Round 15 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s
There were some stunning results in round 14 as the teams continue to jostle for a better position heading into the halfway mark of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s.
In round 15 there are some intriguing fixtures and a chance for a few upsets.
Here’s what’s coming up.
Wollongong Wolves FC v Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC
7:30 pm, Friday 12 May, WIN Stadium
Wollongong play their second home match in a row taking on Mount Druitt Town Rangers on Friday night at WIN Stadium.
The Wolves were left frustrated by a 0-0 stalemate with Blacktown City in round 14, creating numerous chances without finding the back of the net.
While it was another strong performance against a top side, David Carney’s men remain in the middle of the table closer to last than they are first.
Mount Druitt continued their resurgence in the competition, edging past Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 last weekend.
Defender Nikola Djordjevic scored his second goal of the season before Kotaro Katsuta also found the net to give the side a halftime lead that they held onto.
With two victories on the bounce, Stewart Montgomery’s team have surged up the table now four points clear of last and only three away from Wollongong.
Both teams claimed a win in 2022 with Wollongong securing a 3-0 scoreline in round eight before the Rangers got up 4-3 later in the season.
Mount Druitt are in fantastic form at the moment and if they get three points against Wollongong on Friday night it will be another significant moment in their season.
NWS Spirit FC v Western Sydney Wanderers FC
5:30 pm, Saturday 13 May, Christie Park
NWS Spirit and Western Sydney Wanderers face off on Saturday with both teams desperate to get back to winning ways.
Spirit were blown away by a ruthless APIA Leichhardt outfit going down 5-0 in round 14.
With only one win in their past five matches, David Perkovic’s team are now only two points away from the relegation places.
It’s been a tough run for the side in recent weeks though, facing five of the current top six since round ten.
With Spirit just two points ahead of the Wanderers in the relegation qualification place, this would be a crucial win if they could get it.
After two massive victories in a row for Western Sydney, the side went down narrowly against Mount Druitt Town Rangers 2-1.
Marcus Younis scored for the side in that clash, which was the exciting winger’s third of the campaign.
The Wanderers have a three-point buffer between themselves and last place and with a lot of the other relegation teams facing off, a win could push them away from the bottom.
It’s a big game for the teams this weekend with a lot on the line, making it an interesting contest.
Sutherland Sharks FC v Sydney FC
6:30 pm, Saturday 13 May, Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks play host to Sydney FC at Seymour Shaw on Saturday night in a high-stakes clash.
Sutherland snatched a monumental victory 2-1 over Bulls FC Academy to continue their assault up the table last weekend.
Jesse Photi’s opening goal was cancelled out by halftime as the Sharks went into the break level before substitute Connor Rose scored the winner in the final two minutes.
Four wins in the last five games sees Sutherland in touch with the top of the competition and they have a chance to move into the top six with a victory.
Sydney FC continued their poor run in the NPL NSW Men’s with a 4-2 loss to Rockdale Ilinden last Sunday.
The young Sky Blues were 3-0 down by early in the first half, but Clayton Taylor’s brace in what remained added some respectability to the scoreline.
Taylor has been one of the standouts for Jimmy van Weeren’s team in 2023 scoring six goals so far including three in his last three.
Despite three defeats in their past five games, FC have stayed in the top six, but losing to the Sharks on Saturday would haul them back into the middle of the table.
St George City FA v APIA Leichhardt FC
7:00 pm, Saturday 13 May, Penshurst Park
St George City take on APIA Leichhardt on Saturday at Penshurst Park in a must-watch encounter.
St George lost their first match since round six with a late 1-0 defeat to Sydney United 58.
The result dropped the side to fifth on the table, now eight points away from APIA meaning a win this weekend is essential if they want to keep pace with the top.
APIA responded in the best possible way to their first defeat of the year smashing NWS Spirit 5-0 last Saturday.
Sean Symons’ hat-trick headlined the act for Franco Parisi’s men while Jack Stewart and Rory Jordan also scored.
Symons’ performance continues a rich vein of form with all eight of his goals coming in the past five matches in all competitions.
The emphatic victory ensures the team remain at the summit heading into this weekend, while also boasting the best scoring record out of any team in the NPL NSW Men’s.
With APIA only a point ahead of Rockdale Ilinden in second and three points ahead of Marconi in third, they’ll likely need another win on Saturday to stay top.
There is a lot to play for on Saturday as these teams look to remain in the conversation for the title.
Manly United FC v Bulls FC Academy
7:15 pm, Saturday 13 May, Cromer Park
Manly United take on Bulls FC Academy in yet another crucial match in their bid to get away from the relegation places.
United only played half of their match against Central Coast Mariners in round 14 consequent of a horror injury to young talent Max Martinello.
A date is yet to be determined for when they will play the second half with the match set to restart with scores locked at 0-0.
It leaves Patrick Zwaanswijk’s team only clear of the relegation places on goal difference making it essential they win against the last-placed Bulls.
Manly can look to their results against the Academy last season for confidence with two convincing 3-0 victories.
The Academy lost their third match in a row courtesy of a heartbreaking late goal against Sutherland Sharks.
Rhys Youlley continued to show his quality though, with the talented attacker getting on the scoresheet for the Bulls.
Still just three points away from safety, a win against another side at the bottom would be huge for Zeljko Kalac’s team.
This is a vital game in the relegation battle, and it will be a massive three points if there is a victor.
Sydney United 58 FC v Sydney Olympic FC
3:00 pm, Sunday 14 May, Sydney United Sports Centre
Sydney United Sports Centre hosts a clash of NPL NSW Men’s giants as Sydney United 58 and Sydney Olympic go head-to-head on Sunday.
United edged out an important victory against St George City in round 14 getting up 1-0.
Patrick Antelmi fired home a stoppage-time winner to re-established Miro Vlastelica’s team’s credentials as a title challenger.
The side moved up to fourth with the win and ended a three-game winless run but stayed seven points behind the top of the table.
Olympic suffered yet more disappointment in the 2023 NPL NSW Men’s losing 4-2 to Marconi Stallions over the weekend.
Labinot Haliti’s team hit the front within 10 minutes but were unable to hold off a resurgent Marconi team.
The star-stuttered squad need to start picking up wins if they are to be a chance for the title as they are currently 13 points away from APIA in first.
Olympic haven’t won since round nine and have conceded twelve goals in those five matches.
This match shapes up as one of the utmost importance for Olympic who cannot afford to lose again on Sunday.
Blacktown City FC v Rockdale Ilinden FC
3:00 pm, Sunday 14 May, Landen Stadium
Blacktown City face Rockdale Ilinden at Landen Stadium looking to build some form in the competition.
Mark Crittenden’s troops played out a 0-0 draw with Wollongong Wolves last weekend which made it only one win in their last five matches.
Blacktown stayed in seventh on the table and have a chance to move into the top four if they win against Rockdale and other results go their way.
With Blacktown now 10 points away from the top of the table, a win against one of the frontrunners is a must if they are to keep pace.
Rockdale made it back-to-back wins with a convincing 4-2 victory against Sydney FC.
Alec Urosevski and Jaden Casella continued to show their goalscoring value with Loic Puyo, who played his final game for the club, and Nikola Ujdur also finding the net.
They remain only a point behind league leaders APIA Leichhardt and will be eager to keep the pressure up with another three points on Sunday.
Ilinden have scored the third most goals in the competition so far but will need to rectify last season’s troubles in front of goal against Blacktown.
Rockdale failed to score in either of their matches against City with the reigning champions claiming the win on both occasions.
Central Coast Mariners FC v Marconi Stallions FC
3:00 pm, Sunday 14 May, Pluim Park
Central Coast Mariners host Marconi Stallions at Pluim Park with a chance to knock off another of the competition’s top teams.
Marconi were on the right end of a six-goal thriller downing Sydney Olympic 4-2.
It was a big win for the Stallions with Domenic Costanzo, Kyle Cimenti and Christopher Hatfield all scoring in a strong showing from the title hopefuls.
The result was a good response to the side’s shock round 13 defeat to Mount Druitt Town Rangers and keeps them only three points away from the summit.
With the two teams above them facing other teams in the top half of the table, Sunday’s match could be the chance to make up some valuable points.
The Mariners only got to halftime in their game against Manly United, so they still have the chance to jump up a few places if they claim victory when the game is finished.
Central Coast will be keen to maintain their momentum from the last few weeks and earn another upset victory having defeated Rockdale Ilinden and Sydney United 58 recently.
Marconi will be expected to win this one, but Central Coast have proven they can stun the competition’s favourites.
Preview by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
