NPL NSW Men’s 20’s – Round 8 Preview
With one third of the regular season nearly over, reigning champions Sutherland Sharks continue to lead the way at the front.
Can local rivals Manly United halt the imperious charge of the Sharks on Saturday night?
Match of the Round
Blacktown City v Hakoah Sydney City East, 5.00pm at Lily’s Football Centre
Two of the competition’s form teams face off in Seven Hills on Saturday afternoon with second-placed Blacktown City hosting Hakoah Sydney City East at Lily’s Football Centre.
John Carnevale’s side enter the clash on the back of five straight victories as City look to maintain pace with competition frontrunners Sutherland Sharks, who are currently four points ahead of Blacktown.
The hosts should underline their status as the league’s best of the rest with a victory over Hakoah – a win that would be their sixth straight. But it won’t be easy against a visiting side that are slowly beginning to turn heads themselves.
Hakoah were bottom of the table following a winless opening four rounds but three victories on the bounce has seen Paul Hubbard’s side race up into sixth position. The visitors have also kept two clean sheets in a row heading into the encounter which will bolster their confidence against Blacktown’s in-form frontline where Lachlan Rose, Jack Stewart and Adolph Koudakpo are all scoring freely.
However should Hakoah continue their miserly defensive performances of the last fortnight there’s every chance the boys from Hensley Athletic Field leave Seven Hills with what would be their biggest scalp of the season.
Saturday
Manly United v Sutherland Sharks, 5.00pm at Cromer Park
Manly United face their toughest assignment of the 2018 season when they welcome leaders Sutherland Sharks to Cromer Park on Saturday afternoon.
United have struggled to find their feet in the campaign so far and currently reside in 11th position having won a solitary match from their seven played. Although alarm bells won’t be ringing yet, Manly need to grab a foothold eventually or risk another underwhelming league campaign – but the side should be fired up for the visit of the imperious league leaders.
Sutherland will be aiming for their seventh win in a row as they aim to extend their lead at the top of the table. The reigning champions hold a four point advantage over second placed Blacktown City as things stand and although the season is still early Nick Dimovski’s side look odds on for a repeat of their 2017 double.
The Sharks possess one of the most experienced and talented rosters in the competition and are capable of producing goals from all over the pitch. With six goals to his name forward James Temelkovski has produced some sterling displays for Sutherland in the campaign’s opening months and will be one of many Sharks threats the out of form Manly defence must marshal closely to stand a chance of an upset.
Marconi Stallions v Rockdale City Suns, 5.00pm at Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions are aiming to set the record straight when they host Rockdale City Suns at Marconi Stadium this Saturday night.
After heavy defeats to Blacktown City and Hakoah Sydney City East the Stallions have slipped out of the top five and despite performing well throughout the season will need to start getting the results performances have demanded.
The Stallions will be most concerned by their inability to finish chances – they’ve recorded just eight so far but efforts from Anthony Vastag and Michael Jeffrey against a normally watertight Blacktown last Saturday should boost confidence ahead of this weekend.
Rockdale head into the fixture on the back of two 1-1 draws against Manly United and Sydney Olympic. The City Suns are currently tenth on the table having won the single match so far this season but a victory over Marconi would see the visitors leapfrog their opponents on the table. Dimitrios Petratos has been the central goalscoring threat for Rockdale with two goals to his name.
Sunday
Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Sydney United 58, 12.00pm at Bonnyrigg Sports Club
Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sydney United 58 will both be desperate to win when the rivals face off in Bonnyrigg on Sunday afternoon.
The White Eagles haven’t won since their opening day defeat of Sydney Olympic but have offered some strong performances in recent weeks despite their failure to turn draws into wins. Hamish Brown’s side drew 0-0 last weekend against Wollongong Wolves following a narrow loss to Sutherland Sharks and a 5-5 thriller with Sydney FC.
This inability to capitalize on crucial moments has the potential to leave Bonnyrigg adrift but the side has notably raised their standards against the big sides this campaign and will need to do so again for the visit of Sydney United 58.
It could prove to be an ideal time to face the Reds who after a 1-0 defeat to Hakoah Sydney City East last round have now lost three in a row having started the season in a rich vein of form. The visitors know they will be in for a scrap and must be willing to edge out a gritty performance in order to avoid slipping down the table.
Sydney Olympic v Sydney FC, 12.40pm at Belmore Sports Ground
Sydney Olympic are hoping the visit of Sydney FC will inspire a much needed victory when the two clubs meet at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday.
The Blues have endured a tricky start to the season and find themselves rock bottom after seven rounds but should relish the visit of Sydney on the weekend and might fancy their chances at exposing a defence that has conceded the most goals in the competition.
The third-placed Sky Blues have had their issues defensively so far this campaign but secured their first shutout of the year with a 1-0 win over Manly United last Saturday, a match that saw striker Hamish Lamberton fire in his ninth of the campaign.
Sydney’s leading marksman comfortably leads the golden boot standings heading into round eight and if Olympic aren’t switched on defensively the cellar dwellers could be in for another tough afternoon.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers v Wollongong Wolves, 1.30pm at Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt Tigers conclude round eight with a home fixture against Wollongong Wolves at Lambert Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers suffered a minor setback last week following a 4-1 loss at the hands of Sutherland Sharks but should return to Lambert Park re-energized and ready to claw their way back up the table.
Franco Consentino’s side possess a variety of threats across the park in the form of midfielders Tariq Maia and Samuel Gulisano while if featured in the team the sight of Aedon Kyra should strike fear into the heart of the Wollongong defence.
The visitors have recovered from a rocky start to the season to claim fifth spot on the ladder prior to round eight’s commencement and have impressed many with their improvement thus far this campaign.
Forward Tory Musumeci will be the prime target to watch out for from an APIA standpoint with the Wollongong attacker netting four goals in seven appearances this season.
-By Jacob Windon
