Men’s State League 1 Round 20 Preview
It is getting close to crunch time in Men’s State League 1, as teams push to confirm their places in the finals.
Rydalmere Lions take on Dulwich Hill in our Match of the Round.
Hawkesbury City SC v Nepean FC, Saturday 8th August, 5pm, David Bertenshaw Field
Hawkesbury City look to continue their recent run of form against eleventh placed Nepean FC.
Nepean FC was thumped by North Shore Mariners while Hawkesbury struck late to beat Inter Lions 4-1.
Jason Browne was in fine form with his brace including a sweetly struck free-kick and may terrorise the Nepean defense.
Coach Dean Bertenshaw was relieved to have caught up all their fixtures allowing his Hawks players some rest headed into the final stretch of the season.
Hills Brumbies v Western NSW Mariners, Saturday 8th August, 7:30pm, Lily’s Football Centre
Two teams that can’t seem to find form square off at Lily’s Football Centre.
Western NSW Mariners suffered heartbreak in their 4-3 loss to Rydalmere Lions but Hills Brumbies drew blanks against Gladesville Ryde Magic.
Kane Hughes despite his teams woes continues to find the net and will be a handful against defenses.
Hills Brumbies can bump themselves into the top five by winning in this six-point decider.
Rydalmere Lions v Dulwich Hill FC, Saturday 8th August, 7:30pm, Valentine Sports Park (Match of the Round)
Second place takes on third in a mouth-watering attacking contest in our Match of the Round.
Rydalmere Lions coach Tony Basha praised last weekend’s comeback as “the best ever in his time as a coach.”
Dulwich Hill had their main weapons blunted in a 2-nil loss to Balmain Tigers.
Added to the loss, Dully will miss midfielder Sam Cornish for this clash due to his late send-off in the same game.
Veteran striker Lloyd Owusu has provided a secondary threat up front for Rydalmere Lions with six goals in seven games.
With all the attacking options present in this contest, expect a high scoring affair on Saturday night.
Stanmore Hawks v Gladesville Ryde Magic, Sunday 9th August, 3pm, Arlington Oval
Sunday afternoon shapes up to be a make or break for the Stanmore Hawks season.
Coach Soteri Mavrou has Stanmore Hawks in red hot form with three straight wins while their opponents have been solid at the back.
Stephen Lloyd battle with in-form Stanmore midfielder Sam Awad will prove vital in a close contest.
Stanmore Hawks need to penetrate the stodgy Gladesville Ryde Magic defence led by Kiriakos Tohouroglou to possibly jump their opponents into fifth.
North Shore Mariners v Granville Rage, Sunday 9th August, 3pm, Northbridge Oval
Granville Rage faces the tough task of trying to knock off the Mariners.
North Shore Mariners confirmed their title with a 6-1 rout of Nepean FC. Granville Rage couldn’t reproduce their late heroics from two weeks ago against Stanmore Hawks.
Carl McMahon in the Rage goal will be busy trying to repel the threats all over the park from the Mariners.
Mariners coach Joe Haywood has instilled a week-by-week mantra to keep his team grounded throughout the season.
Balmain Tigers FC v Inter Lions, Sunday 9th August, 3pm, Wentworth Park
Fresh from the buzz of participating in the Westfield FFA Cup, Balmain head home to face Inter Lions.
Balmain Tigers produced a masterful display to see off Dulwich Hill while the usually solid Inter Lions fell 4-1 to Hawkesbury City.
Inter Lions need to start quick against a weary Balmain Tigers playing twice this weekend.
English striker Jonathan Gowdy presents a tough challenge for Inter Lions to combat without left back Harry Brown.
by Justin Davies, Men’s State League 1 reporter
