Men’s State League 1 Round 17 Preview
The long awaited top of the table clash between Northbridge FC and Hakoah Sydney City East FC highlights Round 17 of the Men’s State League 1 Competition.
With only six games to go, the remaining fixtures also see some crunch games take place.
Dulwich Hill FC v Hawkesbury City SC – 5pm at Benson Lane Reserve
Dulwich Hill and Hawkesbury City get round 17 underway at Bensons Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Dulwich Hill cemented their place in the top 5 with a 5-3 victory over Inter Lions on the weekend. After looking like they could fall out of a finals place a few weeks ago, Norman Tome’s men have a bit of breathing space and are now six points clear of nearest rival Balmain.
Hawkesbury went down 4-1 to Hakoah in their last hit out, the result leaving the Hawks stuck in 7th position on the ladder. With a nine point gap to the 5th placed Dulwich Hill, this is a perfect opportunity for the Hawks to make a tilt at finals football.
Camden Tigers FC v Western NSW Mariners FC – 7pm Saturday at Ron Dine Reserve
Despite their positions on the ladder, Saturday nights clash between Camden Tigers and Western NSW Mariners is shaping up to be cracking contest.
After going the first 14 rounds without a win, a resurgent Camden Tigers are now looking for their third win on the trot. Last week’s gritty 1-0 victory over Balmain has Camden riding high on confidence as they look for some late season momentum.
The Mariners are also in good form, with last week’s 2-0 over second placed Northbridge FC their best win of the season. The win makes it seven points from the last three games for the Mariners, who continue their steady improvement and are closing in on the teams above them.
Stanmore Hawks v Granville Rage – Sunday 3pm at Garside Park
Stanmore Hawks host Granville Rage on Sunday afternoon, with the home side looking to get back in the winner’s circle after two straight losses
A 2-1 loss to Nepean FC last week leaves Stanmore on the wrong end of the ladder, and after an initial good start for new coach John Theodoropoulos, they’ll need a win this week to steady the ship.
Granville Rage comes into the clash on the back of an impressive 3-2 away victory against Gladesville Ryde Magic, the victory made even more special as it was the first time an away team has managed to take the three points at fortress Magdala Park.
Northbridge FC v Hakoah Sydney City East FC – 3pm Sunday at Northbridge Oval
The much anticipated top of the table clash takes centre stage on Sunday afternoon with Northbridge FC hosting high flying Hakoah Sydney City East FC.
For Northbridge a shock 2-0 loss to the Western NSW Mariners leaves the side with some catching up to do, and though the gap at the top of the ladder was only three points a few weeks ago, some poor results now see ‘The Bridge” eight points away from the top spot.
Hakoah continued their march towards the Premiership last week with a 4-1 over Hawkesbury City. Mark Robertson’s men claimed honours in the fixture early this season, and a win this weekend will go a long way to the team claiming the Minor Premiership.
With both teams playing a possession based attacking game, expect a high octane encounter on Sunday.
Nepean FC v Balmain Tigers – 3pm Sunday at Wentworth Park
Nepean broke a four week slump on the weekend with the 2-1 victory over Stanmore Hawks, their first victory in over a month. The result pushes Nepean to 8th position on the ladder, and they will be confident coming into the weekend after dismantling Balmain in their previous fixture earlier this year.
After closing the gap to 5th place down to one point, Balmain looked for all money like they would be pushing into a finals place sooner rather than later, but a three week run without a win has now seen the gap open up to six points.
This week looms as a must win game for the Tigers.
Inter Lions SC v Gladesville Ryde Magic – 7pm at Crest Athletic Centre
The round closes with a late Sunday night fixture as Inter Lions take on Gladesville Ryde Magic at Crest Athletic Centre.
Languishing in 10th spot, things haven’t gone according to script for the Lions. Despite showing some good signs last week, they were on the wrong end of a 5-3 loss to Dulwich Hill, making it four losses in a row for Matteo Maiorana’s men. They will be looking for an improved defensive display this weekend, with 11 goals conceded in the last two games.
Gladesville suffered a setback last weekend after losing 3-2 to Granville Rage. The Magic missed an opportunity to close the gap to 2nd and will also be ruing their first loss of the season at Magdala Park.
-By Diego Munoz
