SUPA IGA National Premier Leagues NSW Mens 2 – Finals Week 1 Preview

Preview Finals Week 1
The NPL Mens 2 finals commence this weekend with the rare appearance of Fraser Park as they meet the 2012 Grand Finalists Bankstown Berries on Saturday.
Sunday’s fixture sees Macarthur Rams and Mounties Wanderers face off, a repeat of their clash in last year’s finals.
Elimination Final
Fraser Park (4^th) v Bankstown Berries (5^th), Saturday 7pm, Jensen Park, Sefton
Fraser Park enters the finals series for the first time in almost a decade, a far cry from recent seasons when they were battling relegation up until the final rounds. It is a credit to coach Albin Mikulski who only took control of the team just prior to the season’s start, following the departure of the previous incumbent David Perkovic, leaving to coach in the Phillipines.
Fraser will surely relish the occasion, as will their long suffering supporters, and they are sure to put up an almighty show on Saturday. With their Sydenham ground undergoing renovations during the off season, the future is looking bright for Fraser Park and a strong finals performance will be a great way to sign off the year.
Recent misdemeanours on the field mean that a number of first team regulars will be missing this weekend including captain Paulo Oliviera, Davide Tadone, Pat Cappuccio and Robert di Meglio, who picked up a fifth yellow card last Sunday.  They will welcome back experienced keeper Michael Frost though, available again after his suspension was served last weekend. 
Ben Vidaic and Hussein Akil will be the main dangers up front, while Sash Tirovski will be the one to watch for in the middle.  
Bankstown Berries will be searching for their third Grand Final appearance in a row, but unlike the past two seasons, they will have to reach that target the hard way. While they failed at the final hurdle on both occasions, they will be hoping that this season will be third time lucky. The experienced John Calleja is at the helm this year and he will surely have the Berries fired up for this.
Calleja will have a full squad to pick from with John Tsironis available again after suspension, and with the return of Dimitri Zakilas, they have a strike force who can certainly score goals. Only Peter Zorbas is doubtful for the weekend still to recover from injury concerns. But there are no such issues for Kyle Ewart, Shannon Burgin and Chris Gaitatzis who are all ready for action. 
Bankstown Berries won 3-0 at Fraser Park the last time the two clubs met, with the round four fixture finishing 1-1. The Berries may have the better results between the two to date, but that will count for nothing come Saturday evening. 
Qualifying Final
Macarthur Rams (2^nd) v Mounties Wanderers (3^rd), Sunday 330pm, Popondetta Park, Emerton
Macarthur Rams have had their best season since their return to this level in 2009. While the Rams have been regular finals competitors, this being their fourth finals series in a row, this will be the first time that they have finished in either of the “double chance” spots. On each occasion in the past three years, Macarthur have played in the elimination final, getting past the first obstacle in the past two years but falling at the next.
Claudio Canosa has been the coach for the past three full seasons and will be well aware of what is required on Sunday. As will a host of Rams players including captain Craig Cooley, Shannon Hankin, Alvaro Malmierca, Adam Wither, Joel Craig, Chad Taylor and Callum Fleming who have all competed for the Rams in at least some, if not all, of those previous finals. And with the best defence in the league, with only twenty goals against, the Rams will be a hard nut to crack, as the Mounties will surely attest. With Joel Craig back after suspension, the Rams will have a full available squad to select from, an advantage at this stage of the season.
Mounties Wanderers will well remember their finals meeting with the Rams in 2012. That elimination final saw Macarthur progress after a 3-1 win but a harder fought game would be hard to find. Mounties finished the game with only nine players and they saw their season come to an abrupt end. They will be hoping for a better finish this weekend, and with nine of their starting eleven from last year still in the squad, it won’t take much convincing for Mounties to try and seek their revenge. 
Mark D’Alessandro returns after suspension but Mounties will be without David Gardiner who collected his fifth yellow card last Sunday. They will also have Daniel Willoughby available, most likely from the bench, as he has returned to the park after three months off with injury. It was the loss of Willoughby which saw the Mounties drop off the pace midway through the season, so his return will be welcomed with open arms. 
Coaches Aiden Desmond and Glenn Lockhart have again kept the Mounties in a prominent position all year. While the Mounties may have been in some danger prior to last weekend, an extremely impressive result at St George secured their top three finish.
If this game matches the intensity of the 2012 version, there will be plenty to look forward to at Popondetta Park on Sunday.