Round 23 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
Round 23 is set to feature some substantial clashes as the end of the regular season begins to creep into play.
Manly United FC vs Hills United FC
7:30pm, Friday 5 July, Cromer Park
Manly United FC will take on Hills United FC to open the weekend of action in Round 23.
The home side for this match suffered defeat in their last match, with another Peter Kekeris penalty not enough to defeat Sydney Olympic FC.
They will be taking on Hills United, who will be looking to bounce back from four straight defeats and confirm their place outside the bottom two for another week – they are currently third-last just on goal difference.
However, with major signing Dimi Petratos registering minutes in their 5-0 loss to Rockdale Ilinden last weekend, he, along with brother Yerasimakis, will be looking to inspire Hills United to victory, with the eventual aim of avoiding relegation from the NPL Men’s NSW competition.
NWS Spirit FC vs Rockdale Ilinden FC
5:30pm, Saturday 6 July, Christie Park
NWS Spirit will host league leaders Rockdale Ilinden in the first of three Saturday night games.
Spirit is coming off the back of losses to Sutherland Sharks and the Central Coast Mariners, and will be looking to pose an upset against Premiership favourites Rockdale Ilinden this weekend.
Rockdale has swiftly bounced back from their third loss of the season with a 2-1 victory against rivals Blacktown City complimented by a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Hills United, and has now ten of their last 11 NPL NSW Men’s matches – a staggering record.
With his hat trick last weekend, Rockdale captain Alec Urosevski has now scored an astonishing 25 goals in 22 matches this season, having netted nine in his last five games.
Rockdale will be aiming to breeze past Spirit this weekend and continue their domination on the league ladder but may face some exciting competition at Christie Park with the home side very much capable of an upset.
St George FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC
7:00pm, Saturday 6 July, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
St George FC will take on Western Sydney Wanderers in an exciting battle to continue the Saturday action at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
The Wanderers will be looking to bounce back from five straight defeats, and with their points deduction this week, this match will be vital as they look to push towards a top-six place.
St George, meanwhile, have drawn just once in their last five games, losing the remaining four, making this a matchup between the two most out-of-form sides in the league.
Nevertheless, it will be a thrilling game, featuring plenty of young talent and exciting football, as two progressive sides aim to finish their seasons with a bang.
St George City FA vs Sydney FC
7:15pm, Saturday 6 July, Penshurst Park
St George City FA will come up against Sydney FC in an exciting conclusion to Saturday’s fixtures at Penshurst Park.
The home side of this match will require a win as they look to finally crack their way into the top six this round, with dropped points from Wollongong Wolves or a loss from Blacktown City enough to get them into finals qualification.
While there will still be six rounds to go after this match, with the battle for a finals position growing more and more intense each week, every point counts.
The same can be said for Sydney FC, currently second bottom on the ladder, but level on points with both Sutherland Sharks and Hills United.
With the Mariners also only three points behind in the lone automatic relegation spot, the Sky Blues will be searching for a point or more in this exciting fixture as they continue to fight for their sport in the NPL Men’s NSW competition.
Sydney United 58 FC vs Blacktown City FC
3:00pm, Sunday 7 July, Sydney United Sports Centre
NPL Men’s NSW heavyweights Sydney United 58 and Blacktown City will face off in the heated battle for a finals place.
United 58 are currently in fourth on the ladder, two points clear of Blacktown City, who are in turn two points clear of St George FA in seventh.
With a win in this match-up, Blacktown would overtake United 58 on the ladder, while putting their opponents in a precarious position as they enter a tricky run of fixtures, facing all top six sides over the next five matches.
With the likes of Shunta Nakamura and Mario Shabow looking to run the show, and a plethora of exciting, attacking talent supporting, this will be a highly fitting match with the perfect balance of quality and tension.
Wollongong Wolves FC vs Sydney Olympic FC
3:00pm, Sunday 7 July, WIN Stadium
Wollongong Wolves will take on Sydney Olympic in another Sunday 3pm fixture as two of the most in-form sides in the league battle at WIN Stadium.
Wollongong is the only side in the NPL Men’s NSW competition to go unbeaten in their last five games, with four wins and one draw making for impressive reading as they push to retain their top-six spot.
However, they won’t have it easy this weekend, with Sydney Olympic having won three and drawn one of their previous four games, with their last defeat coming to St George FA in Round 17.
Irish talisman Roy O’Donovan has been in fine form for Olympic, registering four goals across his last five games, and will be aiming to be the difference maker again on Sunday when facing the Wolves.
Central Coast Mariners FC vs Marconi Stallions FC
3:00pm, Sunday 7 July, Pluim Park
Fresh off the back of a crucial win over NWS Spirit, the Central Coast Mariners will face off against Marconi Stallions at Pluim Park.
Marconi Stallions are in impressive form, bouncing back from a disappointing draw against Sutherland Sharks with a strong 4-0 victory over Sydney FC, featuring goals from James Temelkovski, Franco Maya, Cameron Windust and Yuki Kitano.
The away side for this game will be aiming to retain their second place in the ladder, although APIA could overtake them with positive results in their two matches across the week.
The Mariners, meanwhile, will be searching for any points they can find in their quest to escape automatic relegation, with the necessary three points for this side making it an exhilarating fixture.
APIA Leichhardt FC vs Sutherland Sharks FC
5:30pm, Sunday 7 July, Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt will take on the Sutherland Sharks in an exciting conclusion to Round 23 at Lambert Park in this week’s Match of the Round.
APIA will be searching for another positive result against the Sutherland Sharks, who will be a difficult opponent considering their situation on the ladder.
The Sharks are one of three teams level on 18 points at the wrong end of the table, and with potential results elsewhere, they could slip down the ladder if they fail to pick up points in this match.
However, they will be taking on a motivated APIA, who will be looking to chase down the substantial gap between them and Rockdale with three more points on Sunday afternoon.
The last time the two sides met, APIA prevailed in a stunning 7-0 victory.
They will be looking for a similar scoreline at Lambert Park, while the Sharks will be hoping to gain back some pride with a shock result at the end of Round 23.
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2024 Golden Boot Tally
25 – Alec Urosevski (Rockdale Ilinden)
16 – Jak O’Brien (Blacktown City)
15 – Ben Gibson (APIA)
13 – James Temelkovski (Marconi)
13 – Nathanael Blair (WSW) *Now transferred to Perth Glory.
12 – Marko Jesic (Marconi)
12 – Roy O’Donovan (Sydney Olympic)
11 – Takumi Ofuka (Wollongong Wolves)
10 – Luka Smyth (CCM)
10 – Patrick Antelmi (Sydney United 58)
By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
