Round 3 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s

NPL Men's Round Preview 3

Round two provided some big score lines and shock results as teams started to gather momentum in 2023.

There are some crunch clashes in round three, so let’s take a look ahead at another exciting round of National Premier Leagues NSW football.

 

Wollongong Wolves FC v Marconi Stallions FC 

7:30 pm, Friday 17 February, WIN Stadium

Wollongong Wolves and Marconi Stallions go head-to-head at WIN Stadium on Friday night with both sides coming off big victories in round two.

The Wolves picked up their first win of the season last Saturday downing Sutherland Sharks 3-0 keeping David Carney’s team unbeaten in the competition.

Captain Lachlan Scott scored his first of the season via a first-half penalty before a late brace from substitute Alex Masciovecchio made it a more comfortable score line for the side.

Wollongong had a tough time against Marconi last season, failing to score a goal in either match.

However, with five goals in two matches so far in 2023, they’ll be confident of changing that record.

Marconi bounced back from an opening-round defeat with a commanding 5-0 victory over Sydney FC in round two.

Jordan Swibel scored his first two goals for the Stallions, while Marko Jesic netted his second goal in as many matches.

Hiroaki Aoyama was instrumental for the side in forward areas creating plenty of opportunities and scoring himself.

Coach Peter Tsekenis will be keen to carry on this momentum, but it won’t be easy against a Wollongong team also coming off their first win in 2023.

Marconi got the better of the Wolves in their 2022 round-nine clash, where Jesic opened the scoring in a 2-0 win at Marconi Stadium before the teams played out a 0-0 stalemate later in the season.

With both teams carrying form into this one, it’s set to be a high-intensity clash on Friday night to start the round.

 

St George City FA v Western Sydney Wanderers FC

7:00 pm, Saturday 18 February, Pershurst Park

Two newly promoted teams will battle again in round three with St George City taking on Western Sydney Wanderers at Penshurst Park in the only game on Saturday.

St George continue their search for a first win in the NPL NSW following a 2-2 draw with NWS Spirit in round two.

The side were unlucky not to take all three points against Spirit, putting their opponents under pressure throughout the match.

Maki Petratos found the net for the second game in a row proving to be a key player so far for Mirko Jurilj’s team, while Tarik Ercan also scored last weekend.

The Wanderers could not make it two wins in a row to start the season, losing 3-2 to a ten-man Blacktown City in round two.

Nathanael Blair fired home two penalties for Western Sydney, but it wasn’t enough to claim victory.

Last season, St George City also hosted the Wanderers in round three, but that was in the FNSW League One, where City got up 3-2 before Western Sydney won 2-0 in round 14.

However, St George had the last laugh prevailing 2-1 in the finals series on their way to the 2022 championship.

The teams will be up for it this weekend looking to claim a vital three points early in the season.

 

Rockdale Ilinden FC v Manly United FC

3:00 pm, Sunday 19 February, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre

Rockdale Ilinden and Manly United will be keen to rectify their respective round-two defeats on Sunday at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.

Rockdale must pick themselves up after copping a 6-0 smashing from APIA Leichhardt last weekend and the hosts may look to change things around following that tough result.

The side went into halftime 3-0 down before they conceded three more goals in the second half.

Paul Dee will be eager for his team to put in a much better showing this weekend, especially considering this is Rockdale’s first home match of the season.

Manly also come into this game off the back of a defeat following a 3-1 loss to Sydney Olympic.

Seiya Kambayashi sent United into the lead in the 25th minute, however, three quickfire goals from Olympic straight after proved too much for Patrick Zwaanswijk’s team to overcome.

This result means Manly are still yet to pick up a win after facing the reigning champions and premiers in successive weeks to start the competition.

However, United performed well against Rockdale in 2022 claiming victory on both occasions with a 1-0 win in round 11 and then getting up 3-1 in round 22.

With both teams in desperate need of three points, it sets up a high stakes clash on Sunday.

 

Central Coast Mariners FC v Sutherland Sharks FC

3:00 pm, Sunday 19 February, Pluim Park

At Pluim Park on Sunday, Central Coast Mariners and Sutherland Sharks will look to pick up their first win of the season after winless runs to start the year.

Central Coast just about withstood a second-half barrage from Bulls FC Academy last Saturday to claim a point in a 1-1 draw.

Aidan Milicevic opened the scoring for the side with a well-placed curling finish before the Bulls pulled back into the game in the second half.

Patrick Beach was immense in between the sticks producing several high-quality saves to keep Central Coast in the game.

Luke Wilkshire’s departure from the Mariners earlier this week means Lucas Vilela will take charge of the squad on an interim basis.

Sutherland lost 3-0 to Wollongong Wolves over the weekend meaning they are now only one of two teams yet to get a point in the NPL NSW so far.

The Sharks are also the only team yet to find the net in the competition with back-to-back 3-0 defeats seeing them sit at the foot of the table.

Despite the disappointing opening results for coach Damir Prodanovic, there have been positives with the side creating plenty of chances across the two matches.

A victory either way on Sunday would be massive, allowing the winning team to put a tough start to 2023 behind them.

 

Sydney FC v Sydney Olympic FC 

3:00 pm, Sunday 19 February, Valentine Sports Park

Sydney FC host a high-flying Sydney Olympic at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday afternoon.

After a blistering start to the competition in round one with a 4-2 win against Mount Druitt, Sydney FC received a 5-0 battering from Marconi last weekend.

Sydney FC can though look to their outstanding record against reigning premiers in 2022 winning both meetings – scoring six goals in the process.

Jaiden Kucharski proved a real threat for the side across those games scoring braces in both matches and will be keen to add to his solitary goal so far this campaign.

Olympic recorded a 3-1 win against Manly United in round two making them one of only two teams to have won all of their opening fixtures so far.

The side went a goal down, however, Nick Fitzgerald and Roy O’Donovan scored for the second game running while Fabio Ferreira also picked up a goal in a lively 12-minute first-half period.

Coach Labinot Haliti will be hoping his team can overturn last season’s record against Sydney FC and extend their perfect start to the 2023 season to three matches.

The sides face each other on Sunday with contrasting results in the previous round, each with their separate reasons for wanting to pick up the three points on Sunday.

 

Sydney United 58 FC v APIA Leichhardt FC

5:00 pm, Sunday 19 February, Sydney United Sports Centre

Sydney United Sports Centre plays host to a massive clash between NPL NSW powerhouses Sydney United 58 and APIA Leichhardt on Sunday.

United were on the right end of a five-goal thriller against Mount Druitt last Friday night courtesy of Christopher Payne’s last-minute winner in a 3-2 victory while Tariq Maia and Patrick Antelmi also scored.

Miro Vlastelica’s team have now won both of their opening matches, but it will be no mean feat making it three in a row against APIA.

APIA secured their first win of the season last weekend battering Rockdale Ilinden 6-0 in the standout result of the weekend.

Jason Romero was the star of the team bagging a four-goal hall, while Jack Armson and Michael Kouta found the net as well.

These teams provided plenty of entertainment last season with a 2-2 draw in round 11 and a 3-1 win for Sydney United in round 22.

United’s Payne grabbed a goal in each of the 2022 meetings and he’ll be keen to have another defining impact in this one.

They’ve had positive starts to 2023, but a win here would really signal an intention to challenge at the top for this season.

 

Blacktown City FC v NWS Spirit FC

5:00 pm, Sunday 19 February, Landen Stadium

NWS Spirit will travel away for the first time in the NPL NSW facing Blacktown City at Landen Park on Sunday.

Blacktown City earned their first win of the season with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in round two.

There was lots of character on display from City coming from behind to win as well as seeing defender Grant Lynch sent off for the final part of the match.

Talisman Travis Major netted a brace including a penalty in the final four minutes to seal the points for his side.

The Blacktown backline will need to be shuffled this weekend as Lynch’s red card means he will be unavailable for selection.

Spirit held on for a point against St George City last Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Luiz Lobo and Jared Lum getting off the mark for this campaign with goals.

Coach David Perkovic will be looking for a better performance from the side this time around but taking on the reigning champions is a big test for the newly promoted outfit.

Both sides come into this game with unbeaten records in the division and will be eager to maintain their positive form in 2023.

 

Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC v Bulls FC Academy

7:45 pm, Monday 20 February, Sydney United Sports Centre

Mount Druitt Town Rangers and Bulls FC Academy will be seeking to earn their first set of three points of the campaign on Monday night at Sydney United Sports Centre.

The teams each picked up a win in their 2022 meetings, with the Rangers getting up 4-2 in round seven before the Bulls edged out a 1-0 victory later in the season.

Rangers’ hearts were broken last Friday night with a late Sydney United 58 goal condemning the side to a 3-2 defeat.

They will also be without Stefan Nikolic, who received a red card following two cautionable offences against United.

Nikolic came off the bench to bag the goal that gave Stewart Montgomery’s team the lead in the second half before being given his marching orders a few minutes later.

The Bulls were involved in a similarly frustrating fixture last Saturday, having to settle for a point against Central Coast Mariners in a 1-1.

After restoring parity following a half-time deficit, they threw everything at the Mariners to find a winner in the latter stages of the second half, but it wouldn’t fall for Zeljko Kalac’s team.

Winger Sunday Yona provided lots of excitement on the weekend with his pace and directness, causing problems for Central Coast throughout the match.

Attacker Mason Wells scored his first of the season to equalise for the Bulls and could’ve had more if it wasn’t for the shot-stopping of Patrick Beach in the Mariners’ goal.

There’s ample motivation for these sides heading into this one after each copping cruel round two results; they’ll be keen to put it right this time around.

Preview by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_