NSW Super League Finals Series Round 2 Preview
The major semi final, at Melita Stadium, sees the new premiers Parramatta Eagles take on St George. St George came away the victors at Northern Tigers last Sunday and they will be a hard nut to crack if last week?s match is any guide. The Saints played almost the final hour of the game against the Tigers, including extra time, with only ten men and did extremely well to take the win, even if on penalties.
But Parramatta Eagles are not the premiers for nothing. They led the competition from start to finish taking fifteen wins from the twenty two matches and were only one goal shy of the fifty mark. There can be little doubt that they deserved the title but as coach Brian Dene intimated at the end of the regular season, the finals series is a new competition and now it is the championship that is up for grabs.
While Parramatta may have had an official week off last weekend, they certainly weren?t idle. The Eagles played NSW Premier League Grand Finalists Blacktown City last Sunday in a friendly and claimed the win. It may not have had the intensity of a normal finals match, but it was a win all the same and will keep them in good stead for this Saturday.
The Eagles claimed both matches against St George during the season, a 3-0 win in round two and a 2-1 win away at St George Stadium. This match looks to be another cracker and well worth attending. The winner will of course go straight through to the Grand Final in two weeks time.
At the same time as the action starts at South Granville, there will be plenty of heat at Mills Park when Northern Tigers meet Spirit FC in the minor semi final. The Tigers were very disappointed not to beat an undermanned St George last weekend and will need to recover for when they entertain Spirit. Spirit looked to be down and out last week against Macarthur Rams when they were 0-2 down with just five minutes to play. But they eventually overwhelmed the Rams to progress in extra time and if nothing else, this is a stiff warning for the Tigers.
This semi final is an elimination and both sides will certainly give their all in what will be the final game of the season for one of them. The Tigers have certainly had the better of Spirit this season winning both games, a 5-1 hammering at Mills Park early in the season and a 2-0 win in a midweek rescheduled clash. The Tigers should be favoured but as we all know, in a one-off final, anything can happen.
As the season reaches its climax, the football just keeps getting better. Two more excellent matches this Saturday, both well worth a visit.
-By Peter Rowney
