Round 6 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s
Round 6 of the National Premier Leagues Men’s competition is here and it’s set to be a big one.
Some teams will be looking to secure their position on the ladder, while others will be desperate to improve and get a crucial result in Round 6.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC v Marconi Stallions FC
7:00pm, Friday 8th April, Popondetta Park
It’s set to be a big clash between Mt Druitt Town Rangers and Marconi Stallions as both sides look to impress after rocky starts to the season.
Mt Druitt sit at the bottom of the table with three losses and two draws from the five rounds so far this season, still yet to secure a win.
Despite not being able to pick up three points in a match, the Rangers have managed to score 11 goals – just shy of the 12 scored by Sydney FC and Sutherland Sharks that lead the league. With 11 goals to their name, they have also let in a huge 16 goals – the most of the league.
Jack Stewart has been consistently scoring for Mt Druitt and will need to keep doing so, while the performance of young-gun Louis Khoury has been impressive throughout the season so far.
They will need to tighten up their defence to keep Marconi at bay in the Friday night clash as the Stallions look for their second win of the season.
With one win, one draw and two losses, Marconi have struggled to find the same form that saw them take a win over Sutherland in Round 1.
Having bolstered their attacking forces this season with the likes of Charles Lokolingoy and Thomas James, Marconi will need to have their forward line firing on all cylinders in order to take another win.
As Thomas James returns from injury, Stallions fans will be hoping he can return to the fine form he is known for in the league.
With plenty on the line, it will be a huge clash to open Round 6.
Northbridge Bulls FC v Blacktown City FC
3:00pm, Saturday 9th April, Sydney United Sports Centre
Northbridge Bulls will be hungry for another win after their 4-2 defeat of Sydney United 58 in Round 4 and, having proved that they can match up against the league heavyweights, they will need to bring their A-game against Blacktown City.
With four losses out of five matches, the Bulls will be looking to improve their performances after a rocky start to the season.
Having conceded 14 goals so far, defence will likely be the focus for the young squad as captain Rory Jordan will be looking to fire up his team to encourage a quality performance they showed glimpses of in their single win.
Blacktown City are coming off the back of a two-game losing streak and will be hungry to get back to winning ways against the young Bulls side.
With two wins to start the season, Blacktown City showed that they are contenders yet-again, but a week off with a number of players affected by Covid seems to have thrown the squad.
The ever-consistent club has plenty of talent to lean on with Dakota Askew being the standout of the team in their Round 5 clash.
Will Blacktown return to winning ways or will Northbridge manage to secure their second win against league heavyweights?
Sutherland Sharks FC v Sydney Olympic FC
3:30pm, Saturday 9th April, Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks will host Sydney Olympic on Saturday in what is set to be a hard-fought battle.
With mixed starts to their season, both sides have had moments of magic that have kept their hopes of successful seasons alive.
After two consecutive wins Sutherland fell away against a strong Sydney FC side in Round 5 and coach Nick Dimovski was quick to comment on his side’s defensive weaknesses in his post-match interview.
This matchup should bring out the best in Jason Madonis as he squares up against his former club he spent many years battling for.
Sydney Olympic managed a win over Marconi Stallions in Round 5 and will be hoping to ride the wave of momentum to another win in Round 6.
Darcy Burgess was a stand out for Olympic, scoring and making a strong impact on the park. The tight defensive line of Olympic let in one late goal from Marconi but will be looking to keep the pace of James Andrew at bay in this clash.
A win will be valuable to both sides as they look to ensure they don’t fall behind early in the season.
Manly United FC v Wollongong Wolves FC
7:00pm, Saturday 9th April, Cromer Park
A late onslaught of three goals saw Manly United pick up a convincing win over Northbridge in Round 5 and returning to Cromer Park for their second home game of the season this weekend, and will be hoping they can maintain their form when Wollongong make the long trip to Manly,
With Seiya Kambayashi and Kieran Paull earning Team of the Week selections after their victory, they will be ones to watch on Saturday, alongside NPL NSW stalwart, Matt Sim.
Sitting in fifth position on the ladder, Manly have shown they have a lot of potential this season and will be hungry to ensure they continue to show their home fans what they are capable of.
Wollongong Wolves, coming off a 2-0 loss to league leaders APIA Leichhardt and a wash-out the week before, will be hoping to upset Manly at home to secure their second win of the season.
Leaning on the attacking prowess of Leroy Jennings and Kuot Maliet, the Wolves will need to work hard for a big result after the long trip to Cromer Park if they hope to get back into form.
A win would prove valuable to the ninth-placed Wolves as they hope to pick up momentum, but will they be able to pull off an upset for Manly at home?
Sydney United 58 FC v Rockdale Ilinden FC
3:00pm, Sunday 10th April, Sydney United Sports Centre
In a big match up, Rockdale Ilinden will travel to Sydney United Sports Centre to try to upset Sydney United 58 on Sunday afternoon.
Coming off the back of an important victory over Blacktown City, United 58 will be riding high and ready to silence yet another contender.
Sitting in third position on the NPL NSW Men’s ladder, United 58 have had a successful start to the season with three wins and ten goals, however they have let in nine goals.
Goalkeeper Danijel Nizic was in fine form against Blacktown and if he can manage to continue playing to the same standard, he will be able to make it much more difficult for Rockdale to convert their chances.
Rockdale, who have had the most draws of the league so far in the season, will need to be clinical in their performance in order to upset United 58 at home.
A late goal saw them salvage a point from their clash with Mt Druitt in Round 5, in similar fashion to their draw with Sydney Olympic.
Alec Urosevski has been very valuable to Rockdale’s attacking efforts this season and will likely be a key focus for United 58’s defensive efforts, while across the park Tomoki Wada and Mitchell Stamatellis have been solid for Ilinden.
In what is set to be a fiery clash, will Rockdale be able to climb up the ladder with a win or will United 58 continue their strong form and stay secure at the top end of the table?
A reminder that this match will be played behind closed doors, therefore, only players, Football NSW registered officials and accredited media will be permitted entry to the venue.
Sydney FC v APIA Leichhardt FC
6:30pm, Sunday 10th April, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
In the top-of-the-table clash, Sydney FC will host APIA Leichhardt on Sunday evening in a battle between youth and experience in the league.
With both squads in fine form, this match will be a must-see for football fans.
The battle will surely give some insight into whether Sydney FC can continue their strong start to the season against a top contender for the Premiership title.
APIA Leichhardt sit just in front of Sydney FC on the ladder with 10 goals to their name from their five matches, while only conceding five goals in an impressive string of performances.
Jason Romero, Sean Symons and Themba Muata-Marlow all featured in the Round 5 Team of the Week for APIA Leichhardt and the threesome have been consistently impressive for the league leaders, along with veteran ‘keeper Ivan Necevski.
Patrick Wood and Jaiden Kucharski featured in the Team of the Week for the sky blues and have been weapons on the young sides front line.
Without a single loss this season, the pressure is on for Sydney FC to continue without falling, but this will likely be their biggest battle yet.
Will Sydney FC remain undefeated or will APIA Leichhardt stay on top of the league ladder?
-By Madeline Riley