State League One Round Three Preview
UNSW host Stanmore Hawks at 3-00pm, with the students looking to bounce back after a Round Two 1-4 spanking against Fairfield.
Stanmore on the other hand have had no issue hitting the back of the net, with six goals in two games, but their defence has leaked even more, and they?ll have to tighten up if they are to take anything away from the game.
There are four matches on Saturday evening, all kicking off at 7-00pm, with Schofields Scorpions taking on Camden Tigers at CSI Sport Field.
Both teams boast a one-win, one-draw record after the first two rounds, although the Scorpions defence has yet to be pierced, and newly promoted Camden will find the match tough going if they are to continue their impressive start.
Mounties Wanderers will be confident of grabbing their maiden win in 2010 when they take on the visiting Gladesville Ryde Magic at Cook Park.
Mounties will no doubt look to exploit the Gladesville defensive line, who have conceded five goals in each of their first two matches since their promotion from Division Two.
Francis Park plays host to a match between two teams yet to taste victory in 2010, with the undefeated Blacktown Spartans hoping to crack a three points in front of their home fans against bottom of the ladder Hurstville ZSC.
Hills Brumbies play Inter Lions in what is looming as the pick of the round at Second Ponds Oval, with Hills finding themselves with maximum points after two rounds and hoping to continue on their merry way.
A young Inter Lions side has picked up four points from two relatively tough opening fixtures, and a win here will see them catapult their opponents.
The final match of the round is the only match to be played on Easter Sunday, and brings together competition leaders, Fairfeld City Lions, and Balmain SC.
With both teams having scored no less than fifteen times between them after two rounds, you could expect some Easter cheer at Norford Park No.2 as Fairfield no doubt hope to hold onto their top spot.
TOP GOALSCORERS (Round One)
4 : Jeremiah (Fairfield City Lions)
2 : Nastaila (Gladesville Ryde Magic), Paradisis (Balmain SC), Ekinci (Fairfield City Lions), Pannowitz (Hills Brumbies), Hijazi (Stanmore Hawks).
HILLS BRUMBIES ? HURSTVILLE ZSC 2-1
Hills Brumbies continued their great start to the season with a second consecutive victory, this time by 2-1 against Hurstville ZSC.
The Round Two match, uncharacteristically scheduled for a Monday evening kick off at Second Ponds Oval, was a physical affair, not helped by the slippery surface after rain fell during the entire evening.
Hills came out firing and went in front after just three minutes when their skipper, Terry Pannowitz, converted a penalty kick.
Hurstville responded immediately with a header hitting the upright just a couple of minutes later, but Hills took control thereafter and their dominace was rewarded with a second goal on 35 minutes.
Hurstville?s keeper spilled a 20 yard shot and Hills striker, Lord Darkoh, was quickest to react, slotting into an empty net to double the Brumbie?s advantage.
Hurstville threw everything at Hills in the final minutes, culminating in an 85th goal by Gbusseh, but it wasn?t enough to salvage a point, and Hills hung on for their second three points after two games.
-By Frank Speranza
