SUPA IGA NPL NSW Mens 2 Round 18 Preview

It’s Round 18 of the SUPA IGA NPL NSW Mens 2 and the stakes are becoming evermore apparent.
Plenty of story lines ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, with Parramatta looking to become the first team to guarantee finals football and Fraser Park vying to lift themselves off the foot of the Club Championship for the first time in a number of months.
No position is sacred in the top half of the table and we can expect a few more shake ups to the order as Sydney University travel to Northern Tigers and Central Coast Mariners Academy host Hills Brumbies.

Match of the Round – Mounties Wanderers v Parramatta FC – Saturday 7.30pm, Cook Park (Mt Prichard)
Last time they met: Rd 7 – Parramatta FC 1-0 Mounties Wanderers
Form guide:
Mounties – DWDLL 6^th
Parramatta – DWDWW 1^st
A belter of a match up to reign in round 18 of the competition as Mounties welcome league leaders Parramatta to Cook Park.
It’s been a tempestuous few weeks for Mounties, who have been unable to claim a stranglehold over one of the top five positions courtesy of a tricky fixture list which has seen them suffer back-to-back defeats at the hands of Northern Tigers and Sydney Uni.
Neither defeat has been significantly damaging consider Wanderers remain in sixth position, only one point behind Bankstown City, but we’re entering the rocky point of the season where any dropped points can provide an open invitation to other teams.
It will be much of the same from Mounties this weekend.
And much of the same, too, from Parramatta, who have barely put a foot wrong this season. Another win at the weekend maintained the Eagles’ seven-point buffer atop the Mens 2 ladder. Although they can afford a sense of comfort, there will be no complacency from Frank Cosentino’s with plenty still to play for.
A win against Mounties will tick the first box for the season – a guaranteed place in the finals. Then there is the club championship, which has Northern Tigers chasing just 18 points behind, meaning first grade results could prove decisive in the race for promotion.

Central Coast Mariners Academy v Hills Brumbies – Saturday 6.30pm, Pluim Park
Last time they met: Rd 7 – Hills Brumbies 5-0 Central Coast Mariners Academy
Form guide:
Central Coast Mariners Academy – WWLWL 7^th
Hills Brumbies – LDDDL 8^th
Hills’ finals hopes could hinge on this weekend’s trip to Pluim Park. Eighth-placed Brumbies risk falling eight points outside the finals positions with just four matches remaining if they can’t find a way behind Central Coast Mariners Academy.
After a rampaging run in the middle of the season, Hills have slipped further down the ladder as a result of a six-game winless streak. But one of the great things about watching Nestor Meneses’ men is their unpredictability. Give them a chance and they’ll take it with both hands, as their last victory – a 3-0 disposal of Northern Tigers – proved.
The last time these two clashed, Hills got the chocolates in a 5-0 whitewash at Lilys Football Centre and it’s hard to predict a similarly one-sided affair.
Mariners have been on a steady rise during the second round of competition and will harbour realistic ambitions of going all the way if they can get to the finals.
But last week’s defeat to Fraser Park proved their are still a few cracks in the young squad. Two of the league’s most exciting teams on their day should dish up an entertaining affair in this one.

Fraser Park v Macarthur Rams – Saturday 7.30pm, Sydney United Sports Centre
Last time they met: Rd 7 – Macarthur 1-0 Fraser Park
Form guide:
Fraser Park – LDDWW 11^th
Macarthur Rams – DLLLW 3^rd
Just when Fraser Park’s first grade team looked to be sending the club spiralling towards relegation, up they’ve popped to prove potential saviours.
Two wins and two draws from their last four games has Fraser Park sitting just nine points behind Hills Brumbies at the nadir of the Club Championship and it looks to be a battle in two between the first grade sides to avoid the drop.
Regardless of results from here, it’s been an important couple of weeks for Mile Todorovski’s men who have been rewarded for their persistence.
A major road block lies ahead, though, with a resurgent Macarthur likely to prove relentless in their search for back-to-back wins for the first time in two and a half months.
Rams powered past Mt Druitt on Saturday night to bounce back from defeat to Parramatta a week earlier and a 5-1 loss to A-League side Sydney FC midweek.
They face another distraction on Wednesday night against Western Sydney Wanderers, with the main objective surely to get all players through unscathed.
It’s difficult to see Rams not qualifying for the finals and the remainder of the regular season will all be about regaining some much-needed momentum.

Bankstown Berries v Mt Druitt Town Rangers – Saturday 7.30pm, The Crest Athletic Centre
Last time they met: Rd 7 – Mt Druitt 0-3 Berries
Form guide:
Bankstown Berries – LLWLL 12^th
Mt Druitt Town Rangers – WWLLL 10^th
There hasn’t been much to cheer about for either of these teams recently. After picking up consecutive wins in June, Mt Druitt have now lost three on the trot and need plenty of favours to earn the right to play finals football.
Then again, this season has always been about rebuilding for Rangers and the success of the Under 20s side shows positive signs of that. Rangers were brushed off the park last time they faced Berries in round 7, to the tune of 3-0, and will consider themselves a much more solid outfit than they were three months ago.
Berries will feel unfortunate to be sitting alone at the bottom, despite suffering four losses from their last five matches. Each one has been decided by a solitary goal and they look a remarkably changed side to the one that started the season.
To be fair, Wally Savor’s men have played each of the top six teams over the last six weeks and managed wins against second-placed Tigers and third-placed Macarthur in that time.
Plenty of permutations out of this one, with Berries capable of leaping above Mt Druitt with a win and Rangers in danger of slipping into 12th with anything less than a point.

Spirit FC v Bankstown City – Sunday 3pm, Christie Park
Last time they met: Rd 7 – Bankstown City 2-1 Spirit FC
Form guide:
Spirit FC – LDWLW 9^th
Bankstown City – DDLDL 5^th
Spirit would be sitting in last place had they not beaten Hills over the weekend. Instead, they’re propped up in ninth and high on confidence after the 5-2 result.
Tony Walmsley’s charges have a difficult run in, with fixtures against four finals contenders over the next five weeks, starting with a demoralised Bankstown City fresh off a 4-0 rout at the hands of Northern Tigers.
Instability has been a trademark of the Lions’ season, with four coaches passed through the ranks in some capacity and player movement unusually high courtesy of injuries, suspensions and other matters.
Still, Bankstown City sit in fifth place and have the pedigree to remain well and truly in the mix heading into September.
Spirit must take advantage of their momentum as they look to shake the threat of a wooden spoon.

Northern Tigers v Sydney University – Sunday 3pm, Mills Park
Last time they met: Rd 7 – Sydney Uni 0-1 Northern Tigers
Form guide:
Northern Tigers – LWLWW 2^nd
Sydney University – LWWWW 4^th
Mills Park will play host to a showdown of two of the competition’s form teams. Second-placed Tigers, with three wins from their last five matches, face fourth-placed Sydney University, on a rich run of four wins straight.
After knocking on the door for so long, Uni finally burst into the top five thanks to a gritty 2-1 win over Mounties Wanderers, sparked by a brace from captain Peter Crevani.
Raul Blanco’s men will have plenty of their rivals concerned if they can maintain this energy heading into the finals, but it is far from mission accomplished, given the tight nature of the ladder.
Parramatta and Tigers remain the only teams in the top half that Uni are yet to beat and they will be eager to stamp their authority with victory here.
It will be a formidable task if Tigers’ display against Bankstown City is any indication. Without their two most prolific goalscorers – Matthew West (season) and Liam McConaghy – Jason Eagar’s side proved ruthless in attack.
Alternative goal sources have popped up on request, with Mitchell Smith bagging four from his last two games and Lucas Dawson bagging a brace on the weekend.
Both sides are serious challengers for the Championship and have a chance to halt one another’s run in what should be a tightly-contested match 
– By Mitchell Grima