Premier Youth League Round 21 Review

Overview
It?s neck-and-neck at the top of the rankings as the top two clubs do battle to be the best performed club this season. There was a bit of movement this week and you can expect to see lots of jostling for points as all the clubs look for the best possible finish to the competition.
Marconi Stallions took twelve points from their first round meeting with Rockdale City Suns so they would have been more than a bit disappointed when they could take only six points from this week?s fixture. This has forced the Stallions back to second spot in the rankings on goal difference. The Suns are still in eleventh position.
Sutherland Sharks pocketed thirteen points the last time they faced Blacktown City and this week the Sharks made a return to the top of the rankings on goal difference when they earned ten points from their matches against Blacktown who have remained at fifth.
Manly United would have been disappointed with their first round meeting with Parramatta FC as the sea-siders earned only six points from the day. On this occasion the clubs split the points at seven apiece, leaving Manly at third and Parramatta at sixth.
Sydney Olympic bagged twelve points from their first round encounter with Bonnyrigg White Eagles and history repeated as fourth placed Olympic took a dozen points from ninth placed Bonnyrigg this week.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers were very happy when their first round matches against South Coast Wolves yielded a total of eleven points and the seventh placed Tigers very nearly matched that this time when they collected ten points from the twelfth placed Wolves.
Sydney United 58 took nine points last time they met Blacktown Spartans but it was a different story this time as the eighth placed Spartans earned eight points from the tenth placed United.
Grade 13
We may already know who has won the competition and which teams will be in the top four but there is some doubt about the order in which the second, third and fourth placed teams will finish. And then there is still a big question mark over which of three teams will grab fifth place.
Sydney Olympic arrived at this game knowing that they needed only one more points to be declared Premiers and they may have been confident as the had won the first round match against Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4-0. The tables were turned this time as seventh placed Bonnyrigg produced a ?shock? 2-0 win. However, that loss did not prevent Olympic from claiming the Premiership as results elsewhere came to their aid.
Second placed Manly United were 6-0 winners when they last faced Parramatta FC but, a major turnaround, this time Parramatta produced a 1-0 victory and that moved them up two places to ninth while Manly are still in second spot.
Marconi Stallions had shaded Rockdale City Suns 1-0 when they played their first round match and the third placed Stallions went on with the job as they posted a 3-0 result over the twelfth placed Suns this time.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers had produced a 5-1 first round victory over South Coast Wolves and while it was a bit closer this time at 2-1, the fourth placed Tigers once again took the points from the thirteenth placed Wolves.
Sydney United 58 had defeated Blacktown Spartans 3-0 last time they met and United held onto fifth place this week when they came up with a 3-0 result over the Spartans who have dropped back one place to tenth.
Sutherland Sharks came out of the first round clash with a 3-1 win Blacktown City and the sixth placed Sharks completed the double with a 2-1 success over City who have slipped back one place to eleventh.
Grade 14
The competition winners are now known but there is plenty of interest in the remaining places in the finals series. Two teams are still fighting it out for second spot and there may still be a battle for fourth position while there are four teams hoping to claim fifth place. The Telcos are sure to do a brisk business after the final whistle in this age group on Saturday as loads of folk will be keenly looking for the results of their rivals.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers knew at kick-off time that they needed only more one point to become the Premiers and they might have been confident of getting it as they were 2-0 winners over South Coast Wolves in the first round match. The Tigers got all three points when they produced a 3-0 victory over the thirteenth placed Wolves.
Marconi Stallions has suffered a 2-0 loss when they last saw Rockdale City Suns and history repeated as the sixth placed Suns posted a 1-0 result over the Stallions who have dropped back one place to third.
Sutherland Sharks produced a 3-0 result when they faced Blacktown City in the first round and the sharks completed the double with a 2-0 scoreline, an outcome that has moved them up one place to second while Blacktown are still in eleventh position.
Parramatta FC overcame Manly United with a 1-0 scoreline in their first round encounter but this time fifth placed Manly came up with a 3-1 result to square the account with fourth placed Parramatta.
Blacktown Spartans were 2-1 winners in their first round match against Sydney United 58 and that exact scoreline was repeated this week when the seventh placed Spartans taking the points from the tenth placed United.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles had claimed the first round points with a 3-1 result over Sydney Olympic but the ledger was squared this time when eighth placed Olympic registered a 2-0 result over ninth placed.

Grade 15
The top two teams have secured their places but there will be a real battle among the next five teams to determine the remaining places and the pecking order. Anything could happen and some of it definitely will happen.
Unbeaten Marconi Stallions had already claimed the Premiership and they came into this game nine points clear at the top of the table. The Stallions were 1-0 winners when they faced Rockdale City Suns last time around and they did it again, this time with a 3-0 result over the twelfth placed Suns.
Sydney Olympic had produced a 3-0 first round victory over Bonnyrigg White Eagles and second placed Olympic completed the double this week when they were 2-0 winners over Bonnyrigg who have dropped back one place to eleventh.
Blacktown City were beaten 3-1 when they met Sutherland Sharks in the first round and the Sharks move up one place to fifth when they came up with a 3-2 victory over the Blacktown who have fallen back one place to fourth.
Manly United went down 1-0 last time they saw Parramatta FC who repeated that effort this week when they were 3-1 winners, an outcome that caused them to jump from fifth to third while Manly have tumbled back two places to sixth.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers and South Coast Wolves had battled out a 1-1 first round draw but the seventh placed Tigers bagged all the points this week when they won 6-0 over the thirteenth placed Wolves.
Sydney United 58 came up with a 3-0 win in their first round meeting with Blacktown Spartans but on this occasion the teams shared the spoils after their match ended at 1-1, Leaving United at eighth and the Spartans at tenth.
Grade 16
As we approach the final round all we know is who has won the competition and which six teams cannot reach the finals. In the meantime there are five teams fighting it out to determine which four of them will qualify for the finals and for the order in which they will finish.

Blacktown City would have been very aware as they approached this match that they needed only one more point to be declared Premiers but they may have been a little edgy as their first round clash with Sutherland Sharks had ended in a 2-2 draw. City claimed all three points thanks to a 2-1 victory and that has forced the Sharks back one place to sixth.
Marconi Stallions had come up with a 2-1 result when they last faced Rockdale City Suns but the second placed Stallions suffered a 3-2 loss to the seventh placed Suns this time.
Manly United were 3-1 winners in their first round encounter with Parramatta FC but when they were held to a 2-2 draw by eighth placed Parramatta, Manly were forced back one place to fourth.
Blacktown Spartans suffered a 2-0 loss last time they saw Sydney United 58 and when they were 5-1 winners this week, the Spartans climbed one place to third while United remained at ninth.
Sydney Olympic had beaten Bonnyrigg White Eagles 3-1 when they met in the first round and the 2-1 result Olympic posted this week have allowed them to move up one place to fifth and dropped Bonnyrigg back one place to eleventh.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers had posted a 4-1 result in their last meeting with South Coast Wolves but this week the Wolves took the points with a 1-0 result to move up one place to tenth and that has left the Tigers at twelfth.
Grade 18
This is the only competition where we already know the winners AND which teams will be appearing in the finals series. However, we do not know the order in which the minor placings will finish so there is still quite a bit of interest.
Sutherland Sharks had already well and truly claimed the Premiership as they approached this week?s match against Blacktown City who the Sharks had beaten 3-1 in their first round clash. However, in this top-of-the-table clash the teams shared the spoils when their match finished at 2-2
Parramatta FC produced a solid 3-0 win when they last met Manly United but Manly squared the account this time with a 1-0 win and that has left Parramatta at third a promoted Manly one place to fourth.
Marconi Stallions were 5-1 winners in their first round encounter with Rockdale City Suns but the tables were turned this time when tenth placed Rockdale registered a 1-0 victory over the Stallions who have slipped back one place to fifth.
Blacktown Spartans had posted a 2-0 result when they met Sydney United 58 last time around. However, ninth placed United this week battled out a 1-1 draw with the Spartans who have dropped back one place to seventh.
Sydney Olympic had shaded Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the first round with a 2-1 scoreline and they completed the double with a 3-1 win this time, an outcome that has move Olympic up one place to sixth and left Bonnyrigg at eighth.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers and South Coast Wolves had battled out a scoreless first round draw and history repeated as the eleventh placed Tigers and the twelfth placed Wolves battled out a 1-1 draw this time.
-By Barry Davis