SUPA IGA NPL NSW Men’s 2

St George FC have all but won the Mens 2 competition with two rounds to spare after their 2-1 victory over Bankstown City on Wednesday night moved them nine points clear of second placed Macarthur Rams, who still have three games to play. Only a mathematician would argue, but with a goal difference of fifteen ahead of Macarthur, the title is on its way to St George.
That focuses the remaining interest this weekend on the race for the finals. Two direct competitors each clash with Bankstown Berries v Macarthur Rams and Parramatta FC v Spirit the picks of the round.
Bankstown Berries v Macarthur Rams Saturday 7pm The Crest, Bass Hill
There is plenty up for grabs in this game as the fifth placed Berries tackle second placed Macarthur Rams. The Berries snuck back into the five with their win against Mount Druitt Town, thanks in part to losses by their immediate rivals. They will be boosted this weekend by the return of some of their experienced players, and not a moment too soon. Perhaps last weekend saw the tables turned at last for the Berries.
Macarthur will travel to The Crest with still much to play for. While their hopes of the Premiership have ended, they will still want to finish second to gain a home semi, and with Spirit FC breathing down their necks, they wouldn’t want to slip up here. They will play Spirit away next Wednesday so they will be more than keen to keep a three point buffer in place.
Parramatta FC v Spirit FC Saturday 7pm Melita Stadium, South Granville
This fixture looked so much different just a month ago. Parramatta were fifth and looking good while Spirit were ninth and seemingly heading for a midtable finish at best. But three straight losses to the Eagles and a run of victories to Spirit has turned this game on its head. Now it is Parramatta who need the points more than anything while Spirit, seemingly safe at least for a semis finish, have the opportunity to set their sights on second.
Parramatta pumped Spirit 4-0 at Melita Stadium earlier in the season but there appears little chance of a similar scoreline here. A simple 1-0 will do for the Eagles but even that result will require an error free game. Spirit have conceded just three goals in their past six straight wins, and while they don’t tend to score too many, the Sydney University game aside, they also have one of the tightest defences in the league.
Mounties Wanderers v Bankstown City Saturday 7pm, Cook Park, Mt Pritchard
Mounties Wanderers will be looking to improve their position when they meet Bankstown City on Saturday. The rise of Spirit FC has certainly damaged Mounties’ hopes of a top three finish but expect the Wanderers to take on Bankstown with all guns blazing. Spirit have a couple of tough matches against fellow finals aspirants and while the Lions are always difficult to beat, the loss on Wednesday may have knocked their desire a little.
Mounties also need the win to keep the clubs below them at bay. Bankstown Berries, Parramatta, Fraser Park and Northern Tigers will all be prepared to swoop should Mounties falter. 
Mount Druitt Town Rangers v Fraser Park, Saturday 7pm, Popondetta Park, Emerton
Fraser Park could come to rue the ill discipline which once again saw them have a couple of send offs last weekend. They only conceded against Spirit when they were down to ten, and this in a match in which they really needed some points. The outcome now of course is that they will need to rely on other results going their way if they hope to play in the finals. They meet a Mount Druitt Town Rangers side who all but succumbed to the wooden spoon last Saturday but will still want to finish the season as best as possible.
Hosyar Cakal has been the one catching the eye out at Popondetta Park recently, his season’s goal tally now at nine. Fraser will need to keep a close watch here if they want to take away the required three points.    
Northern Tigers v St George, Sunday 3pm, Mills Park, Asquith
St George may well be crowned Premiers without playing depending on the Macarthur result on Saturday night, but should the Rams have won, a draw here for the Saints will be sufficient to officially claim the title. Perhaps fitting in a way, with the opportunity for the baton to be “handed over” as it were from the 2012 Premiers, Northern Tigers. 
The Tigers though won’t be in any mood for niceties, at least on the field. They are in a real battle for a finals spot and need the three points, heading into the final week. Just one win outside the five, they still have a home game in hand, against Parramatta next Thursday night, and a couple of good results heading into next Sunday’s final round will do their chances the world of good.
Hills Brumbies v Sydney University, Sunday 3pm, Blacktown International Sports Park, Doonside
Only pride will be on the line at Doonside when the Brumbies and Uni meet. With Hills tenth and Uni eleventh, there is little opportunity for too much of a rise up the table but nevertheless, expect a game between two clubs committed to as good an end to the season as possible. The Brumbies finish off the year with two home games so here is a chance for all supporters to get behind their club over the next two weekends. Hills finished eighth last season and while that may not be bettered this year, there can still be a worthy end to the season.
Sydney University would be appreciative of the kind words provided by opposition coaches, for their stylish play, but would surely have swapped some of the compliments for extra match points. They have not produced the wins they would have hoped but even so, with striker Jamie Watt, who is equal third in the league’s goalscorers tally with eleven, they have a player who can poach goals against any opposition.
Bankstown City v St George
Rescheduled Round Fourteen
Wednesday 14 August 2013
Two second half goals by Bruno Pivato turned around a 1-0 half time deficit to lift St George to a virtually unassailable position at the head of the table, the Premiership now all but certain to be heading to the Saints.
Despite Thomas Kovacs giving the Lions the lead, against the run of play in the twenty fourth minute, St George were dominating play but just failing with the final ball.
But a half time rev up by coach Manny Spanoudakis had St George fast out of the blocks after the break with Pivato getting his first three minutes in. Fifteen minutes later, St George hit the lead with Pivato’s second. They should have made the result more comfortable than it was with Simon Verrender and Aleks Jovovic just failing with good chances. 
Any hopes Bankstown had of a late comeback were ended when Sam Salameh was red carded five minutes from time.
Bankstown City 1 (Thomas Kovacs 24’) v St George 2 (Bruno Pivato 48’, 63’)