State League One Round 6 Preview
With the competition so close this year every point becomes crucial as we head past the quarter stage of the competition.
Week 6 action sees a number of intriguing matches headlined by the heavyweight battle between Hakoah and Northbridge.
Granville Rage v Stanmore Hawks – Saturday 3pm at Garside Park
As has been customary so far this season, the round opener will be at Garside Park with Granville Rage hosting Stanmore Hawks.
The Rage are starting to look ominous and are sitting pretty on top of the ladder. After a slow start on the weekend, a second half barrage of goals saw them overcome Gladesville 4-1. Mauricio Isla’s side plays an attacking possession based game that has plenty of fire power across the park, and with striker Nenos Bobo now joint top goal scorer in the competition, they will be looking to keep their 100% home record Intact.
Stanmore will also have reason to be confident ahead of this clash, with the Hawks claiming their first victory of the season last week in a gritty 3-2 win over Nepean. The win sees them leapfrog a couple of places on the ladder, and Coach Paradises will be hoping they are able to build on last week’s win.
Hawkesbury City v Dulwich Hill – Saturday 5pm at Bensons Lane
An intriguing clash takes place at Bensons Lane with Hawkesbury hosting Dulwich Hill on Saturday.
After a fast start to the season Hawkesbury have now lost two games on the bounce, with an upset loss to the Mariners followed by a 2-0 defeat to Hakoah over the weekend. The Hawks are notoriously strong at home and will be hoping for a positive result over the weekend to get their season back on track.
After a two week rough patch, Dulwich Hill returned to winning ways by narrowly defeating Inter Lions 1-0 in Round 5. The win leaves Dulwich Hill in the top five and within striking distance of the top spots. Coach Savor will have to do without Jun Kato for this game with the lively striker suspended.
Western NSW Mariners v Camden Tigers – Saturday 7pm at Proctor Park
Two teams desperate for a win meet at Proctor Park on Saturday night when Western NSW Mariners entertain Camden Tigers.
Both teams are coming off heavy losses last week, with the Mariners outgunned by Northbridge and Camden going down to Balmain at home.
The Mariners are a different proposition when playing at home and will be looking for an energetic display in front of their home fans.
After matching it with Balmain in the first half last week, Camden will be disappointed to have conceded four goals in the end, and will be looking for a 90 minute performance to get themselves their first win of the season.
It’s still early in the year but this is shaping up as a crucial game as both sides find themselves on the wrong end of the ladder.
Balmain Tigers v Nepean FC – Saturday 7pm at Cook Park
A change in venue and kick off time sees Nepean host Balmain on Saturday night at Cook Park.
A second half fade cost Nepean on the weekend, as they surrendered a 2-1 half time lead and were beaten 3-2 by Stanmore. An interrupted season so far has stopped Nepean from getting any real rhythm, and Coach Malouf will be hoping to get his side on the park and playing regularly so we can see the true potential of his squad.
Balmain grabbed a much needed win last week, defeating Camden 4-1 away from home. The always lethal Rosario Occhipinti, who scored a brace in the win, now finds himself joint top scorer in the competition, and the Tigers will no doubt be looking for him to continue his form this weekend against a tough Nepean outfit.
Gladesville Ryde Magic v Inter Lions – Sunday 2:30pm at Magdala Park
After three wins in a row Gladesville’s streak was ended with a 4-1 defeat by Granville Rage on the weekend. But Gladesville still have their undefeated home record to protect and will be looking to bounce back on Saturday afternoon at Magdala Park when they welcome Inter Lions.
Inters 1-0 defeat to Dulwich Hill leaves them in a delicate position, with the side sitting 7th on the ladder. The Lions have won two and lost three so far this season, and they will need to start converting the many chances they create into goals and victories to keep pace with the competition.
Hakoah Sydney City East v Northbridge FC – Sunday 5pm at Hensley Athletic Field
A mouthwatering clash closes Round 6 with Hakoah tackling Northbridge on Sunday evening. In what could be a Grand Final preview, both teams find themselves in good form with Hakoah sitting on top of the ladder and Northbridge occupying third spot.
Hakoah proved their strength with a 2-0 victory last week away to Hawkesbury to make it four wins in a row.
Last year’s Premiers Northbridge are also starting to find some form, with the side scoring ten goals and keeping clean sheets in their two previous victories against Balmain and the Western NSW Mariners.
Expect this to be a battle of the midfield as both teams possess quality talent in the middle of the park.
State League One – Top Goal Scorers
5 – Nenos Bobo (Granville Rage), Rosario Occhipinti (Balmain)
4 – Lloyd Owusu (Hakoah), Lachlan Wright (Stanmore)
3 – Almir Dizdaric (Granville Rage), Sebastian Camacho (Hawkesbury), Andrew Mckie (Gladesville), Peter Yannopoulos (Gladesville), Lee Jones (Northbridge), Ry Hardy (Northbridge) Kevin Lopes (Hakoah)
2 – Aaron Cordova (Dulwich Hill), Neil Jablonski (Hakoah), Jun Kato (Dulwich Hill), Marino Musumeci (Inter Lions) Miguel Martinez (Inter Lions) Adam Scimone (Western NSW Mariners) Ryan Wilson (Hawkesbury) Wool Reec (Gladesville), Neil Philippou (Stanmore) Mitchell Lensink (Northbridge) Ricky Woodward (Northbridge), Terry Panowitz (Nepean) Frank Calcagno (Dulwich Hill)
-By Diego Munoz
