Men’s State League 1 Round 16 Preview
The race for the finals heats up going into the last six weeks of Men’s State League 1 action.
Second placed Rydalmere FC host Nepean FC in our Match of the Round.
Gladesville Ryde Magic v Dulwich Hill FC, Saturday 11th July, 4pm, Magdala Park
Fourth takes on fifth in the jostling for finals positions.
Gladesville put away Granville while Dully pushed the Mariners but lost late.
Norm Tome will hope assist-king Sam Messam returns this weekend to link up with Stephen Hrysanthos and Adam Johnston.
Both teams sit poised on 22 points and victory this weekend can break that deadlock.
The Magic will by no means be a pushover side and with the likes of Stephen Lloyd, Chris Gaitatzis and of course their star captain and keeper Kiriakos Tohouroglou in the line-up, Gladesville will be all out for the three points.
Western NSW Mariners v Granville Rage, Saturday 11th July, 7:30pm, Proctor Park
Western NSW face a pivotal week in their quest for finals football with two fixtures on tap.
Last weekend’s 5-3 loss was the Mariners fourth fixture without a win while Granville face a similar drought after their loss to Gladesville.
One shining light for Western NSW is the form of Kane Hughes with the striker scoring five goals in two weeks.
Granville sit only above Hawkesbury City currently and the chance for finals is fading fast.
Rydalmere Lions v Nepean FC, Saturday 11th July, 7:30pm, Rydalmere Park (Match of the Round)
A chastened Rydalmere host the giant-killing Nepean in our Match of the Round this weekend.
Nepean led by a Christopher Goday Bascur hat-trick overcame Western NSW in a Wild West shoot-out.
Tony Basha may deliver on his post-match promise to drop underperforming Rydalmere players after their 1-0 loss to Inter.
Rydalmere may welcome back Lloyd Owusu that may help alleviate their troubles in front of goal.
Nepean will be buoyed by the fact they won’t have to battle Lions striker Zakeriya Elrich due to his red card.
Jason Breton hopes their recent goal-scoring run can continue to help reduce their -20 goal difference and help them race up the table as Nepean look toward claiming yet another scalp and getting more valuable points.
Hills Brumbies v Inter Lions, Saturday 11th July, 7:30pm, Valentine Sports Park
Two teams going in opposite directions form-wise come together at Valentine Sports Park.
Inter has gone five games unbeaten highlighted by their scalp of second placed Rydalmere, while Brumbies once again faded late against Balmain.
Mark Giovenali will sweat on the health of Bruno Pivato to help release Daniel Morsillo up front.
Captain-coach Lachlan Wright hopes a repeat defensive display this weekend will keep their five-game unbeaten run going.
Stanmore Hawks v Balmain Tigers, Sunday 12th July, 3pm, Arlington Oval
Two teams fighting to find their way into the top five clash Sunday afternoon.
Both teams are coming off victories over Hawkesbury and Hills.
Soteri Mavrou was pleased with how Hawks new signing Daniel Doritis integrated into the midfield.
In the away dugout – Joe Di Giulio was pleased in how Balmain dominated last weekend and the subsequent form of the brothers Di Mento.
With one eye firmly on the big Westfield FFA Cup clash Round of 32 match against Hyundai A-League Champions Melbourne Victory, the Tigers know good form going into their biggest match of the club’s history is imperative.
To purchase tickets for this historic match you can do so by clicking on the link – https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/BalmainTigersFCvsMelbourne
North Shore Mariners v Hawkesbury City SC, Sunday 12th July, 3pm, Northbridge Oval
First hosts last in our last game of the weekend.
North Shore Mariners weren’t at their best but saw off determined Dully while Hawkesbury narrowly lost to Stanmore.
Hawkesbury City play twice this week and need to channel the resolve that saw them upset Western NSW.
They have a tough task repelling the attacking forces of Michael Cole and Tadhg Purcell with a combined 14 goals this season.
-By Justin Davies, Men’s State League 1 reporter
