State League Two Finals Series Round 2 Preview

Bulls face-off with Minotaurs
While Fairfield thoroughly deserved their minor premiership trophy after dropping just one of their last 11 matches Hurstville are also in enviable form with eight victories from their last 10 appearances, including a solid 3-2 workout against Wanderers last week as the Bulls rested.
But Hurstville will need to work out a way to bring down Fairfield?s Knight Park fortress. The Bulls have not lost any of their home fixtures this year (winning six and drawing four games) in what has now become a principled stance for the competition?s number one ranked team and coach Michael Mamoo, who watched the Minotaurs dismantle Wanderers on Saturday.
?To be honest, this top five is a completely different ball game for us,? Mamoo said. ?The minor premiership is over now, we know we?ve got that trophy, and now we have to stay motivated throughout the next three weeks. You can?t overlook Hurstville?s early season form and we know that every team will want to stop us from winning the grand final. I just hope the week off won?t effect us in any way.?
Hurstville general Peter Sarikakis held no fear in facing the minor premiers. ?Fairfield doesn?t bother me,? he said. ?It?s my players that concern me. If they turn up to play then we will be alright.? He also repeated his offer to host any of the finals matches at Belmore Sports Ground for free in a bid to avoid a meeting on a Knight Park pitch.
The contest between the two sides couldn?t be spicier after Hurstville proved too good for Fairfield in a 3-1 victory at Belmore Sports Ground way back in round 2 before the Bulls returned fire with a 6-2 broadside at Knight Park in round 13 on the back of five goals in 25 first-half minutes. That result drew the two sides level in fifth place with nine rounds to play. History will show that Fairfield went on to win the minor premiership while Hurstville snuck into third place on the final day.
Unfortunately, fans will be robbed of the chance to see Minotaurs strike ace Michael Di Meglio (league-leading 19 goals) take on Bulls dynamic duo Khaled Elkerhani (14) and Niram Kanoun (13), in second and third place on the goalscoring chart, after the latter sustained a hamstring injury in last week?s 4-0 final-round rout of Luddenham and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks. However, Elkerhani has a terrific track record against Hurstville, scoring in the first meeting and netting twice in their 6-2 win.
Lively Luddenham meet wounded Wanderers
Luddenham United and Wanderers FC come together in an enticing elimination semi-final match-up on Sunday afternoon. Wanderers spent the week licking their wounds from last week?s frustrating 2-3 loss to Hurstville while Luddenham feasted well after winning their first-ever final 3-2 to dispatch the Roosters and be within two games of an historic grand final berth.
Two 1-1 draws throughout the year was unable to separate Wanderers and Luddenham and although United have the worst performance record against fellow top-five teams (two wins in nine games) coach Andrew Montgomery still fired a warning shot across his opposition?s bow. ?We are the last team in the league the Wanderers want to play at the moment,? he said. ?The finals is a different kettle of fish and any team can win on the day; that?s why I?m not really concerned who we play from here on in.?
Wanderers mentor Walter Alvarez backed his own players to respond to last week?s loss to Hurstville with their two greatest traits ? football and passion. ?I believe in my players and I know they will bounce back against Luddenham this weekend,? he said. ?We play good football and the players will always fight to come back. We showed this when we won last year and wish that it will happen for us again.?
DIVISION TWO MAJOR SEMI FINALS ? (KNIGHT PARK 4, FAIRFIELD)
FIRST GRADE  Fairfield Bulls v Hurstville City Minotaurs            3.00pm
RES GRADE     Fairfield Bulls v Fairfield Wanderers       12.30pm
DIVISION TWO MINOR SEMI FINALS ? (KNIGHT PARK 3, FAIRFIELD) 
FIRST GRADE  Fairfield Wanderers v Luddenham United            3.00pm
RES GRADE     Hurstville City Minotaurs v Belmore Hercules      12.30pm
-By Daniel De Nardi