TeleChoice Premier League Round 11 Preview

At Sydney United Sports Centre, Manly United FC visits the Reds in Friday night action with both sides eager to make a statement. A win for the Reds will open a 10-point lead over Phil Moss? Manly United; a major push for the Reds ambition to finish the regular season in top-spot.
Ante Milicic?s men were overwhelming in the second-half thumping of Penrith-Nepean United, scoring four unanswered goals with some attractive football showcased at Cooks Park. The Reds attacking third has adversaries on ?Red alert? as David Zdrilic and Milicic himself have impeccably slotted into a front-line comprising talented names such as Luka Glavas and Elsid Barkhousir.
Manly United FC will require a strong showing from the likes of Matthew Bingley in the defensive third to contain a forceful attack-minded line-up, meanwhile coach Phil Moss will need Robbie Cattanach and Giosue Sama in good touch if the side is going to cause the sturdy Reds defence any harm.
On Saturday evening at Seymour Shaw, Sutherland Sharks has a strong chance of making an assertion of their own as a win against Penrith-Nepean United will keep the pressure on the teams above them on the League ladder. Most pleasing to the eye of coach Robbie Stanton would be the impressive display against Sydney Olympic last weekend following the previous Round heartbreak against Bonnyrigg White Eagles. Brad Boardman?s return to the scorer?s list has coincided with Jim Bakis? confident displays out of midfield, though perhaps even more inspiring has been the defensive efforts of George Souris and Co.
The task ahead of Ian Gillan?s Penrith-Nepean will be a mammoth one, though the team from Penrith has performed best against their more fancied opponents. The side held their own for the entire first-half against Sydney United last weekend, despite the side a man down from the 13? minute after Paul Crisp received his marching orders. A win will keep Penrith-Nepean in-touch with the teams outside the Top-Five, though the odds, on current form, are certainly stacked in favour of the Sharks.
At Bonnyrigg Sports Club the White Eagles need to bounce back immediately following their 1-5 defeat at the hands of Marconi Stallions when they meet West Sydney Berries on Saturday night. The White Eagles appeared flat from the outset, and inconsistencies in the defensive third ? surprisingly from the side?s most experienced players ? proved to be the side?s undoing.
Coach Brian Brown will still be without influential right-sided defender Paul Cotte due to suspension, though will be grateful for the good form of Milorad Simonovic who has been a strong figure amongst the goals for Bonnyrigg.
West Sydney Berries season has been hampered by an inconsistent run of performances, though the recent defeat of Wollongong Community FC, and a strong showing against Sydney Tigers in the narrow 0-2 loss in Round 10, suggests John Calleja?s men could still find a way out of their slump.
Most impressive performers in recent weeks have been Dimitri Zakilas and Adam Wither, though a collective lift will be required by the side?s most experienced players if a resurgence is to come about.
An epic battle is expected at Marconi Stadium when two NSL greats go head-to-head. The Stallions host Sydney Olympic in a match that carries much history between the clubs, though three-points is all that will matter on Saturday night. Marconi performed exceptionally well in their defeat of Bonnyrigg; the import trio of Ali Al-Hilfi, Vamara Diarra and Kader Toure is arguably amongst the most exciting talent on show in the competition. Another strong showing by the Stallions will certainly have Sydney Olympic on the back foot, as leaking goals has become an all to common occurrence in recent weeks.
Nick Theodorakopoulos has been hampered with the absence of key players such as Mirko Jurilj in recent weeks, though with three-teams outside the Top-Five breathing down the neck of the Blues, lapses such as that experienced in the opening 20? minutes last weekend against Sutherland cannot be repeated.
On Sunday afternoon, Wollongong Community FC returns home to Hooka Creek Park to face Sydney Tigers. Both sides have had little to smile about in the opening half of the season, though a win in Round 11 could well act as a launching pad into the second-half of the campaign. Wollongong?s showing at the start of both halves against Blacktown City Demons in Round 9 proves the side is more than capable of pressuring their opponent, though the consistency over 90? minutes appears to be missing at the moment.
Sydney Tigers season returned to winning ways against the Berries last weekend, though the side has yet to find consecutive wins. Robbie Younis? performances continue to improve after a sluggish start, meanwhile Franco Parisi has been very productive, even during the side?s poorer performances. Should both these players again raise the bar in Wollongong, a serious Tigers surge to the Top-Five may well commence this weekend.
In the final match of the weekend, Bankstown City Lions will be out to re-find the confidence that has eluded the side since the triumphant run in the Tiger Turf Cup last season. The Lions have been inconsistent to-date, and their seventh-spot on the League ladder typifies the disappointment on the faces of supporters after the loss at Manly United last weekend.
Peter Tsekenis? side has been seriously hampered by injury, though the situation will not get easier as Shane Webb and Brett Studman will both be added to the list of absentees due to suspension. Bankstown City needs to convert their dominance of possession, though stern rival Blacktown City will prove a handful on Sunday.
The Demons were relentless against Wollongong Community FC last weekend; the side displayed that lessons were learnt following their squandering of a two-goal lead against Manly United one-week earlier. Ken Schembri?s younger players have made the step-up in recent weeks, most notably the influence of Ray Miller and Joel Chianese. Along with the natural talent of Chris Bedzo, and the experienced rearguard, the Demons do arrive to the Jensen Park clash with strong claims for a result against the Lions.
-By Joseph Carlucci