Round 13 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s 20’s
It could prove to be a pivotal weekend in the premiership race with Sydney FC hosting Sutherland Sharks, while second-placed Blacktown City must navigate the challenge of Sydney United 58. Elsewhere, Hakoah Sydney City East could benefit from another slip up from the top two as they look for another victory against Manly United.
Match of the Round
Sydney FC v Sutherland Sharks, Saturday 5.45pm at Lambert Park
One of the biggest matches of the season so far takes place at Lambert Park on Saturday night when Sydney FC host competition leaders Sutherland Sharks.
At the beginning of the campaign the Sky Blues would have earmarked themselves as one of the few teams in the premiership race with Sutherland but after slipping to fifth place following a 3-2 defeat to Hakoah Sydney City East last weekend, Sydney’s season is now firmly at a crossroads.
The Sky Blues have won just one of their last five fixtures – a 4-0 victory over 11th-placed Marconi in round nine and are still struggling at the defensive end of the field having shipped nine goals in their last three. In fact, the competition heavyweights currently boast the poorest defensive record in the competition.
Sydney will need to muster a huge performance in order to drag themselves back into the title hunt and will also want revenge for the 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Sharks back in round two. Despite suffering two shock losses at home to cellar-dwellers Rockdale City Suns and Sydney Olympic in the past month, Sutherland’s grip on first place has been unflinching all season and Nick Dimovski’s outfit will aim for another statement win when they travel to Lambert Park on the weekend.
Saturday
Manly United v Hakoah Sydney City East, 5.00pm at Cromer Park
Manly United host Hakoah Sydney City East at Cromer Park on Saturday afternoon needing a win to revive their stuttering 2018 campaign.
Adam Griffith’s side currently reside in 10th position after round 12’s 1-0 defeat to APIA Leichhardt Tigers and find themselves eight points off fifth place. After wins over Sydney United 58 and Wollongong Wolves in the past month, Manly have shown enough potential to stay in the race for finals football but are running out of matches to do so.
Hakoah Sydney City East will provide a great test of Manly’s credentials. Hakoah are currently the competition’s form side with seven wins from their last eight and underlined their championship potential with a 3-2 win over Sydney FC last weekend. Connor Eldridge grabbed a brace in that win, and if Hakoah’s central striker can start replicating the goal scoring form of 2017 the Sydneysiders will only continue to improve.
Marconi Stallions v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 5.00pm at Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions are in desperate need of a victory when they host Bonnyrigg White Eagles at Marconi Stadium on Saturday evening.
The 11th-placed Stallions are currently 10 points away from fifth position and have failed to convert an array of promising performances into results so far this campaign. Moreover, Marconi’s struggle for goals has worsened over the past month with the side held scoreless in four of their last five fixtures.
Coming up against one of the competition’s leanest defences in Bonnyrigg, the task couldn’t get much harder for the Stallions. Hamish Brown’s White Eagles have conceded just two goals in their last six appearances and will be searching for a victory to push them closer to a finals position.
The White Eagles trail fifth-placed Sydney FC by four points and know margin for error in the second half of the season is slim, and will consider anything less than maximum points at Marconi a setback.
Sunday
Sydney Olympic v APIA Leichhardt Tigers, 12.40pm at Belmore Sports Ground
Sydney Olympic are running out of time to salvage their season and need a morale-boosting win when APIA Leichhardt Tigers arrive at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday lunchtime.
Although the bottom-placed Blues have delivered their best form of the season over the recent month, highlighted by a win over Sutherland and draws with Wollongong and Sydney, Olympic still remain rooted to the foot of the table.
The visit of APIA Leichhardt Tigers should inspire a huge performance from the hosts, who will hope to expose the Tigers’ inconsistency in order to kickstart their campaign. Franco Consentino’s side have failed to garner consecutive wins all season and urgently need to arrest their habit of surrendering cheap and costly goals if last season’s Grand Finalists are to fulfil their potential this season.
Blacktown City v Sydney United 58, 1.00pm at Lily Homes Stadium
Blacktown City host Sydney United 58 at Lily Homes Stadium on Sunday afternoon needing a big performance to restore their faltering title bid.
John Carnevale’s side were defeated 3-0 by Wollongong Wolves in Seven Hills last round in a double blow for Blacktown, with leaders Sutherland slipping up at home to Rockdale the day before. That heavy defeat to the Wolves made it back to back 3-0 losses for City, who were comfortably beaten by the competition leaders the previous round.
With Sutherland still six points ahead of Blacktown and Hakoah Sydney City East, Wollongong and Sydney FC all closing in on City, anything less than a win over Sydney United 58 on Sunday could have severe ramifications in the long run for the second-placed outfit.
They’ll face a resurgent Sydney United 58 side who after losing six matches in a row have now secured consecutive victories over Sydney Olympic and Marconi. The Reds are now just four points away from fifth position and know claiming the scalp pf Blacktown could do wonders for their campaign.
Rockdale City Suns v Wollongong Wolves, 3.00pm at Ilinden Sports Centre
Two teams brimming with confidence meet at Ilinden Sports Centre in the round’s final fixture when Rockdale City Suns host Wollongong Wolves.
Hosts Rockdale will be in buoyant mood following their shock 2-1 victory over leaders Sutherland Sharks last round, a win that places the Suns seven points away from fifth position. Having held Sydney FC to a 2-2 draw the previous weekend, Rockdale are now showing signs that they may have turned a corner and ready to sustain a genuine challenge for a finals spot.
The side will get another chance to prove their credentials against high-flying Wollongong Wolves, who enter the contest off the back of their strongest performance of the season in a 3-0 away defeat of Blacktown City. The South Coast outfit are now within striking distance of the top two and will want to further nail their championship ambitions to the mast with a victory over the Suns.
-By Jacob Windon