State League Two round 11 Preview
Football NSW Men’s State League 2 round 11 is another Saturday sizzler with Hurstville City Minotaurs versus Enfield Rovers at St George Soccer Stadium (3pm kickoff) followed by the Southern Bulls-Western Condors derby at Ernie Smith Reserve (5pm) and Prospect United against University of NSW at William Lawson Reserve (5pm). On Sunday afternoon Rydalmere Lions journey south to tackle Southern Branch at South Nowra Football Complex (1pm).
Hurstville City Minotaurs versus Enfield Rovers at St George Soccer Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kickoff). There’s a bit of history between the sides and a whole lot more between the coaches as top-four Minotaurs look to bury Rovers’ finals chances. The sides have two wins each in four meetings, including an epic pre-season penalty-shootout Waratah Cup win to Enfield after the sides had been locked 2-2 at extra-time, and ‘The General’ Peter Sarikakis and namesake general Andrew Montgomery have played out plenty more dramatic contests when Montgomery led a Luddenham revival back in the division two days of old. They also contribute plenty of colour to these pages so stay tuned for this one.
Newly established league-leaders Prospect United take on a floundering University of NSW at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday evening (5pm). It’s almost do-or-die for a Uni side that has two wins from eight games and matches against the two Hurstville sides to follow this one, and they’ll be buoyed by their 1-0 defeat of United in round two. But that was on Uni’s home turf and they face a consistent Prospect that have won all three games at trusty William Lawson this winter. United’s arsenal is broad boasting nine scorers in their ranks already, but Uni have seven in theirs to make this a juicy contest.
It’s a delicious south-west Sydney derby when Southern Bulls welcome Western Condors to Ernie Smith Reserve on Saturday evening (5pm). The two rivals bring plenty of trophy success to the sidelines – six division one and two titles between them, and as well as a slight Bulls edge statistically winning four times to three Condors wins, Southern are unbeaten at Ernie Smith this season (although Condors sprung a 4-2 elimination final upset at the ground last year). There’s plenty at stake too with third-placed Bulls just three points ahead of a looming Condors on the points table.
Rydalmere Lions head south into the Southern Branch den at South Nowra Football Complex (1pm) on Sunday afternoon, and there’s a lot on the line for both sides. Sixth-placed Rydalmere need to start firing or watch the top-four drift away but they face a Branch team determined to climb off the bottom of the state league two ladder. Southern claimed last year’s first state league clash between the sides 1-0 but Lions won the next two 5-0 and 3-1 at the same ground in May to give Rydalmere loads of pepper. Branch would greatly love a positive result ahead of next week’s bye.
