Premier Youth League Round 17 Review

However, it looks as though we will need all of the remaining five weeks to discover which teams will be involved in the play-offs and which teams will miss out.
Overview
Sutherland Sharks maintained their position as the best ranked club when they took twelve points from their home matches against Blacktown Spartans who have slipped back one place to eighth. Sutherland had grabbed all of the points when the clubs met last time.
Marconi Stallions are still ranked second after their trip to twelfth placed South Coast Wolves yielded all fifteen points, allowing the Stallions to inch a bit closer to the Sharks. The clubs had shared the first round spoils at seven points apiece.
Third placed Manly United bagged twelve points from their visit to eleventh placed Rockdale City Suns, repeating their efforts of the first round encounter.
Sydney Olympic remained at fourth when they snatched nine points from their visit to ninth placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers just as they had when the clubs faced each other last time around.
Fifth placed Blacktown City split the points at six apiece when they hosted Parramatta FC. When the clubs met last time Blacktown took eleven points from the day. Parramatta are placed sixth after they collected twelve more points from their Round 12 catch-up matches against Sydney United 58.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles dropped back to seventh spot when they could earn only four points from their home fixture against Sydney United 58 who are still placed tenth. That reverses the first round outcome when Bonnyrigg had taken ten points from the clash.
Grade 13
This age group may well go down to the wire with the teams for the play-offs being determined in the final round. The competition leaders now have a margin of six points and then there is a log-jam of three teams locked together on points with their positions being determined by goal difference. Then there is a break of four points to the fifth placed team who will be looking over their shoulder as the next two teams are within six points of them.
Unbeaten Sydney Olympic retained their place and extended their margin at the top of the table when they produced a 2-0 victory over APIA Leichhardt Tigers who have dropped back two places to fourth. These teams had fought out a scoreless first round draw.
Manly United moved up one place to second following their strong 4-0 result over twelfth placed Rockdale City Suns who Manly had beaten 5-0 the first time around.
Marconi Stallions climbed one place to third thanks to their solid 4-0 success over thirteenth placed South Coast Wolves. Last time these teams saw each other their match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Sutherland Sharks are still in fifth position following their 2-1 win over ninth placed Blacktown Spartans who the Sharks had beaten 4-0 when they met in the first round.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are only a point outside the top group at sixth after they posted a 3-1 victory over seventh placed Sydney United 58 who had lost the first round encounter 3-0.United picked up three points when they were 2-0 winners over Parramatta FC in a Round 12 catch-up match.
Tenth placed Blacktown City and eleventh placed Parramatta FC battled it out for a 2-2 draw, repeating the exact outcome for their first round clash.
The eighth placed SAP U/15 Girls suffered a 2-1 loss when they faced Rockdale City Suns.
Grade 14
The leaders have a buffer of a mere two points so that is an interesting situation. Then there are only seven points between third and seventh with five rounds to go so there is very little room for any of those teams to recover from an error in judgement.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers managed to hold onto the top spot on this table after they were held to a 1-1 draw by eighth placed Sydney Olympic, an outcome that was not entirely unexpected as the first round meeting had finished in a scoreless draw.
Second placed Sutherland Sharks edged closer to the leaders when they came up with a 4-1 success over Blacktown Spartans who have dropped back one place to seventh. That completes the double for the Sharks as they had won the first round match 3-1.
Marconi Stallions climbed one place to third following their 4-1 success over thirteenth placed South Coast Wolves who had gone down 2-0 last time they met the Stallions.
Rockdale City Suns dropped back one place to fourth after they suffered a 2-1 loss to Manly United who have moved up one place to sixth. The Suns had taken the points last time the teams faced each other with a 4-2 result.
Parramatta FC surged from fifth to third registered a 3-1 result when they met eleventh placed Blacktown City and that squares the ledger as Blacktown had claimed the first round points with a 3-2 result. And then Parramatta produced a 2-1 victory over Sydney United 58 in a Round 12 catch-up match.
Ninth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles and tenth placed Sydney United 58 battled it out for a 1-1 draw after the White Eagles had claimed the first round points with a 2-1 victory.
The Skilleroos are twelfth after they battled out a 2-2 draw with Rockdale City Suns.
Grade 15
The competition frontrunners have a very handy lead and they are certainly assured of a place in the finals series, if not the title as Premiers, but the same cannot be said for the chasing pack as the remaining places could be filled by any four of the next six teams.
Marconi Stallions continued their unbeaten status, maintained their position at the top of the table and extended their competition lead with a very solid 5-0 success over thirteenth placed South Coast Wolves who the Stallions had beaten 2-0 last time they saw each other.
Second placed Sydney Olympic were held to a 2-2 draw by sixth placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers and that followed the 1-1 draw the teams had posted when they met in the first round.
Sutherland Sharks moved up one place to third when they were 3-1 winners over ninth placed Blacktown Spartans who had gone down 4-0 last time they faced the Sharks.
Blacktown City fell back one place to fourth when they fought out a scoreless draw with seventh placed Parramatta FC. Blacktown had claimed the first round points with a 3-0 result. Parramatta FC picked up three points when they defeated Sydney United 58 4-0 in a Round 12 catch-up match.
Fifth placed Manly United came up with a 2-0 victory when they faced twelfth placed Rockdale City Suns and that completes the double for Manly as they were 3-0 winners last time around.
Sydney United 58 are in eighth position following their 3-1 win over eleventh placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles. The first round clash had ended in a scoreless draw.
The Skilleroos moved up one place to tenth when they were 2-1 winners over Rockdale City Suns twice ? once from this week?s game and once from a Round 6 catch-up match.
Grade 16
The competition leaders have a handy buffer of seven points at this stage and they are followed by a pack of seven teams who are separated by only seven points so there is certain to be a mad scramble amongst that group for every available point over the coming weeks.
Blacktown City extended their competition lead to seven points when they were 1-0 winners over tenth placed Parramatta FC and that gives City the double as they had won the first round match 2-0. Parramatta FC gained three points when they were 2-0 winners over Sydney United 58 in a Round 12 catch-up match.
Manly United held onto second spot even though they suffered a shock 2-1 loss to eighth placed Rockdale City Suns and that squares the account as Manly had won the first round encounter 4-0.
Marconi Stallions climbed one place to third when they posted a 1-0 success over tenth placed South Coast Wolves who had claimed the first round points with a 2-1 victory.
Sutherland Sharks slipped back one place to fourth when they were beaten 4-2 by Blacktown Spartans who have moved up to seventh spot. That has squared the ledger as the Sharks were 2-1 winners last time the teams met.
Fifth placed Sydney Olympic battled out a 1-1 draw with twelfth placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers. Last time the teams faced off Olympic claimed all the points with a 2-0 scoreline.
Sydney United 58 dropped back one place to seventh even though they registered a 1-0 victory over ninth placed Bonnyrigg White Eagles who United had beaten by exactly the same scoreline last time around.
Grade 18
The competition leaders have a break of fourteen points on the next two teams and they seem certain to claim the title as Premiers next week. While second an third positions are far from settled there is certain to be a real battle over the coming weeks as the difference between fourth and eighth is a mere five points.
Unbeaten competition leaders Sutherland Sharks continued on their merry way with a 4-3 success over eighth placed Blacktown Spartans who the Sharks had beaten by the odd goal in five when they met last time.
Blacktown City were able to maintain second spot after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Parramatta FC. That repeated the scoreline the teams had posted in their first round clash. However, Parramatta then picked up three points and moved into fourth position with a 3-0 win over Sydney United 58.
Third placed Marconi Stallions registered a 2-1 result when they faced eleventh placed South Coast Wolves who had taken the first round points when they were 5-2 winners.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are in fifth position following their 3-1 loss to Sydney United 58 who have climbed one place to ninth. The ledger is now square as Bonnyrigg had won 2-0 last time the teams saw each other.
Manly United remained at sixth after their very solid 5-0 success over Rockdale City Suns who have fallen back one place to tenth. Manly had posted exactly the same scoreline in the first round encounter.
Seventh placed Sydney Olympic recorded a strong 4-0 result when they faced twelfth placed APIA Leichhardt Tigers and that gives Olympic the double as they had won the first round match by the odd goal in five.
-By Barry Davis