State League One Round 15 Preview
UNSW vs Camden Tigers
Saturday, July 2, 2011@ 6-00pm at Ron Dine Reserve
Arguably the ?match the round? kicks off Round Fifteen on Saturday when second placed UNSW entertain third placed Camden Tigers.
Kicking off at the earlier time of 6-00pm, UNSW will have the chance to put some distance between them and the Tigers, whilst Camden would of course be desperate to bridge the gap.
The Tigers will be relying on the consistency of goalscorer Adam Smutek, who last week notched his 10th of the campaign, to sneak one through the resilient UNSW defence.
UNSW?s Michael Janov has well and truly revisited his form of recent years since his return from injury, and the fierce defender has even added scoring goals to his repertoire, including a brace last week in the drubbing of Inter Lions.
After a poor start to the season, the ?students? actually commenced their incline with a 2-0 victory over Camden back in Round Four, and will look towards another three points to give themselves a break in second position.
Inter Lions vs Gladesville Ryde Magic
Saturday, July 2, 2011 @ 7-00pm at Crest Complex
Gladesville Ryde Magic will find the going tough at the Crest Complex on Saturday night, needing to back up just 48 hours after playing Fairfield Bullls in a rescheduled match on Thursday night.
Inter Lions will be fresh, and looking to capitalize on the Magic?s tough schedule, hoping to bounce back after last week?s mauling at the hands of UNSW.
The Magic will look to Alistair McKie to be at his creative best and prise open the Inter defence, whilst the experienced Tohouroglou will be at his best to keep a clean sheet.
Nick Ruoco has been in solid form this year for Inter in an inconsistent season for the home side, and his youth and exuberance will need to be on display if the Lions are to get anything out of this match.
The Magic won comfortably in Round One by 3-0, with Alistair McKie getting on the scoresheet, and a repeat here could easily see Gladesville back in the top five.
Balmain SC vs Mt Druitt Town Rangers
Saturday, July 2, 2011 @ 7-00pm at Hensley Athletic Field
Two teams on a poor run of results in recent weeks will be aiming to taste the winning feeling again at Hensley Athletic Field, with Balmain welcoming Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
Currently propping up the ladder, Balmain are in danger of losing touch if they continue to lose, and will need the likes of Johnny Buonavoglia and Robbie Bruno to exercise their experience and drive home a positive result.
Daniel Conway in the Balmain goal will have his work cut out keeping the league?s equal top scorer at bay, with Hosyar Cakal on twelve goals in 2011 and counting.
Mt Druitt?s recent slip ups have seen them drop away from the top five, and they?ll need to win matches like these if they are serious about mounting a finals challenge come season?s end.
Stanmore Hawks vs Fairfield City Lions
Sunday, July 3, 2011 @ 3-00pm at Arlington Oval
Last time these two teams met we were treated to an eight goal thriller, and there?s nothing to suggest much will be different when Fairfield City Lions travel to play Stanmore Hawks.
Fairfield City are currently sitting just outside the top five, but with a couple of games in hand they are primed to re-enter the semi final positions in coming weeks.
Yavuz Ekinci is the one pulling the strings in the Fairfield midfield, and scored twice during a 5-3 win against Stanmore the first time round. If the experienced campaigner is on song you can expect the Lions to produce plenty of goalscoring opportunities.
Ekinci will have his work cut out with the Hawks? David James clipping at his heels, the Stanmore captain a difficult hurdle to overcome for any opponent.
Stanmore managed to grab a point last Saturday against Gladesville, stopping a recent run of losses, and with the wily George Paradisis now at the helm, they will no doubt be a different proposition during the remainder of the season.
Mounties Wanderers vs Schofields Scorpions
Sunday, July 3, 2011 @ 3-00pm at Cook Park
Can anyone stop the Mounties juggernaut? The Wanderers are still undefeated in 2011, including League and (Waratah) Cup games, and even playing two games within a few days doesn?t seem to faze the league leaders.
The first round match against the Schofields was a very tight affair, with the home side taking the lead before succumbing to a last minute goal by Greg Baldock.
But Schofields have had two wins on the run over the past fortnight for the first time in 2011, and with their tails up, may just fancy themselves for an upset on Sunday afternoon at Cook Park.
Fairfield Bulls vs Hurstville ZFC
Sunday, July 3, 2011 @ 3-00pm at Hajduk Stadium
Two teams who may have surprised many by currently sitting within the top five meet on Sunday in what promises to be an absorbing contest.
Fairfield Bulls are in fifth spot, but with two games in hand ? one on Thursday against Gladesville Ryde Magic ? are well placed to make an impact on the top five.
Niriam Kanoun has been in sparkling form of late, his goals last week seeing him move to equal fourth on the top scorers list with nine goals.
Hurstville are a side that have recovered from a mid season slump, and have climbed back into the top five on the back of some spirited performances of late.
Paul Gagro leads a passionate group of players who wear their heart on their sleeve, and you can bet Hurstville ZFC will be there or thereabouts when points are at stake.
Division One – Top Goalscorers
Round Fourteen
12 : Nick PARADISIS (Stanmore Hawks), Hosyar CAKAL (Mt Druitt)
10 : Adam SMUTEK (Camden Tigers)
9 : Sebastian BENDALL (UNSW), Niriam KANOUN (Fairfield Bulls)
7 : Paul GAGRO (Hurstville ZFC)
6 : Greg BALDOCK (Mounties), Eli SQUILLACIOTI (Mounties),
Friday JEREMIAH (Mounties), Daniel WILLOUGHBY (Mounties)
5 : Daniel McCANN (Mounties), Mark SYMINGTON (Mounties),
Matthew CROSS (Camden Tigers), Ben CRONK (Fairfield City Lions),
Uri KAYE (Balmain SC)
4 : Johnny BUONAVOGLIA (Balmain SC), Chris SULTAN (Fairfield City Lions),
Alistair MCKIE (Gladesville Ryde), Yavuz EKINCI (Fairfield City Lions),
Chris TERKES (Hurstville ZFC), Henry KAMLEITNER (UNSW),
Michael JANOV (UNSW)
-By Frank Speranza
