Super Youth League Round 22 Review

The quality of the football has been very high and that has been reflected by the fact that teams cannot be certain of getting the points (or of losing them) no matter who they are playing.
The lower teams have rolled the top teams with a surprising regularity that has extended right up to this week.
That only confirms that the standard of the competition has improved and that the gap between the top and bottom of each table has narrowed considerably.
Congratulations usually go to the Premiers and to the teams which have qualified for the finals series but this year every single team is worthy of congratulations because they have all contributed much to the overall standard of play
The Youth League Report will continue throughout the finals series and then, in the week following the Grand Finals, we will look back on the season and review the performance of every club and every team.
Club Championship
As widely expected, Spirit FC completed their competition commitments at the top of this table after they collected twelve points from their clash with twelfth placed Schofields Scorpions from whom Spirit had taken eleven of the first round points.
Sydney University have surprised many observers by finishing in second place in their first season at this level after claiming the Division One Youth League title last year. This week Uni took eleven points from seventh placed Central Coast Lightning, just as they had done in the first round clash. What is even more remarkable is that Uni were playing at home for the first time this season after Hensley Athletic Field was converted to an artificial surface.
Dulwich Hill completed the season in third position thanks to the eight points they earned from their matches against fifth placed PCYC Parramatta. That repeated the outcome of the first round clash.
Mounties Wanderers finished in fourth position following their gain of twelve points from their trip to sixth placed Western NSW Panthers. The clubs had split the first round points at seven apiece.
Eighth placed Blacktown Spartans shared the spoils at seven apiece with eleventh placed Macarthur Rams who had pocketed ten points when the clubs met in the first round.
Northern Tigers are tenth after they grabbed ten points from their matches against ninth placed Granville Rage who had taken eight of the first round points.
Grade 13
Sydney University had already claimed the Premiership before they accounted for third placed Central Coast Lightning with a 2-0 scoreline. Uni had earlier taken the first round points with a 3-1 result.
Spirit FC are the competition runners-up following their 3-0 victory over ninth placed Schofields Scorpions who Spirit had beaten 3-2 when they met in the first round.
Mounties Wanderers are placed fourth thanks to their 2-1 win over sixth placed Western NSW Panthers who had gone down 1-0 when they faced the Wanderers last time.
Fifth placed Dulwich Hill were 2-1 winners when they clashed with eighth placed PCYC Parramatta in the irst round and that scoreline was repeated this week with Dully claiming the points once again.
Macarthur Rams finished in seventh position after they suffered a 4-3 loss to eleventh placed Blacktown Spartans who had won the first round clash with a 3-1 result.
Tenth placed Northern Tigers posted a 4-1 win over twelfth placed Granville Rage to reverse the first round outcome when Granville had won the match with a 2-0 result.
Grade 14
Already crowned Premiers, Dulwich Hill went on with the job when they registered a 3-1 success over eleventh placed PCYC Parramatta who Dully had beaten by exactly the same scoreline the first time around.
Spirit FC were in second spot after they came up with a 3-1 win over twelfth placed Schofields Scorpions and that completed the double as Spirit had claimed the first round points with a 1-0 win.
Third placed Sydney University  were held to a 1-1 draw by Central Coast Lightning who moved up one place to fifth. Uni had won the first round encounter 2-1.
Mounties Wanderers are in fourth placed following their 2-1 success over seventh placed Western NSW Panthers who the Wanderers had beaten 3-0 last time they met.
Blacktown Spartans slipped back one place to sixth when they were beaten 2-0 by ninth placed Macarthur Rams with whom the Spartans had played out a 1-1 first round draw.
Northern Tigers were placed eighth after they recorded a 4-1 victory over tenth placed Granville Rage who had held the Tigers to a 2-2 draw last time they faced each other.
Grade 15
Granville Rage claimed the title as Premiers when they were 2-1 winners over twelfth placed Northern Tigers who rage had beaten 4-1 in their first round clash.
Sydney University are in second place after they were held to a 1-1 draw by eighth placed Central Coast Lightning who Uni had downed with a 5-3 scoreline last time they faced each other.
Spirit FC are third following their surprising 2-1 loss to Schofields Scorpions who have climbed one place to finish in seventh position. The teams had previously played out a scoreless first round draw.
Fourth placed PCYC Parramatta battled out a 1-1 draw with fifth placed Dulwich Hill who had gone down 1-0 to the Eagles when they met in the first round.
Western NSW Panthers are placed sixth following their 3-0 loss to Mounties Wanderers who have moved up two places to ninth. This week?s result reverses the 3-0 result posted by the Panthers in the first round.
Macarthur Rams and Blacktown Spartans both dropped back one place to tenth and eleventh respectively after their match finished as a scoreless draw. The Rams had claimed the first round points with a 5-0 win.
Grade 16
After claiming the Premiership last week Spirit FC went on with the job when they recorded a 2-1 victory over Schofields Scorpions who slipped back two places to seventh. The teams had shared the first round points when they drew 1-1.
PCYC Parramatta finished in second spot following their 1-0 win over Dulwich Hill who slipped back one place to eighth. The first round clash ended in a scoreless draw.
Third placed Macarthur Rams produced a 3-2 victory over ninth placed Blacktown Spartans who the Rams had beaten by exactly the same scoreline last time the teams met.
Mounties Wanderers moved up two places to fourth when they were 2-1 winners over Western NSW Panthers who fell back two places to sixth. The first round points had gone to the Panthers when they won 2-1.
Sydney University shot three places up the table to fifth when they posted a 2-0 result over Central Coast Lightning who slipped back one place to twelfth. That completes the double for Uni as they had won the first round match by exactly the same scoreline.
Northern Tigers rose one place to eleventh with a 2-1 success over tenth placed Granville Rage after they teams had battled out a 1-1 first round draw.
Grade 18
Spirit FC are the Premiers following their closer than expected 1-0 win over twelfth placed Schofields Scorpions who Spirit had beaten 4-1 when they met in the first round.
Second placed Northern Tigers were surprisingly held to a 2-2 draw by tenth placed Granville Rage and third placed PCYC Parramatta battled out a 2-2 draw with fourth placed Dulwich Hill.
Sydney University rose two places to fifth when they were 2-1 winners over Central Coast Lightning who tumbled three places down the table to eighth. The first round points had gone to Lightning when they were 2-0 winners.
Blacktown Spartans jumped two places to sixth when they came up with a 2-1 victory over eleventh placed Macarthur Rams who had taken the first round points with a 3-1 result.
Western NSW Panthers scooted two places up the table to seventh thanks to a 2-1 win over Mounties Wanderers who fell back three places to ninth. The first round match was a 2-2 draw.
-By Barry Davis