Mens State League 1 Round 8 Preview

Heading into Round 8 this week, we see some crucial games that will have an important impact on the table.
With numerous games pitting closely placed teams against each other, there will be opportunity for sides to overtake and shoot up the ladder.
Granville Rage v Hawkesbury City – 3pm Saturday at Garside Park
Round 8 kicks off with high flying Granville Rage welcoming Hawkesbury City on Saturday afternoon.
The Rage edged out another victory on the weekend by defeating Inter Lions 3-2, and much like the week before, Rage had to grit their teeth and deal with sustained pressure at the end of the game to come away with the win. The signs are good for Mauricio Islas’ team this season, with the side boasting a strong forward line and also having the equal best defence in the league so far.
Hawkesbury broke their recent slump with a midweek 2-1 victory over local rivasl Nepean, but fell short again on the weekend going down 3-0 to Gladesville. In a closer match than what the score suggested, the Hawks were well in the contest but ultimately came away empty handed.
Camden Tigers v Dulwich Hill – 7pm Saturday at Ron Dine Reserve

Bottom placed Camden Tigers host Dulwich Hill on Saturday night in a game the home side will be desperate to win.
Sitting bottom of the ladder after a 2-0 defeat to Hakoah, Coach Mackechnie will need to rally the troops as they will be in for another tough assignment while searching for their first win of the season.
It was a tough first game in charge for new Dulwich Hill coach Norman Tome, as his side went down 4-1 to a slick Northbridge outfit on the weekend. There were positive signs however with the team creating plenty of chances on the day, but the game ran away from them in the end. Dulwich Hill will also be without Sam Cornish, who is suspended for this week’s clash.
Western NSW Mariners v Balmain Tigers FC – 7pm Saturday at Glen Willow Stadium
This week’s home game for the Mariners takes us to Mudgee, where Glen Willow Stadium will be the venue for the visiting Balmain Tigers FC.
The Mariners put in a good effort last week but were on the wrong end of 3-2 score line away to Nepean. It’s no secret the Mariners are a stronger proposition at home, with all their points so far this year having come from home games, so expect a fired up outfit this week.
Balmain managed a 1-1 draw in their last hit out against Stanmore Hawks, but despite conceding a goal in stoppage time, Coach Di Giulio was pleased with the side’s performance last week.
Apart from the long road trip to contend with, Balmain defender Samuel Falinga will also miss the clash due to suspension.
Northbridge v Gladesville Ryde Magic – 3pm Sunday at Northbridge
Northbridge take on Gladesville on Sunday in a contest that sees 3^rd against 4^th on the ladder.
Northbridge leapfrogged into 4^th place with an impressive performance in their 4-1 victory over Dulwich Hill. The side is now sitting pretty on the ladder and a win in this week will see them overtake Gladesville and move up another position to 3^rd on the table.
Gladesville are also coming off a win after grinding out a tough 3-0 victory over Hawkesbury on the weekend. The side is still undefeated at home, but they will need to replicate that form on the road in what should be a closely contested match. Gladesville striker Majid Eslami will look to continue his recent goal scoring form, having found the back of the net in his side’s last three games.
Hakoah Sydney City East v Nepean FC – 5pm Sunday at Hensley Athletic Field

Table topping Hakoah show no sign of slowing down with a 2-0 victory over Camden Tigers that made it six wins in a row for the league leaders. Apart from the great league form, they have also navigated their way to the Quarter Final stage of the Waratah Cup, and will definitely take some stopping this year.
Nepean had mixed fortunes last week, they were defeated 2-1 by local rivals Hawkesbury in their midweek catch up, but they were able to gain a valuable three points with a 3-2 win against the Western NSW Mariners on Saturday night. The win on Saturday leaves Nepean in 6^th place and just outside the finals spot. Nepean has the side to trouble the league leaders but will need to be at their best to come away with points this weekend.
Inter Lions v Stanmore Hawks – 7pm Sunday at The Crest Athletic Centre
Sunday night sees another crunch game take place as Inter Lions welcome Stanmore Hawks to The Crest. Both teams are on equal points, with Stanmore sitting 9^th while Inter is 10^th going into this round.
Inter Lions can’t seem to catch a break at the moment, and were defeated 3-2 by Granville Rage in their game last weekend. The side had its share of possession and created plenty of chances, but they just can’t find the back of the net right now. With four straight losses, Coach Maiorana will be looking to arrest the slide this week.
Stanmore claimed a hard earned point last week with 1-1 draw against Balmain. The Hawks were down a goal but kept hammering away right till the end, and were rewarded with a late equaliser to gain a crucial point. Expect a fiercely contested battle in this matchup as both sides look to make their move up the ladder.
State League One – Top Goal Scorers
6 – Rosario Occhipinti (Balmain)
5 – Nenos Bobo (Granville Rage), Lloyd Owusu (Hakoah),

4 – Lachlan Wright (Stanmore), Lee Jones (Northbridge), Terry Pannowitz (Nepean)

3 – Almir Dizdaric (Granville Rage), Sebastian Camacho (Hawkesbury), Andrew Mckie (Gladesville), Peter Yannopoulos (Gladesville), Ry Hardy (Northbridge), Michael Cole (Northbridge) Oliver Babington (Northbridge) Adam Scimone (Western NSW Mariners), Frank Calgano (Dulwich Hill), Majid Eslami (Gladesville) Daniel Bortolazzo (Granville Rage) 

-By Diego Munoz