Premier Youth League Round 16 Review

Overview
Sutherland Sharks continue to lead the way as the best performed club this season after they bagged twelve points from their visit to tenth placed Sydney United 58 from whom the Sharks took nine of the first round points.
Marconi Stallions are placed second in the rankings following their haul of ten points from their home games against fourth placed Blacktown City. The Stallions earned eight points from the first round encounter.
Manly United are still running third thanks to the twelve points they pocketed from their home matches against APIA Leichhardt Tigers who have slipped back one place to eighth. Manly gained nine points last time the clubs faced each other.
Fifth placed Sydney Olympic grabbed ten points from their fixture at Parramatta FC who have dropped one place to ninth. Olympic had taken nine points from the corresponding first round clash.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles remained at sixth in the rankings after they shared the spoils at seven points each with eleventh placed Rockdale City Suns. In the first round the clubs took six points each from the fixture.
Blacktown Spartans climbed two places in the rankings to seventh when they snatched thirteen points from their encounter with twelfth placed South Coast Wolves from whom the Spartans had taken twelve of the first round points.
Grade 13
With six rounds and a raft of catch-up matches to be played the competition table has a look about it that suggests there could well be a number of changes to the current look of the top five as there are still seven teams in the race for places in the play-offs.
Unbeaten Sydney Olympic moved to the top of the table when they were 5-0 winners over tenth placed Parramatta FC who had lost the first round encounter by a 5-1 scoreline.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers slipped back to second spot when the suffered a 3-0 loss to third placed Manly United who had claimed the points last time the teams met with a 2-1 result.
Fourth placed Marconi Stallions produced a solid 5-0 result when they met Blacktown City who have dropped back one place to tenth. The teams had battled out a 1-1 first round draw.
Sutherland Sharks are in fifth position following their 2-1 loss to seventh placed Sydney United 58 who had also claimed the first round points when they were 2-0 winners.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are sitting just outside the top five at sixth after they posted a strong 6-1 victory over twelfth placed Rockdale City Suns and that gives the White Eagles the double as they were 2-1 winners last time they saw the Suns.
Blacktown Spartans jumped one place up the table to ninth when they recorded a 2-0 success over thirteenth placed South Coast Wolves who had lost the first round match 4-1.
The SAP U/15 Girls posted a 3-0 win over South Coast Wolves, leaving the teams at eighth and thirteenth respectively.
Grade 14
There is stilly of room for speculation about the final composition of the top five as all of the top ten teams are still in the race for places although it must be said that the ninth and tenth placed teams will need a combination of some very good form and a bit of luck.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers are the competition frontrunners following their very respectable 4-0 victory over sixth placed Manly United who the Tigers had beaten 2-0 last time they met.
Second placed Sutherland Sharks were 2-1 winners when they faced Sydney United 58 who have slipped back one place to tenth. That squares the account as United had won the first round match 1-0.
Rockdale City Suns are still in third place following their 4-0 result over Bonnyrigg White Eagles who have dropped one place to eighth. The first round clash had ended in a 1-1 draw.
Fourth placed Marconi Stallions were forced to battle out a scoreless draw with eleventh placed Blacktown City who had gone down 2-0 when they last saw the Stallions.
Parramatta FC retained fifth place even though they were beaten 2-0 by Sydney Olympic who have climbed one place to ninth. Parramatta had claimed the first round points with a 5-3 victory.
Blacktown Spartans moved up one place to seventh when they came up with a 3-0 result over thirteenth placed South Coast Wolves who had taken the first round points with a 3-0 scoreline for their only win of this campaign.
The Skilleroos were 1-0 winners over South Coast Wolves and that did not affect the position of either team on the table.
Grade 15
It seems unlikely that the current leaders will be overhauled and they are already assured of a place in the play-offs. Realistically, the next six teams will fight it out for the remaining places in the finals series and that should be a very interesting contest as everyone will know that a slip-up could be very costly.
Undefeated Marconi Stallions have maintained a very comfortable lead at the top of the table following their 1-0 success over Blacktown City who have dropped back one place to third. That completes the double for the Stallions as they were 2-0 winners in the first round.
Sydney Olympic climbed one place to second with a 1-0 victory over Parramatta FC who have fallen back one place to seventh. The first round points also went to Olympic when they were 2-0 winners.
Sutherland Sharks moved up one place to fourth when they came up with a 3-1 result over eighth placed Sydney United 58 who the Sharks had beaten 2-0 last time around.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers slipped back one place to fifth when they suffered a 1-0 loss to Manly United who have advanced one place to sixth. The ledger is now square as the Tigers had taken the points with a 3-0 result last time the teams met.
Ninth placed Blacktown Spartans produced a 3-0 success when they faced twelfth placed South Coast Wolves who the Spartans had beaten 5-2 in the first round clash.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Rockdale City Suns remained at tenth and eleventh positions respectively when they fought out a 1-1 draw. The first round points had gone to the Suns with a 1-0 result.
The Skilleroos registered a 3-2 win over South Coast Wolves and that did not affect the position of either team on the table.
Grade 16
This could be a very interesting finish indeed as the top nine teams all have a realistic chance of gaining a place in the finals series and everyone will be paying close attention to all the results each week from here on in.
Blacktown City are still leading the way on this table following their 1-0 success over Marconi Stallions who have fallen back one place to fourth. That gives Blacktown the double as they were 3-0 winners when the teams played last time.
Manly United are sitting in second spot thanks to their 1-0 victory over twelfth placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers who had suffered a first round loss by exactly the same scoreline.
Sutherland Sharks climbed one place to third when they were 1-0 winners over sixth placed Sydney United 58 who the Sharks had beaten 2-0 last time the teams saw each other.
Sydney Olympic are still in fifth position following their 1-1 draw with eleventh placed Parramatta FC. Olympic had claimed all the first round points with a 1-0 result.
Seventh placed Blacktown Spartans battled out a 2-2 draw with tenth placed South Coast Wolves who had gone down 5-2 when they met the Spartans last time around.
Rockdale City Suns and Bonnyrigg White Eagles swapped places on the table and they are now eighth and ninth respectively after the Suns produced a 1-0 win. Their first round clash was locked at 0-0 when the final whistle sounded.
Grade 18
It seems very unlikely that the current leaders will be overhauled at this stage but there is a great deal of interest in which of the next seven teams will be competing in the play-offs.
Sutherland Sharks continued on their merry way as the unbeaten competition frontrunners after they were 4-1 winners over ninth placed Sydney United 58 who the Sharks had beaten 7-1 last time they met.
Blacktown City are still in second spot even though they suffered a 2-0 loss to third placed Marconi Stallions. When the teams faced each other last time the match ended in a scoreless draw.
Fourth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles registered a strong 5-0 victory when they faced eleventh placed Rockdale City Suns. Their first round encounter had ended in a 1-1 draw.
Manly United are placed fifth following their 4-0 success over twelfth placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers who had suffered a 6-0 loss when they met Manly last time around.
Sixth placed Sydney Olympic were beaten 2-1 by eighth placed Parramatta FC and that completes the double for Parramatta as they were 4-0 winners in the first round encounter.
Blacktown Spartans are in seventh position following their win by the odd goal in five over tenth placed South Coast Wolves who had gone down 2-1 when the teams faced off last time.
-By Barry Davis