Round 14 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
The Premiership title race is heating up in the 2024 NPL Men’s NSW season after an exhilarating Round 13 last weekend.
Let’s check out what this weekend has in store for the hottest NPL Men’s competition in Australia.
Manly United FC vs Sydney United 58 FC
7:30pm, Friday 10 May, Cromer Park
Manly United FC will open the weekend in an exciting match against Sydney United 58.
Manly suffered a 3-1 loss to St George FA last weekend to end a two match winning streak, which saw them push up to the ladder in 11th place.
A win here will be looking to stay in touch with the top 10, with 10th placed St George FC four points ahead.
Sydney United 58, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a major win over the Western Sydney Wanderers, condemning the league leaders to just their third defeat of the season.
United 58 are now four points off top spot, and will be looking to brush off Manly and continue their charge up the ladder. They’ve been one of the most in-form sides of the league and will be hard to stop as Zeljko Kalac’s men push for a crack at the title. One big omission will be their club captain Adrian Vlastelica who was given his marching orders against the Wanderers but expect the likes of Patrick Antelmi, Carlos De Oliveira and Shunta Nakamura to step up.
Central Coast Mariners FC vs St George FC
5:00pm, Saturday 11 May, Pluim Park
The Central Coast Mariners will be desperately searching for a win when taking on St George FC in a crunch match at Pluim Park this weekend.
The Mariners remain at the bottom of the ladder following a 5-1 loss to the Wollongong Wolves last weekend, with just two points separating the current bottom four. A win here will be vital for their chances in starving off relegation to the next tier down.
St George FC have managed to skillfully avoid recent relegation contention with some stunning recent form, which has seen them lose just once in their last five, winning three and drawing the remaining game.
They will be riding high after a dramatic win over Sydney Olympic to open their new ground – Barton Park – for the first time, but the Mariners will have the extra motivation coming in as the more desperate of the two sides.
One player that has been a constant threat for the hosts has been ace marksman Luka Smyth. Sitting on 10 goals for the year, his presence up-front will be something to watch out for while for the Saints expect more combination play from captain Troy Danaskos and cousin Evangelo Souris who scored the match winner against Olympic last week.
NWS Spirit FC vs Wollongong Wolves FC
5:30pm, Saturday 11 May, Christie Park
After falling into the current relegation battle, NWS Spirit will be hoping for an important three points in a tough match against Wollongong Wolves on Saturday evening.
Spirit have struggled to find form all season, and have suffered four losses in their last five games.
Currently in 13th, but just two points from the bottom, they will be hoping for a change in fortune when facing a Wollongong Wolves side who will be riding high over their recent 5-1 win over the Mariners this weekend.
With the Wolves hungry to chase down the gap towards finals, and Spirit desperate for points to move clear of the relegation battle, this will be a dramatic, exciting affair at Christie Park.
The Wolves will be aided by their goalscoring defender in Japanese ace Banri Kanaizumi who has been in red-hot for this year.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Sydney Olympic FC
7:00pm, Saturday 11 May, Wanderers Football Park
The Western Sydney Wanderers will be looking to rebound after back to back defeats when facing Sydney Olympic this weekend.
The Wanderers have created a highly exciting title battle with their two defeats in a row, with Western Sydney just one point ahead of Rockdale Illinden now.
In fact, only five points currently separates the entire top six, and with that in mind, the Wanderers will be determined to return to winning ways this weekend.
Sydney Olympic have endured mixed form in recent weeks, and after being defeated by St George FC last weekend, will be looking to spoil the Wanderers’ lead at top of the table.
It’s been that story for the Blues who on paper have one of the strongest outfits in the league but have fallen short on a number of occasions which coach Labinot Haliti hopes won’t be the same against the league leaders.
Hills United FC vs APIA Leichhardt FC
7:00pm, Saturday 11 May, Landen Stadium
Hills United will face off against APIA Leichhardt in an exciting match at Landen Stadium on Saturday night.
After beating St George FA 2-0 in the weekend prior, Hills United suffered a 4-0 defeat to Marconi Stallions last round.
A 40th minute red card to Yu Okubo, who will be subsequently suspended for this clash, gave the Hills little chance, with Marconi clinically putting four past them following the send-off.
APIA Leichhardt, meanwhile continued on their recent excellent form with a strong 7-1 victory over Sydney FC.
With the reigning Champions just two points off the top of the table, they will be motivated to continue their winning streak and resume their pressure on the Wanderers in first.
Rory Jordan and Ben Gibson have been in outstanding form and will want to do their part in extending their goalscoring tally for the year against Hills.
St George City FA vs Sutherland Sharks FC
7:15pm, Saturday 11 May, Penshurst Park
St George City FA will be looking for three victories in a row when taking on the Sutherland Sharks this weekend after an important week of football.
The home side for this match picked up six points across two matches – one last Wednesday against Sydney FC and then on the weekend against Manly United – to put the pressure on the top six.
Tarek Ercan has been an unsung hero these past few weeks for City and his presence will be something that will ensure Mirko Jurilj’s men secure the three points.
The Sharks need to pick up points desperately as they continue to linger in relegation mode.
St George are now currently two points off finals football, and with the Sutherland Sharks winless in four, will be confident of continuing their form with another integral positive result this Saturday night.
Blacktown City FC vs Marconi Stallions FC
3:00pm, Sunday 12 May, Landen Stadium
In a highly exciting matchup, two of the top six will face off at Landen Stadium as Blacktown City take on the Marconi Stallions on Sunday afternoon.
Marconi and Blacktown currently sit in 4th and 6th respectively, with the away side for this match on 28 points and the home team on 25.
With the sides on the same goal difference, a win for Blacktown would see them jump just ahead of Marconi on the ladder, while a victory for Marconi would allow them to move six points clear of their rivals
Both teams are on three wins from their last five game, with the only difference in form being Blacktown’s one draw and one defeat opposed to Marconi’s two losses.
With the top six separated by just five points, this will be a vital match in the final outcome of the ladder, as Marconi look to continue their momentum and stay within reach of the top of the ladder, and Blacktown look to avoid being leapfrogged by St George and put pressure of their own on the Wanderers.
This is a must-watch clash, either at Landen Stadium or live on Football NSW’s YouTube Channel.
Mitch Mallia will take on his former club and will want to steady the ship for the hosts up-front while the Stallions will rely heavily on the goal scoring feats of James Temelkovski.
Rockdale Illinden FC vs Sydney FC
3:00pm, Sunday 12 May, Rockdale Illinden Sports Centre
Rockdale Illinden will take on an out-of-form Sydney FC as they continue their push for the NPL Men’s NSW Premiership.
Rockdale has won four of their last five matches, with a sole loss coming to APIA Leichhardt. They will see this as a must win to ensure they continue to pile pressure on current league leaders the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Mathieu Cordier has been on fire of late and will be one to keep an eye on as well as the usual suspects Alec Urosevski and Brendan Cholakian.
Sydney FC, on the other hand, haven’t won a game since early March, with this fixture being over two months since their last victory.
Consequently, Sydney has slipped into second-bottom on the ladder and will be looking for an unlikely win to take them out of the relegation play-off place.
However, Rockdale will come into this match as heavy favourites and will be aiming to breeze past Sydney FC and continue their hunt for the top spot, with the Wanderers now just one point ahead.
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By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
