State League 2 Round 19 Preview
State League 2 round 19 is an all-Sunday affair (3pm first grade kickoffs) featuring Belmore United versus Enfield Rovers at Blick Oval, Schofields Scorpions against Hurstville City Minotaurs at the CSI Ground, Southern Branch meet Southern Bulls at Ison Park, Western Condors face University of NSW at Calabria Sports Ground, Fairfield City Lions play Stanmore Hawks in a top-of-the-table clash at Rydalmere Park, while Hurstville FC have the bye.
This Sunday afternoon’s top-of-the-table clash between Stanmore Hawks and Fairfield City Lions at Rydalmere Park has taken on extra meaning given Stanmore’s 3-1 loss to Uni midweek. The Hawks’ third loss in four weeks has allowed Fairfield to sneak up on them and the Lions are ready to pounce! Nothing more than a feather separates these two sides: Stanmore have scored the most goals (46 to Fairfield’s 40) but Fairfield have uncovered a lot more scorers (17 to 10 Hawks); the Lions are unbeaten at home while Hawks only dropped their first road game against Uni on Tuesday night; Stanmore overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat Fairfield 2-1 in their round eight encounter; and the two sides have traded three wins apiece and three draws from their last nine meetings (although the Lions haven’t roared since an epic 5-3 win in April 2011) – this should be a beauty!
Third-placed Western Condors face a steam train University of NSW at Calabria Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon, Uni full of puff following a terrific 3-1 midweek home win over competition leaders Stanmore. Any question marks over Uni have certainly turned to exclamation points (just one loss in nine games) as they re-stake a top-five place alongside Condors and Bulls, four points off top spot with catch-up games against, you guessed it, Condors and Bulls still to play. Western haven’t been overly convincing on home turf, winning just three of seven games, but catch Uni in the middle of a month-long stretch playing weekend round fixtures and midweek catch-up matches.
Southern Branch and Southern Bulls meet at Ison Park on Sunday afternoon in another of this weekend’s exciting games. Sixth-placed Branch are one-point behind equal third-placed Bulls and will be fueled by memories of a 4-1 pasting the last time these two sides clashed, also at Ison Park (Bulls, Rovers and Condors make the Nowra trek twice this year). Neither side has set the world alight in front of goal, Branch scoring 18 and Bulls 20 in their 15 matches; but both will feel they can rely on solid backlines that have protected a combined 13 cleansheets (seven to Branch).
It has to be the last throw of the dice for Belmore United and Enfield Rovers in their battle at Blick Oval on Sunday afternoon. Sure the top teams playing each other works to their favour but if they can’t raise a victory flag this weekend, finding a finals path will be virtually impossible with so little games left. Belmore barreled Enfield 4-1 in round eight but the Rovers are a different side these days, losing just one of their past seven games to still be stirring the pot at the championship end of the season. United have won just once in seven games.
Hurstville City Minotaurs will be full of confidence ahead of their Schofields Scorpions hitout at the CSI Ground on Sunday afternoon. Hurstville have been ultra competitive over the past month, beating Fairfield City and Belmore recently to return a few smiles to the Minotaurs clubhouse. A better win than their 4-0 round-eight victory over Schofields could just boost Hurstville high enough for a view of the top-five tail – and from there, anything can happen.
-By Dan De Nardi
