State League Division 1 Round 13 Preview

Schofields Scorpions will be looking to bounce back from last weekend?s shock reverse against Hurstville ZSC, with a positive result this time around against Sydney Wanderers at CSI Sport Ground.
It?ll be the second of two home games within three days for the Scorpions, the first a catchup against Inter Lions on Thursday (June 11) at 7-30pm.
The Wanderers will therefore hope to be meeting a weary Schofields, and will be on a high given they are on the back of a great away victory last Saturday at Lambert Park.
Two teams battling in the top half of the competition will meet at Cook Park as Mounties FC face Stanmore Hawks. Both teams tasted defeat last weekend, and will no doubt be looking for improved performances this week.
The head-to-head outcome of top strikers Steve Biviano (Mounties) and Wissam Hijazi (Stanmore Hawks) could be a telling factor is this intriguing match up.
Blacktown Spartans will be hoping for their third win on the trot when they entertain Balmain SC at Francis Park.
The Spartans have managed to take a stranglehold on second position on the ladder, and another three points here will keep them on the heels of Dulwich Hill who are in top spot. Balmain SC on the other hand are hanging on to seventh position, with a number of teams breathing down their neck, separated only by goal difference or a victory, so they will be keen to keep abreast of the pack.
Arlington Oval on Sunday will host a cracker of a match as Dulwich Hill welcome their old foe, Inter Lions.
It?ll be interesting to note how the Lions will back up after having played a catch up game on Thursday night against the powerful Schofields (CSI Sport Ground at 7-30pm), their first of two massive games for Inter within four days.
Dully have produced workmanlike performances of late, consolidating their lead at the summit of Division One, based on a water-tight defence.
Inter Lions have had a steady period of positive results since new coach Ernesto Meduri took over, except for that one blimp against the Spartans, and he?ll have his charges up for it in this ?six pointer?.
Hurstville ZSC are the toast of their fans at the moment, given last Friday they were winless and holding up the rest of the competition. Two successive victories in 48 hours over the long weekend has given them a massive boost, with both matches resulting in
2-0 wins and six very welcome points. Hurstville are now off the bottom and within 3 points of seventh place.
On Sunday they face UNSW, brimming with confidence following a super victory over Mounties last weekend, and they themselves are hopeful of jumping into seventh place with a win here.
Hurstville?s Stiven Kostanic will be hoping to continue his good form of late, as will UNSW?s Stuart Meney, who helped himself to two goals last week.
In the final match of the round, Fairfield City Lions host Hills Brumbies in what looks like another arm wrestle at Norford Park. With just four points separating the six clubs in the bottom half of the ladder, any victory is worth its weight in gold, so let?s see which of these teams takes the initiative and goes for the jugular in what promises to be a tough battle.
Division One
Top Goalscorers -Week Twelve
Despite not scoring over recent weeks, Glenn McPherson of Schofields still leads the Division One goalscoring charts with ten goals to his credit.
But the competition?s other sharpshooters are creeping closer and closer, with Wissam Hijazi (Stanmore) being joined on nine goals by Hurstville?s powerful centre forward, Stiven Kostanic, following his three goals in two games over the long weekend.
Steve Biviano (Mounties FC) and Stuart Meney (UNSW) both grabbed an impressive brace on Sunday when they faced each other, putting both strikers on 6 goals this season thus far ? alas, Meney had the last laugh with UNSW winning 4-2 on the day.
10     ? Glenn McPherson (Schofields Scorpions)
9   ? Wissam Hijazi (Stanmore Hawks), Stiven Kostanic (Hurstville ZSC)
7   ? Todd McCrea (Schofield Scorpions)
6   ? Steve Biviano (Mounties FC), Stuart Meney (UNSW), Daniel Borg (Sydney Wanderers)

5   ? Ben Shrimpton (Hills Brumbies), Domenic Dimento (Inter Lions), Neil Philippou (Dulwich Hill), Daniel Cornett (Blacktown Spartans)
4      ?Rafael Bove (Dulwich Hill), Wand Jajaw (Blacktown Spartans), Nabil Codmani (Fairfield City Lions), Semih Sozer (Fairfield City Lions),  Eddie Adam (Sydney Wanderers), Sam Messam (Dulwich Hill), Yoshi Tachi (Inter Lions).

-By Frank Speranza