Round 15 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
With just one round left before hitting the halfway stage of the NPL Men’s NSW competition, each match is becoming increasingly more exciting and meaningful.
Sydney FC vs Sydney Olympic FC
7:30pm, Friday 17 May, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Sydney FC will open round 15 when taking on Sydney Olympic in an important match at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
The Sky Blues have been struggling for form in recent weeks and will be searching for their first win since round five when taking on Olympic this Friday night, who are winless in three matches.
Sydney Olympic are currently 11 points off finals and will be desperate for a win in this match to make up the substantial gap and push towards the top six.
Olympic will be relying on their quality experience for this match with the likes of Roy O’Donovan and Adam Parkhouse as well as the rising form of Michael Vakis, while Sydney FC will be turning towards their exciting youth – namely Mitch Glasson and Tiago Quintal, as both sides look to fight for a much-needed three points.
Coach Jimmy Van Weeren may have a couple of senior youth players at his disposal from the first team with Jaiden Kucharski potentially to add more spark up-front but Olympic know how important this match as they hope to get back to winning ways with such a talented team at its fingertips.
Central Coast Mariners FC vs Rockdale Ilinden FC
8:00pm, Friday 17 May, Pluim Park
The Central Coast Mariners will face off against Premiership title hunters Rockdale Ilinden as they search for a route off the bottom of the ladder.
The Mariners picked up the most crucial of three points two weeks ago against Sutherland Sharks but followed that up with a 5-1 loss to the Wollongong Wolves.
With the likes of left-back Giorgio Speranza and star striker Alec Urosevski in scintillating form leading the Golden Boot tally with 15 goals, Rockdale will be a difficult outfit to stop, particularly considering their motivation, knowing that a win could see them go top at the halfway point of the season. Brendan Cholakian along with Lochie Constable have also been in good form as has Mathieu Cordier.
The Mariners will rely on the boot of its top scorer Luka Smyth if they have any chance of taking something from this clash.
An early goal for the visitors however and it may be a long evening for the young Mariners troops.
NWS Spirit FC vs APIA Leichhardt FC
5:30pm, Saturday 18 May, Christie Park
NWS Spirit will be taking on APIA Leichhardt in the first of six exciting Saturday fixtures.
In their last league match, Spirit picked up an important 1-0 win over Wollongong at home, propelling them away from relegation contention for the time being.
However, they will face the toughest of challenges to build on that victory with another three points, as they take on a flying APIA Leichhardt side who have won their last four matches in a row.
APIA’s all-round quality could prove too much for Spirit, with striker Ben Gibson in particularly good form, and this will be an intense, exciting match at Christie Park.
Hills United FC vs Blacktown City FC
7:00pm, Saturday 18 May, Landen Stadium
Hills United will take on Blacktown City in what is set to be an exhilarating derby clash at Landen Stadium on Saturday night.
Hills United put up a strong defensive performance against reigning Premiers APIA last weekend, and will need to demonstrate a similar level of effort and organisation to challenge Blacktown this weekend.
Blacktown have moved up the ladder into fourth place after a clinical victory over the Marconi Stallions last weekend – by a 3-0 scoreline – and will be looking to build on their strong form heading into this fixture.
With the likes of Mitch Mallia and Joey Gibbs spearheading the attack, Blacktown’s quality could see them through this tricky fixture and allow them to continue the pressure on the top of the table.
St George FC vs Sutherland Sharks FC
7:00pm, Saturday 18 May, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
St George FC will face off against Sutherland Sharks in one of three Saturday 7pm matches for round 15.
St George FC were given an unintentional break last weekend after having their match against the Central Coast Mariners postponed due to rain and are currently sitting pretty in 10th on the ladder with a game in hand.
A win in this fixture could see them – with other results going their way – push up to ninth on the ladder and just a point off eighth in what’s been a fantastic beginning to their NPL Men’s NSW campaign after promotion last year.
However, they will be coming up against a motivated Sutherland Sharks side this weekend, who after an impressive draw with St George City will know that a win will keep them away from the relegation battle for the time being.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Marconi Stallions FC
7:00pm, Saturday 18 May, Wanderers Football Park
The Western Sydney Wanderers will face another tough test this weekend as they look to retain their lead on the top of the ladder when facing Marconi Stallions on Saturday night.
The Wanderers bounced back from two defeats in a row with a stunningly dramatic 3-2 win over Sydney Olympic last weekend, in which a last gasp Nathanael Blair freekick kept them in the lead for the Premiership.
Aydan Hammond has been a great asset to the club this season as has Alex Badolato so expect them to feature prominently in this clash.
The Wanderers have been given an early boost for this upcoming fixture with star striker James Temelkovski and important defender Nathan Millgate both suspended after picking up red cards in Marconi’s recent 3-0 loss to Blacktown, but with the Stallions desperate to rebound and remain in the hunt for top spot, this will be anything but an easy clash. It will be a backs against the wall match for Marconi but it is that type of motivation that the club thrives on which the young Wanderers need to be weary of.
If Marconi are to win, they would move within two points of the Wanderers, while also likely gifting Rockdale or APIA top spot, while a victory for the home side would see an eight-point gap emerge between the Stallions and the summit of the ladder.
This match is one that will undoubtedly have major repercussions on the final structure of the table come the end of the season, making it a thoroughly exciting Saturday night fixture.
Manly United FC vs Wollongong Wolves FC
7:15pm, Saturday 18 May, Cromer Park
Manly United will take on the Wollongong Wolves in an interesting mid-table clash in one of two slightly later Saturday night matches.
Labelled the distance derby of the competition, Cromer Park has been a tough place to grab results for opposing teams.
Manly have been in strong form over the last few games, losing just twice in their last five, and most recently holding the high-flying Sydney United 58 to a draw.
Wollongong, on the other hand, have gone through a similar vein of results, but will be searching for a return to their form at the start of the season which saw them pick up just one loss in their first six games.
With goalscoring defender Banri Kanaizumi on their side, they could prove too much for Manly as they continue to try mount a bid for finals football.
St George City FA vs Sydney United 58 FC
7:15pm, Saturday 18 May, Penshurst Park
St George City will face off against Sydney United 58 in a highly exciting joint-conclusion to the first half of the 2024 NPL Men’s NSW season.
St George are currently three points off the top six, and are coming into this match in good form, losing just one of their previous five meetings, after a productive 10 days of football saw them pick up seven points from an available nine.
However, they will be haunted by their recent disappointing draw to Sutherland, and will be looking to respond by knocking off one of the most in-form sides in the league in United 58, who are unbeaten in their last five matches, picking up four wins from five.
A victory for St George would see them go level on points with United 58, who themselves will be searching for a win to extend the gap between the two sides to six points.
Penshurst Park will host an exhilarating match in the race for finals football, as two intense, quality sides battle it out for an important three points.
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2024 Golden Boot Tally
15 – Alec Urosevski (Rockdale Ilinden)
13 – Nathanael Blair (WSW)
12 – Ben Gibson (APIA)
11 – Jak O’Brien (Blacktown City)
10 – Luka Smyth (CCM)
9 – Takumi Ofuka (Wollongong Wolves)
8 – Roy O’Donovan (Sydney Olympic)
7 – Patrick Antelmi (Sydney United 58)
7 – James Temelkovski (Marconi)
7 – Adam Bugarija (WSW)
7 – Joey Gibbs (Blacktown City)
6 – Shunta Nakamura (Sydney United 58)
6 – Brendan Cholakian (Rockdale Ilinden)
6 – Mitch Mallia (Blacktown City)
By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
