Futsal Premier and State League Round 1 Review

It was a tantalizing round one lot of fixtures as the 2014-2015 Futsal Premier and State League competitions commenced over the weekend with a number of interesting first round results. 

Premier League

What a weekend in the Open Mens Premier League with Inner West Magic holding three-time champs Dural Warriors to a fiery 1-1 draw at Valentine Sports Park.

Ten cards were dished out in the spirited contest (including one red), as traded first-half scores ultimately settled the heated affair and indicate that this year’s defence will test Dural’s resolve.

Newcomers UTS Northside accounted for themselves well in their debut premier league clash with Enfield at Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre, Rovers nipping the game in the bud 5-4 after the sides were deadlocked 2-2 at the break.

Last comp’s Golden Boot Shervin Adeli was at his irresistible best netting twice for Enfield, while Grant Lynch (who scored in UTS’s state league open men triumph last summer) bagged a double for the gallant northerners.

(Northside’s 17 Girls, 15 Girls and 14 Boys sides became the first teams to earn premier league points for UTS)

Danny Martinez, Harley Da Silva and Mark Symington goals ensured last year’s beaten grand finalists got off to the best of starts when Campbelltown Quake beat Mascot Vipers 3-0 at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre.

But the opening round table-toppers are Mountain Majik following a comprehensive 5-1 defeat of Phoenix at Ryde Sports and Community Centre.

Majik held onto a slender 2-1 halftime lead and powered home three second-half goals to claim top mantle on the open mens chart.

Round two sees Mascot host Dural, Phoenix welcome UTS Northside, Mountain Majik meet Campbelltown, while Enfield hosts Inner West.

State League

There were eye-popping results in the State League open mens opening weekend with last summer’s beaten grand finalists Raiders downed 5-3 by Western Wolves at their Emerton Leisure Centre den, while youth league winners Sydney City Eagles dumped 2013 open men champs West City Crusaders 5-1 at Penrith Valley Indoor Sports Stadium behind a Nicolas Colantonio double.

Relegated premier leaguers Boomerangs held on to defeat Sutherland Shire 3-1 at mpowerdome in the ACT, South Coast Taipans inflicted a 5-3 misery on Parramatta Pumas in Wollongong, and Eastern Suburbs Hakoah battled out an epic 5-5 draw with Sydney Futsal Club at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre, Hakoah coming from a goal down at oranges and Jarrod Basger netting two vital goals.

But topping the ladder after round one is Botany Bay Pirates following a methodical 6-2 win at Mount Druitt Town Rangers. Competition newcomers International Football School Futsal had the bye.

Round two pits Botany Bay against West City, Wolves tackle Rangers, Parramatta hosts Sutherland, Hakoah meets Raiders, Sydney City welcomes Sydney Futsal Club, while International Football School Futsal travel south to face Boomerangs in their debut state league clash. South Coast has the bye.

-By Dan De Nardi