Men’s State League 1 Week 3 Final Series Preview
A mouthwatering preliminary final awaits the Men’s State League 1 competition this week with Northbridge FC locking horns against rivals Balmain Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Arlington Oval.
The two sides have played some memorable finals encounters in recent years and this week‘s clash has all the makings for another classic, with the winner meeting Hakoah in next week’s Grand Final.
Northbridge FC v Balmain Tigers FC – Sunday 4pm at Arlington Oval
Northbridge will still be smarting from their semifinal loss against Hakoah last week, going down 2-1 in a match that could’ve gone either way, but they will need to move on quickly as another tight contest looms large this week against the streaking Tigers.
The first week of finals action saw Northbridge claim a solid 2-0 victory over Granville Rage, and despite last week’s loss, their 2nd place finish in the regular season sees them use their second bite at the cherry.
The ‘Bridge’ have played a fast paced attacking brand of football all year long and expect no different this week, with key players Lee Jones, Mitchell Lensink and Paul Orgad hitting their straps at the perfect time.
Northbridge coach Joe Haywood shared his thoughts ahead of the game, “We’re looking forward to the game, I think last week we played well and we’ll look to bring that into this match. We know what we want to do and the boys are real positive and excited for the clash”.
After last year’s Grand Final loss to Balmain, coach Haywood is well aware of the threat that the Tigers pose, “In regards to Balmain we know what they’re going to bring, they are the Champions from last year and it’s up to us to stop them”.
Balmain come into the match riding a huge wave of momentum, having won five of their last six games, including a 2-0 victory over Gladesville in the first week of the finals and a 4-0 victory over Granville Rage in last week’s semifinal.
The Tigers were at their devastating best last week and their well organised defence is yet to concede a goal in the finals series, whilst upfront the Tigers have been clinical in front of goal in recent weeks, racking up 12 goals in the last three games.
Coach Joe Di Giulio has gotten his tactics spot on to be able to get the best out of his side at the right time of the year, and is ready for this weeks do or die clash, “Last time we played it was a high scoring match. They are a very hard team, they play well and are very attacking with good wingers, but I’m confident we can match them this week. We have our game plan ready to make sure we mark their key players and the boys are ready to go again”.
There has been no shortage of goals when these two sides have met this year, with Northbridge grabbing a 3-0 win when the sides met in round 4, while a 4-4 draw took place in the round 15 fixture between them.
With plenty of history between the two sides and a spot in the Grand Final at stake, this will surely be a game not to be missed.
Grade 20’s
Northbridge FC v Dulwich Hill – Sunday 1.30pm at Arlington Oval
Northbridge will take on Dulwich Hill in the Grade 20’s preliminary final, with a spot in the grand final against Hakoah awaiting the winner.
Despite last week’s 2-0 loss to Hakoah, Premiers Northbridge will still be confident of a win after defeating Dulwich Hill both times in the regular season.
Dulwich Hill come into the clash riding high after showing some good form in the finals series, and after finishing fourth on the ladder, a 3-0 victory over Granville Rage in the elimination final was followed up last week with a 3-1 win over Hawkesbury City.
– By Diego Munoz
