State League One Round 7 Preview
Arlington Oval hosts the clash between Stanmore Hawks and Balmain, and it?s anyone?s guess as to how the surface has held up at the picturesque Inner West ground given recent downpour.
The Hawks are comfortably placed in 5th spot on seven points, a win away from second spot, and with a game in hand on most sides.
Scoring at a rate of three goals per game, the Hawks will be confident of another three points here, although Balmain will be desperate to bridge the gap between the two sides and start an incline up the ladder.
The other Saturday night encounter sees Camden Tigers entertain Schofields Scorpions at Ron Dine Reserve, with the Tigers eager to reverse their home form which has seen them lose three times on their own patch in recent weeks in both the league and Cup.
The Scorpions are better than their position reflects, and will be keen to grab their first win of 2011 and gain a very valuable three points in the process.
The remaining four matches in Round Seven are all scheduled to kick off at 3-00pm on Sunday, with Fairfield Bulls facing the unenviable task at Cook Park of stopping the juggernaut known as Mounties Wanderers.
The Mounties cannot put a foot wrong at the moment, boasting the best attacking and defensive records in the competition on their way to a clear six point lead at the top.
The Bulls have felt the wrath of Mother Nature the most this season, having played just the three matches since the league kicked off way back on March 19, so will be keen to get some game time under their belt and test themselves against the league?s pacesetters.
An intriguing match up takes place at The Crest Complex, with undefeated Hurstville ZFC meeting Inter Lions, yet to record a victory this season.
Hurstville have taken the competition by surprise this season, given they have ditched their tag of previous seasons of ?easy beats?, and now are a formidable side with a desire to perform for the shirt.
Inter Lions haven?t had the best of starts in terms of points, but they have too many good footballers to be where they are on the ladder, and each loss brings them closer to a win,so lookout for a result that may go against the form guide.
A real ?six-pointer? takes place at Popondetta Park with second placed Mt Druitt Town Rangers welcoming the visit of Gladesville Ryde Magic.
After two losses to open up their season, the Rangers have regrouped to record three wins on the trot, and via their own admission have yet to hit their straps fully.
The Magic don?t need any motivation for this one ? a victory will see them catapult their opponents, and possibly into second spot if results elsewhere go their way.
The eagerly awaited clash between UNSW and Fairfield City Lions has been switched to Wentworth Park, a famous ground of epic State League battles of yesteryear.
After an inconspicuous start to 2011, the ?students? have definitely turned the corner of late, and will be looking once more to Henry Kamleitner and Sebastian Bendall to spearhead them to a most welcome victory.
The Lions have only had the one hiccup this year, at the hands of league leaders, Mounties, but their form in both the league and Cup have proven they will once again be a force to be reckoned with, so expect a major hurdle in this one for UNSW.
Division One Top Goalscorers Round Six
7 : Nick PARADISIS (Stanmore Hawks)
6 : Greg BALDOCK (Mounties)
4 : Mark SYMINGTON (Mounties), Hosyar CAKAL (Mt Druitt),
Matthew CROSS (Camden Tigers), Daniel WILLOUGHBY (Mounties)
3 : Chris SULTAN (Fairfield City Lions), Paul GAGRO (Hurstville ZFC),
Nathan RALPH (Mt Druitt), Sebastian BENDALL (UNSW)
-By Frank Speranza
