NSW Super League Round 20 Preview

As the weeks have ticked down, the table hasn?t really made things any clearer, only Central Coast slipping away after the last round of results. With just a month or so to go, there is now little room for error.
This week?s matches are split evenly between Saturday and Sunday with three matches apiece but there can be little argument about which game will take pride of place, at least on the Saturday. Lynwood Park is the place to be with Macarthur Rams taking on the visiting Blacktown Spartans. This one is absolutely crucial for both sides, with both the Rams and the Spartans still harbouring premiership ambitions. Blacktown played against Northern Tigers on Wednesday in their rescheduled round seven match and went down 3-2 so they remain in second spot going into this game. The Spartans will need to cover keeper Carlos Saliadarre who was sent off against the Tigers.
Leaders West Sydney Berries have an important date of their own. They face Fraser Park at Lidcombe Oval and nothing less than three points will be acceptable to the home faithful. They would have welcomed the Tigers win on Wednesday and will fancy their chances against Fraser Park. Fraser overcame Hills Brumbies 3-1 midweek in their rearranged match but, amazingly, Hills played the last twenty five minutes with only seven players following four send offs.
Sydney University will be watching these games with interest. They are ready to pounce but will be needing three points against Dulwich Hill at Hensley Field to keep up their pressure on the teams above. Uni suffered a loss to Dully earlier in the season so they will certainly be wary. Dulwich Hill are breathing a little easier these days and look safe but a point or three here won?t go astray.
There is a variety of kick off times again on Sunday, and the first to start at 3pm will be Granville Rage v Spirit FC. This one also catches the most attention. After Granville?s victory over St George on Wednesday night, they are well back in the semi final frame. Expect a real tough game in this one. Kris Holbrook?s return to the park has also come at a most opportune time. Spirit got back on the winning track two weeks ago and are hoping that they have turned the corner. If they can overcome Granville at Garside they will have done very well, the Rage always being difficult to beat at home.
At 4pm at Mills Park, Northern Tigers greet Central Coast. It is difficult to know how the Coast will react after the Central Coast Football announcement that they will not field a side next year. They will be playing for pride only now but they do have plenty of that so the Tigers shouldn?t expect an easy ride. After defeating the Spartans on Wednesday, Northern Tigers have moved back to within a point of the five, and are coming good at just the right time of the season.
Finally at 7pm at Lily Homes Stadium, Hills Brumbies meet the travelling St George. Hills will struggle to field a side it seems this weekend following their four send offs against Fraser Park. Combined with a number of injuries, it will be a markedly different side than normal who will take to the field. St George suffered a loss against Granville on Wednesday but cling onto fifth by the skin of their teeth. They will need a win of course, to stay ahead of the chasing pack while the Brumbies look finally to have succumbed to bottom spot. It has been a tough fight but expect them to continue their hard work over the final month.
Midweek Catch-ups
St George v Granville Rage
Granville Rage turned the tables on St George coming from behind to take a 2-1 win in the dying minutes of another tough encounter between the two sides. After the Saints won at Garside ten days ago, it was the turn of the Rage to take the three away points.
Ivo de Jesus put St George into a first half lead with an exquisite direct free kick from outside the box but two minutes after the restart, Pat Cappuccio drew the Rage level with a lob over the keeper from out left. St George came very close in grabbing a winner, Daniel Carrozza heading away a goal bound shot off the line from George Lagoudakis and Blake Ricciuto headed against the bar from a corner.
But with three minutes left, Ante Bakmaz ensured the three points went the way of the Rage. St George stay in fifth despite the loss but have three clubs now only one point behind.
St George 1 (Ivo de Jesus 34?) v Granville Rage 2 (Pat Cappuccio 47?, Ante Bakmaz 86?)
Blacktown Spartans v Northern Tigers
Northern Tigers moved ominously into sixth spot, ahead of Sydney University on goal difference, after a 3-2 win over Blacktown Spartans.
Lucas Dawson put the Tigers in front but a Simon Zahra penalty right before half time squared the ledger. Two second half goals to Travis Cooper pushed Northern Tigers out to a 3-1 lead before Mario Ghobrial brought it back to 3-2 late.
A send off to Spartans keeper Carlos Saliadarre resulted in Blacktown playing the last fifteen minutes with just the ten players.
Blacktown Spartans 2 (Simon Zahra pen, Mario Ghobrial) v Northern Tigers 3 (Lucas Dawson, Travis Cooper 2)
Fraser Park v Hills Brumbies
In a relegation battle at Fraser Park, it was the home side who claimed the win but the result was somewhat strained by an amazing four send offs to Hills Brumbies. The visitors were reduced to nine by half time following the send offs to Paul Down and Justin Ciampa, both for second yellows.
Two further send offs, to Lord Darkoh and Greg Giovenali simultaneously, after sixty five minutes, meant that the Brumbies played the final twenty five minutes with just seven players. Even more amazingly, Fraser Park did not add to the score during that time, the 3-1 scoreline remaining until the final whistle.
Fraser Park 3 (Ian Estavao 38?, Paulo Oliviera 48+?, Masanari Omura 53?) v Hills Brumbies 1 (Greg Giovenali pen 56?)
-By Peter Rowney