NSW Super League Round 20 Preview

Bankstown Berries have lifted themselves into the title race after an amazing run of seven consecutive wins, with none more exceptional than the drubbing of Bankstown City FC last Sunday. They return to The Crest this weekend for the visit of Fraser Park, a club still in with a chance of the finals but who will need some exceptional results of their own.  With five points separating Fraser Park from fifth, there is no room for error and a win is a must, or their season will be all but over. Fraser Park went to a 2-0 lead in their earlier fixture before Bankstown Berries fought back, so the ability and desire is there for Fraser Park to take something from this game.  
Bankstown City will have to recover immediately when they travel to Pagewood and the clash with Sydney University on Saturday. Despite the loss last weekend, they dodged a bullet with Northern Tigers? loss, and they still remain in outright first position, and the chase for the title remains in their hands. They can?t afford another second half like last week?s however. With Sydney University scrapping in a relegation fight, they require every point imaginable and while Uni did concede three to the Lions in round nine, they managed to fight back to 3-2 with a couple of late goals.
Wins for both the Berries and the Lions will add pressure on Northern Tigers who don?t play until Sunday. They face the short but tricky trip to Christie Park to meet Spirit FC. It was a fairly comfortable 3-0 win to the Tigers in the reverse fixture, and Spirit are now down to tenth after recent results have seen them take only two points from their past eighteen. They will need to turn that form around or that relegation spot may get too close for comfort. Northern Tigers will have Max Glanville back from suspension to add to their strike force.
Dulwich Hill are one of those clubs with Spirit in their sights. They face Granville Rage at Arlington Oval and it was only a penalty which separated the two sides in their last clash. Like Fraser Park, the Rage still have hopes of finals football, but those hopes will rapidly diminish if they don?t win this weekend. It is getting somewhat dangerous for Dulwich Hill who are running out of games now, so a result against the Rage will lift those spirits enormously.
It looks like it might be a final?s preview when Mounties Wanderers and Macarthur Rams meet at Cook Park, only the venue may change.  With Mounties five points clear of sixth, with three games left, they would need some exceptional results elsewhere plus their own collapse to miss the top five, it would seem. A win here will lift them above the Rams, and shorten the odds for home ground advantage should the semis come to pass. Both sides have been a little inconsistent recently although the Mounties? win at Mills Park last Sunday certainly deserves credit.
Hills Brumbies and St George meet on Sunday at Blacktown Olympic Park. Both sides have moved away from relegation now with some good wins and the pressure will be off. St George have the chance to climb the table, having an extra game to play than most, and a win here may make their end of season run very interesting. It was a Hills win though back at St George and with the Brumbies defeating Macarthur last weekend away, they will be a stern test. They will need to keep an eye on the Saints? Michael Yarnold, who has been in good goalscoring form of late, four in his past two games.
-By Peter Rowney