TeleChoice Premier League Round 4 Preview
The Reds have been buoyed by the return of club legends David Zdrillic and player/coach Ante Milicic; both stars settling in rather well in this early part of the season. Sydney United has been impressive in the attacking third having scored five goals from the opening three matches, a statistic supported strongly by their defensive line with goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic still to concede a goal this season. Joe Vrkic?s experience across the back-line adds further confidence to an attack-minded side.
The Sharks on the other-hand have much to play for at Seymour Shaw, following two draws and a loss from their opening three matches. Coach Robbie Stanton will again need to tinker with his line-up; lively midfielder Christopher Price will be absent through suspension. Without Nick Stavroulakis? creative spark in the middle, much expectation will lie on the shoulders of Jim Bakis and Michael Katz. Another worrying sign for the side is Brad Boardman who came off in the match against Bankstown City Lions last week due to a hamstring injury. Its believed that Boardman will miss up to three weeks of football which is yet another blow for the Shire based side.
At Bonnyrigg Sports Club the White Eagles are in search of their maiden win for the season as a confident Penrith-Nepean United visit the former Super League outfit. Following a demoralising Round 1 loss against the Sydney Tigers, and a loss against Wollongong Community FC after squandering a two-goal lead, Bonnyrigg boss Blagoja Kuleski will have his work cut out as their opponent arrives from a loss, a draw and a win from their opening matches.
Penrith-Nepean will again look at the experience of Evangelos Petratos who has been ?re-invented? as a front-man this season. Petratos senior has been in good touch to-date, and the side will also call upon Petratos junior; Dimitrios Petratos, at some point during the match. The lively left-sided midfielder has already exhibited his nice touch on the ball and incredible speed, a warning sign to all adversaries this season.
West Sydney Berries have a great chance of staking a claim for a Top-Four spot against Blacktown City at Lidcombe Oval. The Berries sit in fourth-spot heading into Round 4, having played one match less than their current Top-Five rivals. The Berries are still carrying the confidence of their opening day win at Sydney Olympic, though a somewhat inconsistent showing against Penrith-Nepean in their last outing at Lidcombe Oval will keep the side on their toes against the Demons.
Blacktown City?s resurgence in the TeleChoice Premier League has not quite taken-off as anticipated by the players and supporters alike, though Ken Schembri?s side, mixed with youth and experience, do pose a serious threat. Ray Miller, Ante Deur and Chris Bedzo will need to be on-song out of midfield for the Demons, if they are to worry a strong Berries rearguard on Saturday.
At Marconi Stadium, the Stallions will aim to keep the pressure on Sydney United as Bankstown City visit Bossley Park. Both sides enjoyed victories in Round 3 with the Stallions spoiling Damien Foxe?s 300th appearance celebration at Gabbie Stadium. Lee Sterrey?s imports Ali Al-Hilfi and Ousame Toure have settled in nicely, meanwhile James Chronopoulos? confidence between the sticks is sky-high following an impressive display last weekend.
Bankstown City will be after more of the same from Shane Webb and Suad Ameti with the side still missing a number of regular first-teamers. Up-front, Salameh Hussein?s arrival from Lebanon has been a breath of fresh air for the Lions; the former Lebanese Olympic International was in exceptional touch in the defeat of Sutherland Sharks in Round 3.
On Sunday evening, the Sydney Tigers will take to their home field for the first time this season; the Tigers playing at Lambert Park. The Tigers were amongst the favourites for the title leading into the start of the season, though an inconsistent start to the campaign ? summed up in the side?s dismal performance against Penrith-Nepean United in Round 3 ? has raised some question marks around the Tigers? title credentials. Word from the Tigers camp is that they have lost star player Jamie McMaster to a serious injury but his time out on the sidelines has not been stated as of yet. The visiting Manly United too have not had the most successful of starts to the campaign, though Phil Moss? team has shown a lot of heart to-date. A ?houdini-like? performance against the Stallions in Round 2, where the side played with 10-men for an hour before securing an away point, shows the character of the side. The addition of experienced utility player Matthew Bingley stands the side in good stead for shot at the Tigers.
In the final match of the Round, the improving Sydney Olympic will face a determined Wollongong Community FC at Belmore Sports Ground. The despair at the Blues shock first-up loss against the Berries was somewhat eased following the hard-fought defeat of Sydney Tigers in Round 2. New boss Aytek Genc will require his gun striker Tolgay Ozbey to be on song, along with the involvement of Matthew Mayora and captain Peter Zorbas.
Wollongong Community FC has played some great football in this early part of the season, despite the disruption to the side leading into Round 1. Tony Pace has a side running on adrenaline, and the boys from Wollongong have certainly opened the eyes of opponents to-date. A deflected effort against Sydney United last weekend proved to be their undoing, though the Blues will need to be alert from the opening whistle to avoid the difficulties posed by Wollongong to their opponents thus far.
-By Joseph Carlucci
