Men’s State League 1 Round 21 Preview
This weekend’s penultimate round sees the stakes go even higher for the Men’s State league 1 competition as the battle at both ends of the ladder looks set to go down to the wire.
Balmain Tigers FC v Dulwich Hill FC – 3pm Saturday at Arlington Oval
All eyes will be on Arlington Oval this Saturday as Balmain and Dulwich Hill go to battle for the last finals spot.
A late lapse saw Dulwich Hill held to a 2-2 draw by Nepean in the last round. The draw still leaves Dulwich Hill two points in front of Balmain, but with the Tigers yet to play their catch up game, Dully will need the three points this week to keep ahead in the finals race.
Balmain also claimed a point on the weekend in a 0-0 stalemate against Hakaoh. After chasing Dulwich Hill for most of the year, the Tigers can potentially find themselves in 5th spot by the weekend if they can take care of business against Stanmore Hawks in their catch up game.
Expect a fiercely contested encounter as a win for either side will put them in pole position.
Western NSW Mariners FC v Hakoah Sydney City East FC – Saturday 6pm at Proctor Park
Western NSW Mariners face a tough assignment this week as they welcome high flying Hakoah on Saturday night.
Still locked in their battle for survival, the Mariners 1-1 draw with Stanmore last week wasn’t enough to pull them off the bottom of the ladder as Camden still remain one point clear. A midweek catch up game against Nepean FC now looms as a crunch game.
Hakoah head into the clash fresh from more success over the weekend after a 0-0 draw with Balmain was enough to wrap up the Club Championship for season 2014. The Premiers can now turn their focus towards the finals, and will be looking for maximum points after being held to draws in their last three matches.
Nepean FC v Gladesville Ryde Magic – Saturday 7pm at Cook Park
Nepean showed all their fighting spirit in a 2-2 draw with Dulwich Hill last week, with two goals in the last ten minutes earning a crucial point for Adam Malouf’s men. They’ll need to show more of the same in their battle to stay in the division, with season defining matches coming up in the next two weeks.
Gladesville were held to a battling 0-0 draw against Camden on the weekend, but with other results going their way, the point was enough for the Magic to move up to outright second place on the ladder. The Magic can ill afford to rest on their laurels however with Northbridge and Granville only a win away.
Camden Tigers v Granville Rage – Saturday 7pm at Ron Dine Reserve
Camden continue to pick up points in their late season surge with a 0-0- draw against Gladesville Ryde Magic over the weekend. The Tigers are now on a six week unbeaten streak and a win this week will be a boost as they look to keep ahead of the Western NSW Mariners in the Club Championship.
Two wins in four days was just what the doctor ordered for Granville Rage, with a 2-0 victory over Inter Lions on Thursday night followed by an impressive 2-1 win over Northbridge FC. The side sits 4th on the ladder and has left a five point gap to 5th placed Dulwich Hill, and with second place only two points away, they still have everything to play for.
Stanmore Hawks v Hawkesbury City SC – Sunday 3pm at Arlington Oval
A battle of the Hawks takes place Sunday when Stanmore welcome Hawkesbury City to Arlington Oval.
Stanmore have steadied the ship recently with two draws and a win in their last three games keeping them away from the battle at the bottom of the ladder. Last week’s 1-1 away draw to Western NSW Mariners saw Stanmore solidify 9th spot on the ladder.
Hawkesbury live to fight another day in their bid for finals football. A 3-1 victory over Inter Lion’s leaves the side 7th on the ladder and three points away from Dulwich Hill. The Hawks are on a tight rope and will need to win their remaining games and hope other results can go their way to have any chance of sneaking in to the finals.
Inter Lions SC v Northbridge FC – 7pm Sunday at The Crest Athletic Centre
The round closes with Inter Lions hosting Northbridge FC on Sunday night.
Inter’s last hit out saw them fall 3-1 at home to Hawkesbury City, with the loss leaving Inter 10th on the ladder and in a real form slump as they navigate the seasons end with a large injury toll.
Northbridge were on the wrong end of a 2-1 score line against Granville Rage last week, and despite taking an early lead, the “Bridge” couldn’t find a way back into the game and have now dropped to third spot on the ladder. Although it’s been six weeks since their last win, the closeness of the competition and Northbridge’s solid form earlier in the year still has them well placed for a finals assault.
– By Diego Munoz
