Mens State League 1 Round 20 Preview

With Hakoah clinching the premiership last week, a captivating Round 20 awaits as every matchup in this week’s Men’s State League 1 competition will have serious implications on each teams end of season standings. 
Western NSW Mariners FC v Stanmore Hawks – 6pm Saturday at Glen Willow Stadium
Round 20 gets underway at Mudgee, with the Western NSW Mariners fighting for their Division 1 status against Stanmore Hawks.
Last weeks 3-1 loss to Balmain leaves the Mariners anchored to the bottom of the ladder. With time running out in the season, the Mariners will look to make the most of their home ground advantage, with the last four games all home fixtures.
Stanmore bought themselves some breathing space last week with their impressive 5-2 victory over Inter Lions, with a three goal second half sealing the points. The win leaves the Hawks sitting in 8^th spot as they look to finish the season as high up as possible.
Dulwich Hill FC v Nepean FC – 3pm Sunday at Arlington Oval
Dulwich Hill take on Nepean FC on Sunday, with both teams on a tightrope coming into the clash.
Despite maintaining a finals place for most of the year, Dulwich Hill now face the real prospect of slipping out of the top five. Last week’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Camden Tigers means the side can be leapfrogged by Balmain if the Tigers win their catch up game.
Nepean meanwhile put in a battling display last week to claim a surprising point against Hakoah, the point may well prove to be crucial with the side also currently locked in a battle to stay in the division. A pleasing aspect for Coach Malouf will be the numerous youngsters that stepped up to first grade and performed admirably last week.
Gladesville Ryde Magic v Camden Tigers – 3pm Sunday at Magdala Park
Gladesville tackle Camden on Sunday with the home side looking to get back to winning ways at Magdala Park. The Magic missed their chance to claim outright second spot with a 1-1 draw against Northbridge leaving both sides equal on points.
Camden continued their late season revival with a 1-1 draw away to Dulwich Hill. The Tigers have now gone five weeks without tasting defeat and the point was enough to lift them of the bottom of the ladder. Captain Daniel Semaan has stepped up to the plate recently with some crucial goals over the last few weeks.
Northbridge FC v Granville Rage – 3pm Sunday at Northbridge Oval
Northbridge return home on Sunday afternoon when they entertain Granville Rage.
A 1-1 draw against Gladesville last week has seen the Bridge maintain second spot on the ladder, but their form has been patchy of late and it’s been five weeks since their last victory. With the finals creeping up they’ll be looking to hit some form this week.
Rage were unable to come away with any points in their last hit out, going down 3-2 to Hawkesbury. The loss leaves Mauricio Islas side in 4^th spot and still needing a few more wins to confirm their place in the in the finals, but with a catch up game left to play they are still in pole position.
Balmain Tigers FC v Hakoah Sydney City East FC – 3pm Sunday at Wentworth Park
Balmain took care of business last week and are now looming as a real smoky in the competition. A 3-1 victory over the Mariners means the Tigers are now only two points away from 5^th spot, and with a game in hand the Tigers are in charge of their own destiny for the run home.
Recently crowned Premiers, Hakoah will look to continue their march towards a season climax. The league leaders have been a step above all season long, and now the Premiership is in the bag they will have one eye on the finals, as well as their upcoming FFA Cup tie.
Inter Lions SC v Hawkesbury City SC – 7 pm Sunday at the Crest Athletic Centre
Round 20 closes on Sunday night with the Inter Lions hosting Hawkesbury City.
A 5-2 loss to Stanmore Hawks last week leaves Inter still searching for a much needed morale boosting victory. The Lions led the game in the first half and were well in the contest at half time, but ultimately had nothing to show for their efforts. This week presents a chance for Inter to impact the finals places with a win all but ending Hawkesbury’s season.
Hawkesbury’s 3-2 victory over Granville Rage ensures their season stays alive for at least another a week. Needing other results to go their way, the Hawks outside chance of finals football goes on the line this week, with only a win good enough to keep them in the hunt.
– By Diego Munoz