Men’s ladder but also on the Club Championship too, so this is indeed a big game for all of its three grades.
One bright spark for Bonnyrigg has been the form of new signing David Bradasevic who has been in inspired form between the posts.
The White Eagles will be without Mun So Gill who will serve his suspension after being sent off against Rockdale for a reckless challenge.
Both sides are desperate for the win so it expect an entertaining clash with the potential for plenty of goals.
Hakoah Sydney City East v Wollongong Wolves, 3pm Sunday at Hensley Athletic Field – Live Streamed on Facebook
Hakoah Sydney City East will be looking to heap back to back defeats on Wollongong Wolves when the two sides face off at Hensley Athletic field on Sunday.
Hakoah suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Sydney Olympic in Round 4 and Gavin Rae’s side will be inspired to return to the winners circle against the Wolves.
Returning last week after being called up to represent New Zealand is attacking weapon Andre De Jong and he will once again be the key to the Hakoah forward line.
His speed and creativity can unlock opposition sides almost at will making De Jong a player Wollongong will not be able to sleep on.
The Wolves come into the game off the back of a humiliating 3-0 defeat to rivals Sutherland Sharks, their first defeat of the campaign.
It was a night of wasted opportunity for Wollongong but surely a night Jacob Timpano’s players learnt from.
As always it is the Wolves high profile Japanese duo of Takuya Nozawa and Yuzo Tashiro who will be the main attacking threat, while Nick Montgomery’s experience further back is key in the side’s chance creation and ball retention.
Hakoah can be tricky customers if they are underestimated so the pressure is on Wollongong to bring their best or they could be on the back end of another big scoreline.
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