Men’s State League 2 Round 6 Preview

One third of the competition in and the stakes are high especially for the middle of the table as only one win separates fourth spot from seventh.  

Dunbar continue their winning ways on top spot and have a comfortable four point buffer between them and Southern Districts in second. 

Camden’s two recent losses have dropped them to third while Prospect only lies one point away.

Dunbar Rovers vs Camden Tigers, 3pm Saturday 16 May at Hensley Athletics Field

The Dunbar Rovers will be looking to make it 6-0 when they come up against the Camden Tigers at home.  Although the Tigers have had issues finding the back of the net in recent matches, Jayden Russell is an attacking weapon and is still joint-leader of the competition in goals scored this season.

They will be missing their captain Daniel Seamaan who was sent off last match for dissent, so they must lift as a team and address any disciplinary issues this week if they are to go home with the spoils.

Alex Euripidou will look to continue his stellar form for the Rovers.  His combination with Andrew Doddy at holding midfield will be crucial, in order to contain the attacking threats that the Tigers posses.  This clash could very well be a preview for what’s to come in the finals and it should make for another exciting match.

Wagga City Wanderers vs Hurstville FC, 3pm Saturday 16 May at Gissing Oval

Hurstville FC showed no sign of rustiness last Saturday, after they played their first competition match in three weeks due to washouts.  A convincing 4-0 performance against the Camden Tigers would definitely give them confidence against the Wanderers who average one goal per game.

The Wanderers have showed promising signs this year in patches especially for only being in their first ever season.  They have a habit of starting matches strongly but they lose concentration at vital moments.   

Hurstville proved their relentless nature by constantly searching for more goals last week despite already having a comfortable lead.  Therefore, it will be the team who plays for the full 90 minutes on Saturday who will come away with the points.

Southern Districts Association Clubs vs Prospect United, 7pm Saturday 16 May at Ernie Smith Reserve

Southern Districts made the best of a bad situation last week when goalkeeper Tomislav Romic was sent off within the first ten minutes.

Despite being a man down and having to reshuffle their team around, they managed to draw the match against Univeristy of NSW.  Southern Districts have been impressive this season and have dug deep in matches that could have gone either way.

Although Prospect went down to Dunbar 4-1 last week, they continue to light up the competition with their attack led by their evasive right-winger, David Mavisa.

Southern Districts will have a mid-week match on Thursday night against the Philippines under 23 national squad.  Kick-off will be at 7:30pm at Ernie Smith Reserve.

Western Condors v University of NSW, 2pm, Sunday 17 May at Calabria Sportsground

The Western Condors and University of NSW will face off in a mid table clash at Calabria Sportsground on Sunday.  They have been in great form lately and credit a lot of their success to their ability to convert half-chances.

University of NSW would have loved to have picked up more than just one point last weekend but will see this match as a great opportunity to potentially sneak into the top four.

They will need to bring their best game if they are to stop the likes of Mauricio Navarrete and Cristian Leiva Martinez.

Hurstville City Minotaurs vs FC Gazy Lansvale, 3pm, Sunday 17 May at Magdala Park

The Hurstville City Minotaurs picked up their first win of the season last weekend and they will be looking to keep that form going when they come up against FC Gazy Lansvale.

Paul Paras scored a double in that match which brought his goal scoring tally to three in just four matches.

FC Gazy Lansvale have addressed their disciplinary issues from the start of the season and as a result, they have improved their overall style of football.  

-By Lars Roy, Men’s State League 2 Reporter