Round 24 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
Round 24 of the NPL Men’s NSW competition is set to be the most important yet, with some major matchups to continue the drama at both ends of the table.
Sydney FC vs Blacktown City FC
7:30pm, Friday 12 July, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
To open Round 24, Sydney FC will take on Blacktown City in an exciting match at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
In their last match, the hosts picked up a vital victory over St George City FA, moving out of a relegation qualification spot thanks to goals from Wataru Kamijo and Mathias Macallister, the latter of which has now scored four goals in his last five games.
However, while upsetting St George City, they will have their work cut out for them against a strong Blacktown City side, who will be coming in with good momentum after ending a three-game winless run with a victory against Sydney United 58.
Travis Major and Mario Shabow – the two goalscorers against United 58 – will once again be crucial this weekend, looking to use their experience against a youthful Sky Blues outfit as they aim to continue consolidating their top six spot for finals.
Sydney Olympic FC vs Central Coast Mariners FC
5:00pm, Saturday 13 July, Nestrata Jubilee Stadium
Sydney Olympic will take on the Central Coast Mariners at Jubilee Stadium in the first of five Saturday fixtures.
Olympic are the joint most in-form side in the league, having picked up four wins and one draw in their last five games, the latter of which being a 2-1 victory over Wollongong Wolves, after a stoppage-time strike from Oliver Puflett secured a dramatic three points at the Wolves’ home ground.
The Mariners will be fresh off a Wednesday night win against APIA, but will come into this match determined to end Olympic’s unbeaten run as they continue what is becoming an increasingly desperate fight to avoid relegation from the NPL Men’s NSW competition.
APIA Leichhardt FC vs Wollongong Wolves FC
5:30pm, Saturday 13 July, Lambert Park
Operating at Lambert Park for the third time in six days, APIA Leichhardt will face off against Wollongong Wolves FC in an exciting top-six clash.
With another three points necessary for APIA, their frontline, featuring the likes of Jack Armson, Jack Stewart, Rory Jordan and more will be fired up and ready for a strong attacking performance, but goals may not come easy against a resilient Wolves side.
Wollongong will be searching for a rebound to their loss to Olympic, which brought a six-game unbeaten run to an end, and with St George City on the same points in seventh place, the Wolves will know their top-six spot could be on the line at Lambert Park this weekend.
Marconi Stallions FC vs St George City FA
7:00pm, Saturday 13 July, Marconi Stadium
The high-flying Marconi Stallions will come up against St George City in another exciting high-quality clash on Saturday night.
Marconi is unbeaten in five matches, having registered four victories and one tie, and with 11 points between them and sixth-placed Wollongong, they look a certainty to feature in the finals campaign.
St George, meanwhile, could secure a major victory here in their bid for a top-six spot, and will be requiring a rebound after a disappointing defeat to Sydney FC last weekend.
This is set to be an exciting, intense match, as two of the most exciting sides in the league go head-to-head in Round 24.
Hills United FC vs Sutherland Sharks FC
7:00pm, Saturday 13 July, Landen Stadium
Hills United will take on Sutherland Sharks in one of the most exciting fixtures of the round, as two relegation sides battle it out at Landen Stadium on Saturday night.
The home side for this match picked up a vital win in Round 23, ending a run of four straight defeats with a 2-0 win over Manly United thanks to a brace from Yu Okubo.
They are currently in 13th, just three points clear of Sutherland Sharks who are second bottom, in the relegation playoff spot.
Sutherland put up a strong performance against APIA Leichhardt last weekend, but couldn’t stop a second-half resurgence from the reigning Champions, with the Sharks now having lost their last two games.
Both sides will know and respect the importance of this match, and it will be fans who reap the benefits, with an intense, fiery, exciting match set to take place at Landen Stadium.
St George FC vs NWS Spirit FC
7:00pm, Saturday 13 July, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
St George FC will face off against NWS Spirit FC in what is likely to be a closely fought battle between two exciting sides.
The hosts picked up an important draw against the Western Sydney Wanderers in their last match to stay clear of any relegation battle, with Steve Karavatakis making a good start to life as St George’s head coach.
However, they haven’t tasted victory in nine games and will be searching for success here against NWS Spirit, who have two of their own in the last five matches.
In their last match, Spirit suffered a devastating defeat to league leaders Rockdale Ilinden, after two red cards hindered a 1-0 lead, and an 89th-minute goal saw them suffer defeat.
With both sides aiming to prove a point this weekend, this will be an entertaining, interesting matchup.
Rockdale Ilinden FC vs Sydney United 58 FC
3:00pm, Sunday 14 July, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
In the third and final NPL Men’s NSW match of the weekend at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre, Rockdale will take on Sydney United 58 in what is set to be a blistering game of football.
Rockdale will have one simple goal; another three points to maintain their strong lead at the top of the ladder, while Sydney United 58 will be looking to play the spoiler role and, in turn, continue to solidify their top-six spot.
With finals looming, both sides will want to find confidence in beating a fellow contender, but Rockdale, led by the ever-present Alec Urosevski, has more pressing goals, knowing that this could be a major three points in their Premiership ambitions.
Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Manly United FC
3:00pm, Sunday 14 July, Wanderers Football Park
The Western Sydney Wanderers will take on Manly United in the joint conclusion to Round 24, knowing that three points are vital for their finals hopes in 2024.
The Wanderers brought a losing streak of five games to an end last week with a 2-2 draw against St George FC, thanks to goals from Ryley Hollingdale and Dallo Sandy, but will be searching for their first win in six games on Sunday afternoon, with Western Sydney currently four points off a top-six spot.
Their opponents, Manly United, have just one win in their last five games and will be looking to return to winning ways after disappointing defeats to Sydney Olympic and Hills United in their last two games.
With the Wanderers having more to play for – Manly are all but safe from relegation and are too far off to be in finals contention – they will be the team to watch, but their opponents will be looking to cause trouble in Western Sydney with a result at Wanderers Football Park.
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2024 Golden Boot Tally
26 – Alec Urosevski (Rockdale Ilinden)
16 – Jak O’Brien (Blacktown City)
15 – Ben Gibson (APIA)
15 – Roy O’Donovan (Sydney Olympic)
13 – Nathanael Blair (WSW) *Now transferred to Perth Glory.
13 – James Temelkovski (Marconi)
11 – Takumi Ofuka (Wollongong Wolves)
11 – Marko Jesic (Marconi)
10 – Luka Smyth (CCM)
10 – Patrick Antelmi (Sydney United 58)
By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
