Mens State League 1 Round 16 Preview
With 7 rounds to go, its crunch time for the Men’s State League 1 competition as all teams look to leave their mark in the run home to seasons end.
Dulwich Hill FC v Inter Lions SC – Saturday 3pm at Garside park
The round opens at Garside Park with Dulwich Hill hosting Inter Lions on Saturday afternoon.
Dully will be looking to follow on from last week’s result, where they defeated Granville Rage 2-1. The victory was crucial for Dulwich Hill as the teams chasing them were held to draws and they now have a 3 point cushion to their nearest rival.
Inter were defeated 6-1 by Hakoah in the last round, the Lions managed to stay with the league leaders in the first half but the game fell away from them in the second period.
Western NSW Mariners FC v Northbridge FC – Saturday 5pm at Proctor Park
The Mariners picked up another positive result on the weekend by claiming a hard earned point in a 1-1 draw against Hawkesbury City.
That makes it a win and a draw in the last two games for Andrew Fearnley’s men, who have seen a significant improvement in the second half of the season. The improvement has coincided with the arrival of overseas recruit Johnny Rimmer, who has galvanised the side and been instrumental in the sides much assured recent defensive displays.
Northbridge lost ground in the title race with a 4-4 draw against Balmain Tigers. Despite being down 4-2 in the second half, the Bridge were able fight back and grab a share of the spoils, however the draw now sees the gap to first place Hakoah jump out to 5 points.
Gladesville Ryde Magic v Granville Rage – Sunday 3pm at Magdala Park
A top 5 battle takes place on Sunday afternoon with Gladesville welcoming Granville Rage to Magdala Park.
Gladesville chalked up another win in their last hit out with 2-1 victory over Stanmore Hawks, and the win now cements the Magic in 3rd spot after some impressive recent results.
Granville Rage enter the clash on the back of a 2-1 loss to Dulwich Hill. Still in 4th place, they’ll be looking for a bounce back effort this week, but it will be a tall order as Gladesville look to protect their undefeated home record.
Stanmore Hawks v Nepean FC – Sunday 3pm at Popondetta Park
Two teams coming off losses meet at Popondetta Park on Sunday when Stanmore tackle Nepean FC.
Stanmore went down 2-1 against Gladesville on the weekend and remain in 8th position on the ladder. The Hawks claimed a 3-2 victory the last time these two teams met and will be hoping Neil Philippou can keep up his recent goal scoring form, with the striker finding the back of the net in the last 4 consecutive games.
For Nepean, last week’s 2-1 loss to Camden leaves the side with 4 losses on the trot. Injuries and suspensions are starting to catch up to Adam Malouf’s men, and they will be looking to arrest the recent slide this weekend.
Balmain Tigers FC v Camden Tigers– Sunday 3pm at Wentworth Park
The battle of the Tigers sees Balmain host Camden Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
Balmain saw a 4-2 lead evaporate in their last hit out, having to settle for a 4-4 draw against Northbridge FC. Despite the draw the Tigers still occupy 6th spot on the ladder and are still within striking distance of finals football.
Meanwhile a huge weight has been lifted of Camden’s shoulders, with the club winning their first game of the season last week in a 2-1 victory over Nepean FC. Coach Mackechnie will be hoping this can be the spark his team needs as they look to move up the ladder during the back end of the season.
Hakoah Sydney City East FC v Hawkesbury City SC – Sunday 5pm at Hensley Athletic Field
The last game of the round sees Hakoah host Hawkesbury City on Sunday evening.
Fresh from a 6-1 victory over Inter Lions, league leaders Hakoah show no sign of slowing down. As they march towards the finals, the last two games have seen a combined 11 goals, taking the season tally up to a whopping 50 goals. At the other end Hakoah also boast a league best defensive record, showing just how strong this side is.
Hawkesbury’s mini revival up the ladder hit a road block last week with the Hawks conceding late in a 1-1 draw against the Western NSW Mariners. That makes it two weeks in a row now that the Hawks have surrendered leads after being in winning positions late in the game, and the dropped points could prove costly in their bid for finals football.
-By Diego Munoz
