Futsal Premier/State League Semi Finals Preview
It’s Football NSW post-season as the Futsal Premier League Premiers Dural host Enfield in a thrilling major semi-final match-up at Dural Sport & Leisure Centre, while Inner West meets Campbelltown in the elimination semi-final also at Dural.
And here’s a stat to begin with: Warriors has successively beaten rival finalists Rovers, Magic and Quake in the past three trophy deciders – can anyone stop Dural this time around?
Futsal Premier League Major Semi-Final – Dural vs Enfield
Heavyweights Dural Warriors and Enfield Rovers battle it out at Dural Sport & Leisure Centre for the first available grand final spot. Enfield’s league-high offensive output of 74 goals scored in 14 matches will be tested by a Dural defensive line that’s leaked just 29 times over the same period (and only two goals conceded in their last four games, against Enfield three weekends ago).
Warriors boast a dominant head-to-head record winning seven of their last eight meetings but Rovers were great value in a 3-2 round-five victory to suggest this is up for grabs for both teams. Throw in 27-goal Rovers superstar Shervin Adeli (12 in his past five runs) and Dural have plenty to think about and do (the leading Warriors scorer is Greg Giovenali with 10).
The last major semi-final they met in finished with Dural just in front of then premiers Enfield 5-4 (2011/12). The Warriors went on to beat Rovers again 6-3 in the Grand Final.
Futsal Premier League Minor Semi-Final – Inner West vs Campbelltown
It’s do or die when Inner West Magic face Campbelltown Quake in the knockout semi at Dural Sport & Leisure Centre. Inner West take good form into the encounter unbeaten in 10 matches and undefeated on the road all season, while Campbelltown have only won one of their past five contests.
Both sides have notched up 57 goals for the summer, Quake with three of the competition’s top-five scorers in Mark Symington (16), Dean Lockhart (12), and Danny Martinez (11) and Harley Da Silva’s scored seven, but they’re the only Campbelltowners to score more than three goals – Inner West have eight players who’ve reached that mark (double-Daniels Fogarty and Vellonio the highest with eight strikes). Another contrasting stat between the outfits is Quake’s defence conceding 13 more times.
But dig this: the clubs have won six each and drawn two of 14 epic Futsal Premier League encounters (this will be their fifth final), and the margin has only tipped over three goals once – when Campbelltown won the 2009/10 grand final 4-0, so you can expect another bout of fire and brimstone this weekend.
Futsal State League Preliminary Final – Raiders vs Sydney City
The Futsal State League Preliminary Final features a red-hot tussle between Raiders and Sydney City Eagles at Valentine Sports Park, with the winner to meet Hakoah in the Championship match at the same venue the following week.
It was only two weeks ago in the last round that Raiders beat City 8-4 in a draining final-round contest at Futsal Centre Wetherill Park that had the referee just as busy as the players. The result lifted Raiders into second place overall while Sydney lost a catch-up game against Sutherland the next day to drop to fourth and limp into the post-season challenge.
But City bounced back on the weekend with a fine 3-1 semi-final win to knock Sutherland out of the race, while Raiders fell 2-5 to premiers Hakoah, but both sides will be and should be confident of their chances with plenty of experienced players in their respective line-ups.
-By Dan De Nardi
