Mens State League 1 Round 15 Preview
With the top two teams streaking away and battling for top spot, this round sees a number of crucial games as the rest of the teams jostle for position on the ladder.
Dulwich Hill FC v Granville Rage – 3pm Saturday at Garside Park
Two teams coming off losses get round 15 underway on Saturday with Dulwich Hill tackling Granville Rage at Garside Park.
A 1-0 Loss to Gladesville on the weekend leaves Dulwich Hill in 5th position, but the pressure from the chasing pack is starting to mount as Balmain now move within a point.
The Rage were also on the end of a disappointing result with a heavy loss to Hakoah seeing the side drop to 4th place on the ladder after being overtaken by Gladesville.
Western NSW Mariners FC v Hawkesbury City SC – 5pm Saturday at Glen Willow Stadium
Mudgee will see more Division 1 action when the Western NSW Mariners welcome Hawkesbury City on Saturday night.
The Mariners will come into this game with a spring in their step after claiming a 2-0 victory over Inter Lions on the weekend. The win is the second of the season for the Mariners, and after already defeating Hawkesbury earlier in the season, they will be confident of a positive result this week.
Hawkesbury were left to rue the one that got away last week, with a goal in the last seconds seeing Balmain pinch a 2-2 draw. Despite the result, the Hawks are still in the finals hunt and can ill afford to take the Mariners lightly.
Stanmore Hawks v Gladesville Ryde Magic – 7pm Saturday at Popondetta Park
New Stanmore coach John Theodoropoulos celebrated his first win in charge as head coach on the weekend with a 2-0 victory over Camden Tigers. With a win and a draw in the last two rounds, the Hawks will be looking for another positive result this week.
A tight 1-0 win over Dulwich Hill on the weekend sees Gladesville move up to 3rd on the ladder as they gather steam for the run home with some impressive recent results. Coach George Ganiatsas has also welcomed on board new signing Lachlan Wright for the rest of the season.
Camden Tigers v Nepean FC – 7pm Saturday at Ron Dine Reserve
Two teams in much need of a win face off on Saturday night with Camden Tigers hosting Nepean FC.
Camden went down 2-1 against Stanmore Hawks last week and now face an uphill battle to get off the foot of the ladder, with a 6 point gap to the nearest placed team.
Nepean meanwhile will be wanting to put last week’s 1-0 loss to Northbridge behind them. With two men sent off inside the first 15 minutes, Adam Malouf’s side battled hard to no avail and will be looking to get back on track this weekend.
Northbridge FC v Balmain Tigers FC – Sunday 3pm at Northbridge Oval
Sunday action sees a replay of last year’s Grand Final with Northbridge FC hosting Balmain Tigers.
A last second goal saw Balmain claim a point against Hawkesbury in a gutsy performance last week, and with other results going their way, the Tigers now find themselves only one point outside of a finals place.
Northbridge laboured to a 1-0 victory over Nepean FC last week, the win seeing them take their winning streak to eight games in a row and maintain the pressure on league leaders Hakoah.
With both teams in good form, expect a closely fought encounter.
Inter Lions SC v Hakoah Sydney City East FC – Sunday 7pm at The Crest Athletic Centre
After a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Western NSW Mariners on the weekend, Inter Lions now find themselves slipping away from finals contention with two losses in a row, and things won’t get any easier this weekend with league leaders Hakoah visiting on Sunday night.
Hakoah were lethal in a 5-0 rout against Granville Rage last week and maintained their three point lead at the top of the ladder. Boasting a team full of experience and class, and with the club looking forward to the FFA Cup, the buzz continues to build around the Eastern Sydney based side as they embark on what could be a landmark year.
-By Diego Munoz
