The Youth League Report (Premier Youth League) Round 10

What more could you want from Australia?s best youth football as the competition approaches the half-way point in the season?
Overview
Manly United would be very pleased with the fact that they took all the points from their home clash with Bankstown City Lions while the overall results were much closer at all other venues.
Penrith Nepean United and Sydney United took seven points each from their encounter and Blacktown City Demons shared the points at six apiece with Wollongong FC from the four matches played while Sydney Tigers and West Sydney Berries also shared the points evenly with each club taking six points from the five matches they played.
Marconi Stallions bagged seven points from the four matches played against Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sutherland Sharks took seven points from the four Saturday games against Sydney Olympic plus nine points from three matches against the NSWIS teams.
In Round 6 catch-up matches played on Sunday Sydney Tigers captured eight more points when they met Bankstown City.
Grade 13 
While the leaders have established a handy break there is certain to be quite a battle developing for the remaining places in the finals series as there are currently only nine points separating second from ninth. There is still plenty of time to catch the frontrunners and that should be an interesting exercise but most of the focus in the coming weeks is certain to be on the jostling for the places in the end-of-season series.
West Sydney Berries maintained their lead of six points at the top of the ladder when they were 2-1 winners over Sydney Tigers who have slipped back one place to twelfth while Sydney Olympic moved up one rung to second after they posted a 3-1 victory over ninth placed Sutherland Sharks.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles climbed into third position when they produced a 2-0 success over Marconi Stallions who dropped back two places to fourth and Manly United rose one place to fifth thanks to their 2-1 win over tenth placed Bankstown City Lions.
Wollongong FC dropped one place to sixth and Blacktown City Demons remained at seventh when their match was postponed while Penrith Nepean United registered their first win for the season and they went from the bottom of the ladder to eleventh following their 2-0 result over eighth placed Sydney United.
In Round 6 catch-up action played on Sunday Sydney Tigers were 3-2 winners over Bankstown City and that has caused the Tigers to go to tenth, forced the Lions back to eleventh and pushed PNU back to twelfth.
Grade 14
A glance at this table will show you that the top two have a break on the rest but a closer look will reveal that there are only five points between third and ninth and that means that the fight for a place in the finals series is still very much a reality. That battle is sure to intensify over the next few weeks as each of the teams in contention tries to establish an advantage over the rivals.
Marconi Stallions grabbed the competition lead when they recorded a solid 4-0 win over thirteenth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles while Blacktown City Demons slipped back to second after their 2-1 loss to Wollongong FC who have moved up two places to seventh.
Sutherland Sharks rocketed from sixth to third following their 3-0 win over NSWIS Girls and then they repeated that scoreline when they beat Sydney Olympic who have tumbled from fifth to ninth and Penrith Nepean United  slipped back one place to fourth when they lost 1-0 to Sydney United climbed two places to eighth.
Manly United actually went back one place to fifth even though they were 2-1 winners over twelfth placed Bankstown City Lions and Sydney Tigers moved up two places to sixth with a 2-1 success over eleventh placed West Sydney Berries.
In Round 6 catch-up action played on Sunday Sydney Tigers drew 1-1 with Bankstown City, an outcome that did not alter their positions on the competition table.
Grade 15
It is still neck-and-neck at the top of the table and then there is a good deal of potential for a protracted dog-fight for the remaining places in the finals series as there are currently only eight points between the next six teams.
Blacktown City Demons have moved to the top of the table by two points thanks to their impressive 5-1 win over Wollongong FC who have dropped back one place to fourth while Marconi Stallions have slipped back to second after their match against eleventh placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles was postponed.
Manly United climbed one position to third when they were 3-2 winners over Bankstown City Lions who have dropped a place to tenth and Sutherland Sharks scooted from seventh to fifth following their 2-0 win over thirteenth placed NSWIS Girls and their 3-1 success over Sydney Olympic who took the reverse route from fifth to seventh.
Sydney United remained at sixth after they drew 1-1 with eighth placed Penrith Nepean United while West Sydney Berries rose one place to ninth when they played out a scoreless draw with twelfth placed Sydney Tigers.
In Round 6 catch-up action played on Sunday Sydney Tigers drew 1-1 with Bankstown City and that has moved the Tigers up to eleventh, left the Lions at tenth and pushed the White Eagles back to twelfth.
Grade 16
This competition has developed into two distinct areas of battle. There are only six points between the teams currently inside the top five and then there is a gap of five points to the next group of seven teams where there are only three points between sixth and twelfth. Still, if some of the teams in the second group roll up their sleeves they have plenty of time to catch up with the leading group.
Wollongong FC have held onto the competition lead but their margin was cut back to three points when they suffered a 2-1 loss to second placed Blacktown City Demons while Manly United retained third position after they  recorded a 1-0 success over tenth placed Bankstown City Lions.
West Sydney Berries slipped back one spot to fifth after they were surprisingly held to a 2-2 draw by twelfth placed Sydney Tigers and Sydney United jumped from fifth to fourth when they were 3-0 winners over eleventh placed Penrith Nepean United.
Sydney Olympic have remained at sixth following their scoreless draw with seventh placed Sutherland Sharks and Marconi Stallions are still eighth after they drew 1-1 with ninth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
In Round 6 catch-up action played on Sunday Sydney Tigers were 3-0 winners over Bankstown City, an outcome that has allowed the Tigers to move up to ninth and that has pushed the White Eagles, the Lions and PNU back one place to tenth, eleventh and twelfth respectively.
Grade 18
The frontrunners have built a very handy break and there is quite a battle going on behind them as there are only six points separating second from eighth as the jockeying for positions continues.
Wollongong FC are now eight points clear at the top of the ladder following their 5-1 success over the twelfth placed NSWIS Boys and then their 2-0 win over Blacktown City Demons who have fallen back two places to fifth while West Sydney Berries remained at second after they were held to a scoreless draw by ninth placed Sydney Tigers.
Manly United moved up one place to third with a 2-1 win over sixth placed Bankstown City Lions and Marconi Stallions went up one spot to fourth when they were 1-0 winners over thirteenth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
Sutherland Sharks moved up one place to seventh when they defeated twelfth placed NSWIS Boys 4-1 and Penrith Nepean United rose one spot to tenth with a 3-0 success over Sydney United who have dropped a place to eleventh.
In Round 6 catch-up action played on Sunday Sydney Tigers went down 3-0 to Bankstown City, an outcome that allowed has left the Lions at sixth and the Tigers at ninth.
-By Barry Davis