It has been a breakout year for Blacktown City FC’s up-and-coming defender Lachlan Campbell.

The 20-year-old has burst onto the scene within a youthful Blacktown outfit, having impressed with a consistent run of performances since making his debut back in Round 9.

Plying his trade primarily as a centreback, the young defender been a key figure in Blacktown’s recent success.

After a rocky start, the Western Sydney club have only suffered a single defeat in ten rounds since Campbell was first introduced to their starting eleven, and now find themselves sat comfortably in third position heading into the business end of the campaign.

Campbell arrived at the club in 2018, having spent his formative seasons at Castle Hill United and Hills Brumbies before captaining the FNSW Institute’s U16 side in 2015 and experiencing two seasons within the Western Sydney Wanderers Academy.

Upon moving on from the Wanderers, he was excited by the prospect of linking up with the 2016 National Premier Leagues NSW Champions.

“John Carnevale contacted me towards the end of the (2017) season and set up a meeting with himself and Critto (Mark Crittenden),” Campbell recalled.

“Straight away I felt really good vibes from both of them, the club and their ambitions moving forward.

“The Wanderers had let me know that they wanted to move me on, so it was great to have that option to go to straight into Blacktown’s Under 20’s and prove myself for a year to try and earn a first grade contract for this season.”

Campbell immediately thrived in his new environment, being awarded the club’s Under 20’s player of the year accolade at the end of his first season.

He has treasured the competitive atmosphere fostered at Blacktown, in contrast with the emphasis on development enforced by his previous academy clubs.“Everyone’s been brilliant,” Campbell reflected.

“Playing from the start of last year with Johnny (Carnevale) pushed the winning mentality present throughout the club; this was really important to me.

“Being at the FNSW Institute and the Wanderers, the main focus wasn’t on winning so it’s good to have that mentality at the club.

“Critto’s been great in giving me opportunities, and I’ve just continued to learn each week.

“I was training with him a little bit last year and for him to promote me to the first team this season I have been very grateful.

“All of the senior players have been really helpful to the young boys stepping up.

“As a centreback, Yianni (Spyrakis) and Lynchy (Grant Lynch) have always been very helpful and encouraging to me, growing my confidence a lot.”

An injury to teammate Yianni Spyrakis granted Campbell his starting debut back in Round 9.

It was well and truly a baptism of fire for the youngster, who played 45 minutes in Blacktown’s 4-0 defeat to runaway league leaders Wollongong Wolves at WIN Stadium.

“Unfortunately, Yianni fractured his arm in Round 8 against Rockdale so I stepped in for Round 9 against Wollongong away,” the defender recalled.

“We were down 1-0 at half time and I came off as we changed formation – it was a bit of a tough first day to step into!”

Since then things have certainly looked up for Campbell, who has enjoyed an extended run-out in Mark Crittenden’s team.

He has even found himself on the scoresheet on a couple of occasions, the first arriving away to Sutherland in Round 15.

However, Campbell enforced he is very much a defensive orientated player.

“They (the goals) are definitely just a bonus,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter who puts the ball in the back of the net as long as we get the results, they’re more important.

“I’m more focused on keeping clean sheets.

“It is nice to chip in when you can, but my goal is just to get results.”

After losing the likes of Mitch Mallia, Connor Evans and the Speranza brothers in recent times, 2019 was supposed to be a challenging year for Blacktown.

However, the rise of Campbell and co. has seen the club quietly mount yet another tilt at the Championship.

The youngster reflected the air of positivity emerging from Blacktown as they continue to build formidable form.

“I think Critto’s done a good job in keeping our direction with all the players moving on,” he said.

“He’s brought in a lot of young boys and put a lot of belief in all of us – we’ve all done ourselves proud in stepping up from there.

“The culture that’s been created at the club has a lot to do with it; everyone gets along so well on and off the field.

“A lot of that comradery in the changeroom helps out, and that’s what you see on the pitch a lot of the time.

“From this position here, we still believe we can take it (the Championship) out.

“Having a good run in the last few rounds and pinching a spot in the top three gives us two bites at the cherry, so we are very confident that we can do a job from this position.”

As for his long-term prospects, Campbell is more than willing to buy his time at Blacktown and wait to see what the future may hold.

“I just want to keep doing my job, getting game time where I can and keep the clean sheets coming, doing the job that I’m set each game week in week out.

“This year my focus was to make sure I was ready for my opportunity, and to take it with both hands when it came.

“Moving forward I just want to keep playing well for Blacktown, getting as much game time as I can.

“Obviously I’m loving it at the club at the moment, and moving forward every young player has aspirations of playing in the A-League.

“Hopefully I can have a few good years at Blacktown and maybe one day put my hand up for an opportunity there.”

By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Reporter Chris Curulli (Twitter handle @ChrisCurulli)

Blacktown City FC and Joey Gibbs are hitting formidable form as they head into the business end of the 2019 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season.

The 27-year-old marksman capped off his recent purple patch with a stunning bicycle kick to seal Blacktown’s 3-1 triumph over Sydney FC at Lily Holmes Stadium on Sunday, earning himself a place in the Ultra Football Round 17 Team of the Week.

“It was a good one to get, definitely one of the highlights of the season so far,” Gibbs reflected.

“The ball just flicked up and it was one of those ones that didn’t really have too much thought involved.

“I’ve tried a few before but never really executed it!”

After uncharacteristically scoring only a single goal in the competition’s first eleven rounds, Gibbs has registered five strikes in six since the turn of the campaign.

The former A-League striker attributed the slow start to a worthwhile transformation in roster and style overseen by Mark Crittenden at the Western Sydney club this season.

“We haven’t been scoring overly freely in general this year, but that is through no fault of our own,” Gibbs explained.

“Our team mentality is a little more conservative this year than we have been in previous years, but it has worked well for us.

“We are a very new team and I think that means there are a lot of new combinations to be formed in the final third which you can see we are slowly developing.

“I’m sure we’re going to score more as a team, and even individually, in this second round compared to the first round as there was such a high turnover last year.

“It’s all going to plan.”

Speaking on his early season goal-drought, Gibbs revealed he was confident that it would eventually come to an end as his side’s fortunes improved.

“Being a striker, you always get a little worried when the goals aren’t going in,” the Manly United junior admitted.

“But in all honestly I know the quality that ‘Critto’ brought in and he really does emphasise the culture, discipline and work ethic of the team.

“The pre-season we put in was some of the highest quality work we have done at the club since I’ve been there.

“It was just a matter of being patient, confident, executing when I get the chance, and really backing that the work would pay off.

“We’re still far from the finished product we think we should be, but we’re seeing a few baby steps now which is good.”

Gibbs’s explosion of form coincides with Blacktown’s recent run which has catapulted them up to third after suffering only one defeat in eight.

This has afforded them some breathing space ahead of the congested race for the top five, an advantage that Gibbs is determined to maintain.

“We’re sitting in third, but the table is very tight,” he said.

“I’m very confident in our squad and the fact that we’re still developing and getting better.”

“While it’s risky to set too lofty targets with such a tight table I do think we’re good enough to finish in the top three.

“Finals time is all about going into those games with form.

“Hopefully we can continue our current momentum into the final part of the season and who knows what can happen from there.”

A potentially decisive 2^nd vs 3^rd clash awaits Blacktown this upcoming weekend when APIA Leichhardt Tigers visit Lily Holmes Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Gibbs is relishing the opportunity to cement a position in the competition’s top three.

“We have a big respect for APIA and I personally enjoy playing against them as it is always a high-quality, high-intensity game,” he said.

“It’s set up quite nicely in that if we win, we’re within one point and if they win, they’ll stretch quite far ahead.

“It’s going to be a big game.

“We look forward to the big ones at Blacktown so it should be a nice spectacle.”

By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Reporter Chris Curulli (Twitter handle @ChrisCurulli)