Futsal Premier League Round 12 Preview
Football NSW Futsal Premier League round 12 Saturday night pits Inner West against Enfield, four-time premiers Dural host Mascot, Campbelltown play Mountain Majik, and South Coast face UTS Northside.
Rovers and Warriors have moved their round-14 clash forward to this Thursday night at the Sports Halls (9pm), Magic and Majik play their rescheduled round-six clash at Valentine Sports Park this Friday might (8pm), with Magic to meet Rovers in a belated round-five catch-up at the same venue on Monday night (9.15pm). Visit the Football NSW website (Futsal tab) for full details.
Inner West Magic v Enfield Rovers
Valentine Sports Park 7.40pm Saturday 30 January
Enfield Rovers face Inner West Magic twice this week with a top-four position definitely up for grabs. Rovers also play Warriors in a Thursday night catch-up, while Magic play Friday night against Mountain Majik and meet Enfield again on Monday night with every sapping game pivotal to their playoff standing as just one point separates the two sides on the ladder.
Rovers have won five of their past nine Magic contests (one draw) but haven’t beaten Inner West since 2013, sparking a Magic run that culminated in an epic 7-5 preliminary final victory over Rovers last summer. The last five meetings have all been decided by two goals or less and this bout is shaping as the same.
Dural Warriors v Mascot Vipers
Dural Sport & Leisure Centre 7.05pm Saturday 30 January
Mascot Vipers may take advantage of a Dural side relishing its fourth successive premier league premiership. The Warriors have won 11 straight affairs with Vipers, the closest contest a 5-4 victory way back in late-2009, and Dural’s been unbeaten in 20 straight league games since losing the services of stalwart Toby Seeto.
But Dural’s heavenly position, and the fact they play Enfield in a Thursday night catch-up, could play into Mascot hands. Vipers are enjoying a stellar summer and challenging Inner West for the club championship – this will be a feast for Futsal spectators.
Campbelltown Quake v Mountain Majik
Minto Indoor Sports Centre 7pm Saturday 30 January
Campbelltown Quake will be out to improve their delicate top-flight position in a tough fixture against a rejuvenated Mountain Majik. The Mountaineers strung back-to-back victories for the first time since late 2014 beating Inner West and South Coast to bolster their lowly open men’s standing but haven’t beaten Quake since a thrilling 6-5 victory in their first-ever clash in 2013.
Campbelltown have accounted for the next four results and will hope for a fifth in lieu of their club championship standing. Quake beat Majik 6-3 at Valentine last November.
South Coast Taipans v UTS Northside
UOW Sports Hub 5.40pm Saturday 30 January
The stakes are still high when cellar-dwellers UTS Northside meet South Coast Taipans. Firstly, South Coast are battling for premier league survival against a hapless UTS team desperately trying to get off the bottom of the open men’s ladder, but the stats don’t shine brightly on either cause – the Coasters have lost six straight at home (third worst run behind Phoenix, 11 over ‘13/14-14/15 and Mountain Majik, 7 over ‘14/15-15/16) while Northside haven’t won on the road in five outings (league’s sixth-longest run since 2011).
Their first-ever top-flight clash resulted in Taipans slithering to a 3-2 victory north-side of the bridge last November.
-By Dan De Nardi
