Mens State League Two Round 14 Preview
Mens State League Two round 14 shapes as this season’s most pivotal weekend with three top-six match-ups, Hurstville City Minotaurs versus Southern Bulls at St George Soccer Stadium on Saturday evening (5pm) followed by Prospect United against Rydalmere Lions at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday night (7pm). On Sunday afternoon (3pm) Western Condors host Hurstville FC at Calabria Sports Ground while Southern Branch tackle University of NSW at South Nowra Football Complex.
Enfield Rovers have the bye.
History collides when Hurstville City Minotaurs clash with Southern Bulls at St George Soccer Stadium on Saturday evening (5pm). The iconic clubs have had some memorable clashes over the year, maybe none more so than the Bulls’ penalty-shootout major semi-final win and follow-up 2-1 grand final triumph over Hurstville in 2010. Three draws in their past five meetings (including 2-2 in May) underlines a genuine competitiveness between the sides and there’s so much at stake this time round that a draw wouldn’t help either club. What’s for sure is Southern’s backline won’t give an inch having leaked just two goals in more than 12 hours of football.
What a game of football we can expect when Prospect United play Rydalmere Lions at William Lawson Reserve on Saturday night (7pm). Competition leaders Prospect are unbeaten in seven games (scoring 19 goals and conceding just two) and meet an equally in-form Rydalmere side that’s won five straight (15 goals scored, three conceded). United have won all five contests at their William Lawson fortress this season but the Lions have performed almost as well on the road winning four of five away trips to add plenty of juice to this match up. Rydalmere beat Prospect 3-1 in May.
Western Condors host Hurstville FC in a big match-up at Calabria Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon (3pm). After losing four straight sixth-placed Condors are clinging to a top-four dream (seven points adrift) and face a second-placed Hurstville side unbeaten in a month (they’ve conceded just once in this time too). Hurstville’s 3-0 win at St George Stadium in May was their first over the Condors club in over a decade and they’ve not lost an away game this season to give them real credence heading into this fixture. It’s all or nothing for Western…
It’s a battle of a different kind when Southern Branch tackle University of NSW at South Nowra Football Complex on Sunday afternoon (3pm). Branch are bottom of the pile four points behind Uni and a result this weekend will be a massive boost in trying to avoid the wooden spoon. Together they’ve conceded 62 goals in 21 shaky games and only managed to score 17 goals between them, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll fare against each other this weekend. Uni have won all three encounters against Branch, including a 2-1 win in Nowra in May.
