Round 16 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s
The matches were tense in round 15 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s keeping the races at both ends of the table tight.
There are plenty of matches to keep an eye on this weekend in round 16 so here’s what’s coming up.
Bulls FC Academy v NWS Spirit FC
3:00 pm, Saturday 20 May, Sydney United Sports Centre
Bulls FC Academy host NWS Spirit in desperate need of a win to lift off the foot of the table.
The side gave up a two-goal lead against Manly United to go down 3-2 last weekend.
Ali Auglah starred for the Academy bagging a double inside the first 20 minutes.
Zeljko Kalac’s team are now five points away from safety and with four defeats in a row, three points this weekend is a must.
Spirit come into this one in slightly better form, edging past Western Sydney Wanderers last Saturday 1-0.
Richard Darko scored the winner for Spirit which was his fifth goal of the season and his first for three matches.
It was a big win for the team that pushed them away from the relegation places and looking towards the middle of the table.
With David Perkovic’s men only three points away from seventh, they’ll be keen to claim the points this weekend and move up the table.
Spirit claimed a 2-0 win in the opening round of this campaign against the Bulls which kick-started an unbeaten run of three games for the team to start the season.
Manly United FC v Blacktown City FC
5:00 pm, Saturday 20 May, Cromer Park
Manly United play Blacktown City at Cromer Park on Saturday eager to build on a vital victory last weekend.
The side came from two goals down to snatch a 3-2 win against Bulls FC Academy lifting them three points clear of the relegation places.
It was Manly’s first win since round nine ending a run of four successive defeats.
Coach Patrick Zwaanswijk will hope this characterful performance can galvanise the group heading into the second half of the season.
Blacktown City gave up two goals in the final ten minutes to go down to Rockdale Ilinden in round fifteen.
Jak O’Brien scored his 11th of the campaign in that one which keeps him in second position on the scoring charts.
City remain in seventh despite the defeat but are now only three points clear of tenth.
Coach Mark Crittenden has some suspensions to deal with ahead of Saturday as well with Nicholas O’Brien and Mario Shabow both sent off deep into injury time last Sunday.
These teams shared the points in a 1-1 draw when they met earlier in the season setting up another close encounter this weekend.
Both the teams need to start picking up some momentum after disappointing first halves of the campaign and a grand final rematch provides a great chance to do this.
APIA Leichhardt FC v Wollongong Wolves FC
5:45 pm, Saturday 20 May, Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt continue their title charge against Wollongong Wolves at Lambert Park on Saturday.
APIA’s first defeat of the season seems a long time ago now with Franco Parisi’s men registering back-to-back wins since.
In round 15, the side edged past St George City 2-1 with Jack Armson bagging a double.
Marconi’s slip-up last weekend means APIA are now six points clear of third place but still only one ahead of Rockdale in second.
Wollongong extended their unbeaten run in the competition to five matches sharing the points in a 0-0 draw with Mount Druitt Town Rangers.
After conceding 22 goals in the opening 10 rounds, the Wolves have conceded just two goals in the five matches since.
However, this run has included only one win seeing David Carney’s team draw ever closer to the relegation places, only five points ahead of fifteenth.
It leaves the Wolves needing to earn some wins in the coming weeks to steer clear of the drop zone.
The side put in a strong showing against APIA in round one finding themselves 2-0 up by halftime but seeing two points slip away to draw 2-2.
Sutherland Sharks FC v Sydney Olympic FC
6:30 pm, Saturday 20 May, Seymour Shaw
Sutherland Sharks take on Sydney Olympic at Seymour Shaw on Saturday in an intriguing clash between two possession-based sides.
The Sharks were held to a 0-0 draw with Sydney FC last weekend seeing the team drop to ninth on the table.
It leaves Sutherland still only three points away from fourth so coach Damir Prodanovic will be eager to keep the pressure on those teams at the top on Saturday.
Olympic secured a vital 1-0 win against Sydney United 58 to keep the reigning premiers in the conversation for the title.
Roy O’Donovan’s ninth goal of the campaign proved to be the winner moving the team back into the top half of the table.
Olympic also won when these sides met in round one getting up 3-0 despite a good performance from the Sharks.
A lot has changed since that clash and Sutherland come into this game with the better form unbeaten in four of their last five.
This match is one to keep an eye on with an assessment of how far these have come in 2023 on the cards.
Marconi Stallions FC v Sydney United 58 FC
7:00 pm, Saturday 20 May, Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions and Sydney United 58 go head-to-head in a key fixture for the teams at the top of the table.
The Stallions suffered another shock loss going down 2-0 to Central Coast Mariners last weekend.
After round 13’s 1-0 defeat to Mount Druitt Town Rangers, a defeat to the Mariners a couple of weeks later has seen the side fall six points behind the summit, but still holding onto third.
United have also had a few blips recently, just last weekend, the side were edged out by Sydney Olympic 1-0.
With only one win in their past five matches, the sides below have drawn closer with Sydney United in fourth, only clear of ninth by three points.
United got the better of Marconi in round one with a late 3-1 victory as two goals in the final seven minutes secured the result.
Leroy Jennings scored a brace in that game but hasn’t scored in the league since, so this game offers the talented attacker a chance to get his season back on track.
Miro Vlastelica’s men won’t want to drop points in this one with Marconi already four points ahead of the side, meaning a defeat would spell trouble for their title ambitions.
This is set to be one of the fixtures of the weekend, with the result having significant implications for the title race.
Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC v Sydney FC
7:00 pm, Saturday 20 May, Popondetta Park
Mount Druitt Town Rangers face Sydney FC at Popondetta Park on Saturday keen to keep their unbeaten run in the competition going.
The Rangers held Wollongong Wolves to a 0-0 draw last Friday night, making it three games unbeaten.
It also continues a strong defensive record recently, with Stewart Montgomery’s team conceding just once in that run.
Tarek Elrich was immense for the team in last weekend’s Wollongong clash at the heart of the Rangers’ backline.
These results have pushed Mount Druitt two points clear of the relegation places and only three points away from tenth.
Sydney FC have conversely struggled in recent weeks winning one of their last five matches and in round 15, they drew 0-0 with Sutherland Sharks.
A chief concern for Jimmy van Weeren’s team is the goalscoring troubles having scored in just two of these five games.
With some tough games for the teams at the top of the table this weekend, the young Sky Blues have a chance to make up some points and rise up the places.
They could go into the top four if results go their way and they win against Mount Druitt this Saturday.
There is plenty on the line for these teams on Saturday night setting up a high-intensity clash.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC v Central Coast Mariners FC
7:00 pm, Saturday 20 May, Wanderers Football Park
Wanderers Football Park plays host to a clash of academy outfits with Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners in action.
Western Sydney lost their 10th game of the campaign following a 1-0 defeat to NWS Spirit.
Andrew Christiansen’s team remain in the relegation places, now two points adrift of safety.
Wanderers performed well against the Mariners in the opening round with three goals in the first 15 minutes guiding the side to their first victory in the NPL NSW Men’s.
Central Coast extended their unbeaten run in the competition to five games picking up another surprise victory over competition hopefuls Marconi Stallions.
Miguel Di Pizio’s brace guided Abbas Saad’s team to another vital three points in their bid to avoid relegation. He will be up against his former club so expect some fireworks.
With three successive victories, the Mariners are one of the form sides of the competition at the moment and will be eager to keep the momentum going this weekend.
They have a chance to move six points clear of the relegation places if they pick up the points against the Wanderers.
It’s a big weekend for these teams in the relegation battle with the result having the potential to change the course of the fight at the bottom.
Rockdale Ilinden FC v St George City FA
3:00 pm, Sunday 21 May, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Rockdale Ilinden face another crucial clash hosting local rivals St George City at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre in the only game on Sunday.
There was late drama for Paul Dee’s men against Blacktown City in round 15 claiming a 2-1 win.
William Mutch scored with three minutes of regular time to play before the ever-reliable Alec Urosevski fired home a 97th-minute penalty to steal the points.
It was a monumental victory for Paul Dee’s troops considering they were down on numbers with several absentees.
The side’s third win in a row sees them still sit only a point behind APIA Leichhardt in first who they face next weekend meaning it is essential they pick up three points this Sunday.
St George City lost their second match on the bounce going down 2-1 to APIA last weekend.
Dean Pelekanos scored for the side in stoppage time, but it proved too little too late as the team fell to their fourth defeat of the season.
It was an exciting match when these teams met in round one with Ilinden edging City out 4-3.
With St George now 10 points away from Rockdale in second, Mirko Jurilj’s team need a victory this weekend to stay in the hunt for the top places.
Preview by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_
