2014 Waratah Cup Round Four Preview
The 2014 Waratah Cup is reaching the business end, with IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 teams entering for round 4 of the tournament and plenty on the line for all involved.
This year has seen greater emphasis placed on the competition by many clubs, likely due to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – the FFA Cup.
Round 4’s victors will be just two wins away from a place in the inaugural national tournament, meaning coaches have every reason to place a great amount of emphasis on these ties.
Two all-NPL 1 clashes will surely provide plenty of highlights with 2013 Waratah Cup Champions APIA Leichhardt Tigers hosting Manly United, who have hit their stride in the league of late. The other premier fixture sees a massive clash as 2013 IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 Champions Bonnyrigg White Eagles travel to 2014 Preseason Cup Champions Rockdale City Suns to see who will be victorious on the evening in what will be billed the pick of the bunch.
The magic of the cup has again been on show, with six association teams still in contention for the major prize. At least one of these teams is guaranteed to still be standing in the round of 16 as GHFA representatives Hills Pumas play host to St George Association’s Sans Souci.
2012 Waratah Cup semi-finalists Dapto Dandaloo Fury, who play in the Illawarra Premier League, again look in fine touch but will have a stern test of their credentials when they make the trip north to face Marconi Stallions.
Fellow IPL side Wollongong United, quarter-finalists in 2013, will meet NPL 2 side Parramatta FC if they can overcome Dulwich Hill in their revised round three match.
It’ll be a trickier challenge for the other local sides as Doonside Hawks meet Macarthur Rams and Waverly Old Boys host Fraser Park.
There are plenty of encounters between NPL 1 and NPL 2 sides to whet the appetite, including Sydney United v Spirit FC, Central Coast Mariners Academy v Sydney Olympic, Bankstown Berries v St George FC, Blacktown Spartans and Northern Tigers.
Another pits Blacktown City against Bankstown City, with both sides off to a flying start in their respective leagues. Blacktown remain firmly in the mix at the top of NPL 1, while the Lions will undoubtedly be challenging for NPL 2 honours by season’s end after a blistering start to their campaign.
Elsewhere, State League 2 side Hurstville FC will be looking to cause an upset against South Coast Wolves and will be buoyed by the latter’s slow start to the NPL 1 season.
State League 1 outfit Hawkesbury City booked their place in the final 32 with a resounding 5-2 win over Nepean FC and will use the result as momentum when they travel to Seymour Shaw Park to take on 2013 Waratah Cup finalists Sutherland Sharks.
Mounties Wanderers have looked solid in the opening rounds of the NPL 2 and will be more than happy to balance two competitions if they can overpower State League 1 challengers Granville Rage. Rage scored 8 goals in their first 3 games, while Wanderers conceded just 1 in their first 3, so something has got to give.
Finally, State League 1 leaders Hakoah will fancy their chances on moving closer to an FFA Cup berth as they host NPL 2 strugglers Sydney University, who will surely be keen to focus on their league endeavours.
A shot at a blockbuster clash with an A-League side is now within sight for NSW teams and round 4 will separate the men from the boys.
-By Mitchell Grima
