IGA NSW NPL Mens 1 Round 2 Preview
Round 2 of the IGA NSW National Premier Leagues Mens 1 continues this weekend…
Blacktown City FC v South Coast Wolves, Saturday 23rd of March, 3:30 pm Lily Homes Stadium
Round 2 action commences with an early kick-off on Saturday afternoon at Lily Homes Stadium. Blacktown City FC plays host to South Coast Wolves with a 3:30 pm kick-off in the side’s first home match of the campaign.
Mark Crittenden’s men have enjoyed a fine pre-season campaign, and the opening round of the competition last weekend further increased the neutral observer’s belief in this side as a real chance of silverware this season.
Blacktown City were ruthless in a very difficult opening encounter at Rockdale City, and after battling the strong winds that hit the venue, the side came up trumps with a 2-0 win.
At home, Crittenden will be looking for even more from his front men – much expectation is placed on Sean Rooney and new signings Matthew Mayora and Harris Gaitatzis. The side looked strong against the Suns last week – the defensive line marshalled brilliantly by Patrick Gatt – meanwhile the big engines of Travis Major and Yianni Fragogiannis will again be pivotal to the side’s chances of victory this weekend.
The visiting Wolves were dealt a major blow last weekend when it stumbled across a red hot Sutherland Sharks. The Wolves 4-0 home loss against Sutherland looked terrible on the score sheet, though the performance by Richard Lloyd’s men was far from that.
Ricky Zucco and John Martinoski were the standouts for South Coast, though the pairing were down on luck in-front of goal.
The trip to Blacktown will be a big ask of Lloyd’s men, though it certainly provides the side with a massive chance of ‘correcting the wrongs’ from last weekend and signalling the side’s arrival for 2013.
With two formidable strike forces, expect for some attacking football this Saturday afternoon.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Blacktown Spartans, Saturday 23rd of March, 7:00 pm Bonnyrigg Sports Club
At Bonnyrigg Sports Club, last season’s grand-finalists Bonnyrigg White Eagles look to continue their dominant run when Blacktown Spartans visit.
The White Eagles were simply awesome in 2012 – falling short in the grand-final after dominating the entire campaign – and the signs following the opening round win at APIA-Leichhardt suggest more is to come in 2013.
Brian Brown’s squad has changed only slightly from last season, so the general understanding is already very high amongst the playing group.
Aleksander Canak was the standout in the win against APIA-Leichhardt, meanwhile the stock of midfielder Adrian Ucchino continues to grow with the youngster putting in another fabulous showing – capped off with a marvellous long-range goal.
The most impressive attribute of this Bonnyrigg side is the complete ease it manages to change from one gear to another at any stage in the match, complemented by some intricate ball movement out of midfield with the likes of Ucchino, Ken Chun and Mitchell Long amongst the league’s best.
The Spartans were impressive against Marconi Stallions last weekend, netting a 2-1 win in a much deserved victory. Nathan Millgate proved an unlikely hero, netting both goals – one absolute bomb in the process. Ben De Haan had a difficult pre-season with a number of his more experienced players not available, though the start to the campaign has been tremendous.
The trip to Bonnyrigg will be a massive test, however after overcoming the challenge of the reigning champions in Round 1, the side will be full of confidence on Saturday.
Sutherland Sharks v Sydney Olympic, Saturday 23rd of March, 7:00 pm Seymour Shaw Park
In the pick of the Saturday evening fixtures, Sutherland Sharks and Sydney Olympic lock horns in Miranda. Two sides that always provide entertainment aplenty when they meet, Saturday evening promises more of the same, especially after the impressive start made by the two sides this season.
Sutherland were clinical in Wollongong in Round 1, Panni Nikas was ‘the man’ with a phenomenal hat-trick to kick-start his side’s campaign. Robbie Stanton’s men have struggled on the road in recent seasons, and the devastating start this time around (4-0 win away to the Wolves) could well signal the change in fortunes this season.
Sydney Olympic has been ruthless thus far, and the side appears to be back at the level that saw it dominate the 2011 campaign where it sealed the Premiership and Minor Premiership crowns.
Captain Phil Makrys – who netted a double from the penalty-spot last weekend – is a slight concern after leaving the playing field through injury, meanwhile new signing Luke Grima will also be unavailable due to suspension.
Coach Peter Tsekenis can still call upon a very strong playing side with new signings Petar Markovic and Elsid Barkhousir settling in at the club very quickly. Another stand-out from last weekend was William Angel. The attacking midfielder’s pace, and know how on the ball, could once again prove the difference for the Blues in this encounter.
Expect action aplenty on the playing field, and also a fine turn out by two of the league’s best supported clubs.
APIA-Leichhardt Tigers v Central Coast Mariners Academy, Sunday 24th of March, 3:00 pm Lambert Park
At Lambert Park, both APIA-Leichhardt Tigers and Central Coast Mariners Academy will be searching for their first points of the season following first-up losses in Round 1. The Tigers were extremely sluggish in the opening stages against Bonnyrigg last weekend, which ultimately saw the side go behind on the scoreboard and then fail to overturn the deficit.
At home again this weekend, Tigers coach Gary Ward will be looking for an immediate reaction from his chargers. Strikers Gerard Ouffoue and Keith Shevlin will be expected to find the goals, meanwhile David D’Apuzzo and Stephen Kayes work the midfield. In defence, Ward will need to make do without the services of Adel El Jamal following his late red card against Bonnyrigg, forcing a bit of a defensive reshuffle for this match.
The newest addition to the competition, Central Coast Mariners Academy, enters this encounter with some good confidence following the showing on opening night against Sydney Olympic. Despite the travel, and intimidating prospect of facing the Blues at Belmore, the Mariners side took it to the 2011 champions and showed a massive amount of confidence which ultimately saw them in the match until the very end. Coach Mark Jones will be without Adam Biddle following his two late yellow cards last weekend, though likes of Daniel Bragg, Tomislav Cirjak and James Monie should all be available to hit Lambert Park this weekend.
These two sides were drawn to face each other in the pre-season cup, however 30’ minutes into the Round 4 clash at Seymour Shaw, the referee on that day was forced to abandon the match due to the incessant downpour that made the playing surface unplayable.
Marconi Stallions v Manly United FC, Sunday 24th of March, 3:00 pm Marconi Stadium
Reigning champions, Marconi Stallions, and Manly United FC will also be searching for their first points of the season after both going down on the opening weekend.
The Stallions were second best on the night against the Spartans, despite a late charge which almost saw the side snatch a point.
Coach Jean-Paul De Marigny was a little displeased with his side’s final ball delivery, and this will be something that needs to be sorted for the visit of Manly United.
Nahuel Arrarte was his busy self out of midfield – playing a big part in the Marconi goal – and more of the same will be required of him this weekend. Jared Lum too will be important for the Stallions, and we can expect to see him at his best in a few weeks after arriving late into the Stallions squad.
Manly United FC come off a home loss to Sydney United 58 FC, and in a lot of ways the side could feel they deserved something more from that encounter.
Matt Sim and new signing Brendan Cholakian were great early on in the clash, and the new winger’s exciting ability will be something the Stallions need to be aware of as they line up against their former teammate.
Manly coach Craig Midgley has shown his confidence in his playing squad throughout the pre-season campaign, and he will be quietly confident of causing Marconi some additional heartache with a good showing on Sunday.
Sydney United 58 FC v Rockdale City Suns, Sunday 24th of March, 7:00 pm Jensen Park
The final clash for Round 2 has a late kick-off in the ‘unusual’ surroundings of Jensen Park (home of Bankstown City Lions).
This encounter has been billed the match that will see Branko Culina take on Mark Rudan in the coaching ranks.
Sydney United 58 FC will play host to Rockdale City Suns in an encounter that will be close to the hearts of many involved.
Reds coach Mark Rudan lines up for the first time against the Suns side that he was in charge of last season, only just missing out on what would have been a historical finals series campaign.
The encounter also pits former Reds boss Branko Culina, now Rockdale City Suns coach, against his former club. Culina’s assistant, Ivan Petkovic, also a former coach and player at the Edensor Park club.
On the field, the Reds start the encounter arguably as overwhelming favourites. The impeccable pre-season form of striker Luka Glavas, along with the fine talents of new signings Yuchi Yamauchi, Glen Trifiro and Chris Triantis, have the Reds as serious title contenders, and the side’s ability to dig deep and secure all three-points in Manly last weekend proves just how strong this side really is.
The Suns task at hand will be a difficult one, with the side failing to enthuse in its opening clash against Blacktown City FC. Culina will be hoping for some additional stability in the defensive line after some basic errors ultimately cost his side any chance of a point last weekend. Askin Oygur and Paul Kohler would be favoured to start in the defensive line though another former Reds player, Michael Cindric, will be available for selection again after missing the opening round.
Going forward, the Suns will be looking to feed Richard Cardozo with as much of the ball as possible, meanwhile new signing Brendan Gan looks to further find his feet amongst his new teammates.
With all odds stacked against the Suns this weekend, it could just be the motivation Branko Culina’s men need to cause an upset at Jensen Park.
-By Joseph Carlucci
