The Youth League Report (Premier Youth League) Round 19

There are now only three fixture dates remaining plus a string of catch-up games to be played so the nerves are jangling in a lot of clubs as the race for the finals continues.
Next week?s break in the competition proper will allow us the opportunity to look at all the competition tables and to assess the prospects for each of the teams.
Overview
After taking eleven points from their first round clash with Penrith Nepean United, Blacktown City Demons may not have been ecstatic with their eight points yield this time around.
In a similar way Sutherland Sharks may have been a tad disappointed that they earned only ten points from their meeting with Sydney Tigers from whom they had bagged thirteen points in the first round.
When Marconi Stallions last faced West Sydney Berries the Stallions grabbed nine points but on this occasion the clubs split the points at six apiece.
Sydney Olympic earned ten points from their first round encounter with Bankstown City but the Lions really turned the table this week when they pocketed nine points.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles may have been happy when they showed a first round profit of eight points from the clash with Sydney United but this time United gained the upper hand when they had nine points to show for their efforts.
The fixture between Wollongong FC and Manly United was washed out.
Grade 13
As expected, the games were very tight on Saturday. It looks as though the top three will fight it out for the Premiership honours and then there will be a real dogfight among the next five teams for the remaining three spot in the finals.
Competition leaders Sydney Olympic took their unbeaten sequence to four matches when they were 1-0 winners over eleventh placed Bankstown City who had held them to a 1-1 draw in the first round.
West Sydney Berries are placed second following their 2-1 success over third placed Marconi Stallions, the same score as the Berries had posted last time around.
Sydney United moved up two places to fourth thanks to their 1-0 victory over Bonnyrigg White Eagles who have slipped back one place to sixth. Bonnyrigg had taken the first round points with a 2-1 result,
Wollongong FC dropped back one place to fifth when their match against seventh placed Manly United was washed out.
Eighth placed Blacktown City Demons had played out a 1-1 first round draw with Penrith Nepean United and that same scoreline was repeated when the teams met again this week.
Sutherland Sharks had recorded a 1-0 win last time they met Sydney Tigers but this week the teams shared the spoils when their match finished at 0-0, leaving the teams at ninth and twelfth respectively.
Grade 14
It is till so tight at the top end of the table that anything could happen. Any one of the top four teams could currently win the Premiership and teams right down to eighth place are still in the contest for a place in the finals series.
Sutherland Sharks were able to retain the competition lead despite their 1-0 loss to third placed Sydney Tigers who have taken their unbeaten run to a remarkable ten matches. The first round encounter had ended at 2-2.
Marconi Stallions had beaten West Sydney Berries 4-0 when they faced off last time but on this occasion the teams split the points with a 1-1 draw, an outcome that left the Stallions at second and the Berries at tenth.
The Stallions collected another point when they drew 2-2 with NSWIS Girls in a rescheduled Round 21 match and then three more points from a 2-0 win over Sydney Olympic in a rescheduled Round 22 match.
While fourth placed Blacktown City Demons had beaten Penrith Nepean United 3-0 in the first round, United were able to turn that around this time when they registered a 3-0 win of their own and that left them at sixth.
Even though their match against eighth placed Manly United was washed out, Wollongong FC managed to take their unbeaten sequence to seven games when they were 4-0 winners over eleventh placed NSWIS Girls and that allowed the Wolves to remain at fifth.
Seventh placed Sydney United recovered from two consecutive losses to post a 3-1 victory over twelfth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles who had won the first round clash 1-0.
Sydney Olympic had won the first round meeting with Bankstown City with a 3-0 scoreline but that situation was reversed this week when the thirteenth places Lions recovered from a five game losing streak to beat ninth placed Olympic 1-0.
Grade 15
At this stage only the top three teams can claim Premiership honours and they all know that one slip-up can open the way for one or both of the others. And then there is the battle for one of the other two spots in the finals which could go to any of the teams currently occupying fourth to ninth positions.
Blacktown City Demons are the competition frontrunners and they took their unbeaten run to seven matches with a 3-0 win over Penrith Nepean United who have fallen back two places to eighth. That completes the double for the Demons after they had won the first round match 6-1.
The match between second placed Manly United and Wollongong FC was washed out but the Wolves managed to move up one place to sixth following their 4-0 win over thirteenth placed NSWIS Girls.
Third placed Marconi Stallions extended their unbeaten sequence to six matches when they played out a 2-2 draw with tenth placed West Sydney Berries who the Stallions had beaten 4-0 when they met last time.
The Stallions? points tally was boosted by six points when they won 2-0 over NSWIS Girls in a rescheduled Round 21 game and another 2-0 victory, this one over Sydney Olympic in a rescheduled Round 22 match.
Sydney United remained at fourth when they produced a 1-0 victory over twelfth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles with whom they had played out a 1-1 first round draw.
Sutherland Sharks are still fifth following their 2-1 success over tenth placed Sydney Tigers who they had beaten 3-1 when they faced them in the first round.
Bankstown City climbed two places to seventh when they came up with a 3-0 win over Sydney Olympic who have fallen back to ninth. That reverses the first round result when Olympic won 4-2.
Grade 16
It looks like the top five has already been settled but there could well be quite a few changes in the pecking order in the coming weeks. Catch-up game could well have a big influence here.
Blacktown City Demons rose two places to capture the competition lead when they were 1-0 winners over Penrith Nepean United who have slipped back two places to tenth. The result last time these teams met was a 1-1 draw.
Wollongong FC were forced back to second spot and Manly United went back to third when their match was washed out.
Fourth placed Sydney United after and an astonishing run of twelve games without loss but that came to a screaming halt when twelfth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles manufactured a 1-0 win. United had won the first round clash by the same scoreline.
Sydney Olympic remained at fifth thanks to their solid 3-0 victory over Bankstown City who have dropped back one position to twelfth. That completes the double for Olympic as they had also won the first round game 3-0.
Sixth placed West Sydney Berries had lost 3-2 to Marconi Stallions when they met in the first round but this time the teams shared the spoils when their encounter finished at 2-2. That was enough to allow the Stallions to climb one place to ninth.
The Stallions added three points to their tally when they were 2-1 winners over Penrith Nepean United in a Round 12 catch-up match.
Sutherland Sharks rose one place to eleventh when they were 1-0 winners over seventh placed Sydney Tigers who the Sharks had beaten 3-0 in their first round clash.
Grade 18
The top two teams are certain to battle it out and it could well go down to the wire. There is also a right royal battle for the remaining three places in the finals at those places could go to any of the next eight teams.
Wollongong FC continue to lead the way on the competition table despite having their match against fourth placed Manly United washed out.
Blacktown City Demons retained second spot when they were held to a 2-2 draw by seventh placed Penrith Nepean United who the Demons had beaten 2-0 in the first round.
Sutherland Sharks took their unbeaten run to three games when they produced a 1-0 result over twelfth placed Sydney Tigers to complete the double as the Sharks were 4-0 winners last time the teams met.
Bankstown City climbed one place to fifth with a very respectable 5-1 win over ninth placed Sydney Olympic who the Lions had beaten 3-1 last time the teams faced each other. Olympic had added three points to their tally with a 2-1 win over thirteenth placed NSWIS Boys. 
Marconi Stallions slipped back one place to sixth when they were held to a 2-2 draw by eighth placed West Sydney Berries. In the first round the Berries had won the match 1-0.
The Stallions posted a 1-0 victory over Penrith Nepean United in a Round 12 catch-up match.
Tenth placed Sydney United and eleventh placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles had battled out a 3-3 draw when they met in the first round but on this occasion Bonnyrigg took all the points when they won 3-1.
-By Barry Davis