State League 2 Round 15 Preview

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State League 2 round 15 is an all Sunday affair (3pm first grade kickoffs).
Hurstville FC welcome Enfield Rovers to Hurstville Oval, Hurstville City Minotaurs take the long ride south to face Southern Branch at Ison Park, Fairfield City Lions host Schofields Scorpions at Rydalmere Park, Western Condors play Belmore United at Calabria Sports Ground, and Southern Bulls meet University of NSW at Ernie Smith Reserve. Stanmore Hawks have the bye. Belmore and Uni are also scheduled to play their round nine catch-up game at Pratten Park on Wednesday night (8pm).
Second-placed Hurstville FC welcome a rejuvenated Enfield Rovers to Hurstville Oval on Sunday afternoon – and couldn’t this be the most interesting match of the season. Enfield have won their last two games, including last week’s 4-0 Bulls hit, and they’d love nothing more than to prove it wasn’t a fluke by adding FC’s scalp to their bulging belt. Hurstville did well to come from behind with 10-men and claim a 1-1 draw against neighbours Minotaurs last week and know a major slip-up could see them rejected from a top-five. Two second-half goals lifted FC to a 3-1 win over Enfield in their round four clash.
Hurstville City Minotaurs take the long ride south to face Southern Branch at Ison Park on Sunday afternoon, both teams itching for maximum points. Ironically their round-four meeting finished 0-0 to underline the rigid defensive structures of both sides (Branch have conceded 14 goals in 11 games, Minotaurs 16) and neither club has set the world alight in front of goal (28 goals in 21 matches between them), so this could be a real chess game between coaches Peter Sarikakis and Brod Crighton.
Top-three Fairfield City Lions host an unassuming Schofields Scorpions at Rydalmere Parkon Sunday afternoon. It’s been a bitter Schofields winter but a campfire has emerged in the darkness to offer the club hope and perhaps induce terror on some unsuspecting opponent. The Scorpions have lost 13 straight and leaked 64 goals but only eight in their last five games to support massive improvements at the club. Certainly their 10-1 round-four capitulation to Fairfield’s a long, long time ago but Scorpions should be wary of a Lions pride that’s produced 14 goalscorers in just nine runs.
Western Condors play Belmore United at Calabria Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon but it’s a week that could determine United’s season state. Belmore also take on Uni next Wednesday night in a catch-up game and, sitting four points outside the top-five, these next two results will have huge implications on their finals chances. It’s destined to be close against Condors as none of their last seven encounters have been decided by more than one goal, including a tight 1-0 Western win in round four. Condors can make a big move over the next month with matches against the bottom-five sides.
Southern Bulls meet University NSW at Ernie Smith Reserve on Sunday afternoon which, in context, should be the match of the round. Bulls dropped out of the top-five on goal-difference following last week’s 4-0 loss to Enfield and face a Uni side that must kickstart their winter campaign this weekend. Uni has five catch-up games to play (including next Wednesday’s rescheduled clash with Belmore) and they’ve already shown they can compete. Uni held off a fast-finishing Bulls 2-1 in round four and this match should be just as interesting considering what’s at stake.