Mens State League 1 Round 22 Preview
After 21 pulsating rounds of Men’s State League 1 action we head into the last week of the regular season, where the stage is set for a nail-biting Sunday afternoon as some teams jostle for finals positions while other teams will battle for survival.
Stanmore Hawks v Hakoah Sydney City East FC – 3pm Sunday at Arlington Oval
Stanmore welcome Premiers Hakoah to Arlington Oval for Sunday afternoon action.
A disappointing 5-2 home loss to Hawkesbury last week has left Stanmore looking over their shoulder and desperate to ensure their status in the division for next season. The Hawks will want to get some points on the board in their midweek catch up against Balmain before facing league leaders Hakoah.
Hakoah comes into the clash on the back of a 0-0 draw away to Western NSW Mariners. The point makes it four draws in their last four games, and they will be out to get three points this week and to fine tune their game ahead of the finals.
Granville Rage v Nepean FC – 3pm Sunday at Garside Park
Granville Rage are finals bound but their final standing on the ladder is far from determined going into the last round. Last week’s 1-1 draw with Camden leaves the Rage currently sitting in 4th place and in line for an elimination final, but if they can win this week and other results go their way, they are still a chance of finishing as high as second and ensuring two bites at the cherry in the finals series.
Nepean will be in for a tense ride this week with the club right in the thick of the battle taking place at the bottom of the Club Championship. The previous week saw mixed fortunes for Nepean after a 5-1 loss to the Mariners on Thursday night was turned around on Saturday night, when they produced a gutsy 1-0 victory over Gladesville.
Western NSW Mariners FC v Dulwich Hill FC – 3pm Sunday at Glen Willow Stadium
The Western NSW Mariners are another team who are fighting to stay in the division, but they received a massive boost with a couple of good results last week seeing the Mariners move past Camden and Inter into 10th spot on the ladder. In the Club Championship the Mariners have also moved up a few places and will be looking for a positive result this week
Dulwich Hill’s season took a huge hit last week with a 2-1 loss to Balmain now leaving Dully out of the finals spot they have occupied for the majority of the year. Norman Tome’s men sit in 7th place on the ladder and are left with only an outside chance of making the finals, as they will need to collect three points this week and hope neither Balmain nor Hawkesbury pick up wins this week.
Inter Lions SC v Camden Tigers – 3pm Sunday at Lambert Park
Inter host Camden Tigers at Lambert Park on Sunday afternoon, with both teams locked in a battle at the bottom of the ladder and both fighting it out in the Club Championship.
Inter’s late season slump has seen the side now dragged into second last on the ladder, and they find themselves needing to get points in this fixture against direct rival Camden.
Camden picked up another point in their late season revival last week with a 1-1 draw against Granville Rage. Despite not losing in six weeks, four draws on the trot means the Tigers currently find themselves at the bottom of the ladder.
With so much at stake, expect a tense atmosphere as both teams will be determined to come away with the right result.
Gladesville Ryde Magic v Balmain Tigers FC – 3pm Sunday at Magdala Park
Two finals bound teams clash when Gladesville host Balmain Tigers at Magdala Park on Sunday afternoon.
Gladesville lost their grip on second place last week, with their 1-0 loss to Nepean leaving the door open for Northbridge FC to overtake then if they win their catch up game. Despite a fairly consistent season to date, the Magic are still on a tight rope this week and a loss could see the side slip as far back as 4th on the ladder.
Balmain are hitting form at the right time of the season with last week’s 2-1 win over Dulwich Hill putting them into the top five. With a catch up game against Stanmore on Wednesday, the Tigers only need to win one of their two remaining games to book their finals tickets.
Northbridge FC v Hawkesbury City SC – 3pm Sunday at Wentworth Park
Last weeks washout will have Northbridge eager to get back on the pitch as they look to gain some momentum heading into the finals. The Bridge will first need to navigate a midweek catchup against Inter Lions before they turn their attention to the weekend’s fixture, and if they can win both games they will assure themselves second place on the ladder.
Hawkesbury kept up their end of the bargain in their bid for finals football, with a 5-2 victory over Stanmore last week still leaving the side with a mathematical chance of finals action heading into the final round. The Hawks are 6th on the ladder and one point away from fifth placed Balmain, but Balmain only need to win either their midweek catch up or their weekend game to leave the Hawks out of contention.
– By Diego Munoz
