Round 14 Preview – State League Men’s

Every game this weekend could have dramatic impact on the ladder, as the State League Men’s races in to Round 14.

University of NSW vs. St. George FA – Saturday 2 July, 3PM at David Phillips Complex

St. George FA will be looking to cruise past the University of NSW this weekend, as they continue their reign atop the table.

The home side will be on the lookout for complacency from the league leaders, as they hope to keep their dimming Finals aspirations alive.

UNSW can take pride out of their performance against Bankstown last weekend, where they pushed the title contenders to the very end. They have been steadily improving this season and cannot be written off this Saturday.

St. George coach Manny Spanoudakis says that his side will endeavour to pick up where they left off last weekend, when they battled to a narrow victory over Nepean.

“We will focus on doing the basic things well and continue to build momentum – no complacency whatsoever.”

“We have forced changes again this week due to player availability, however we will look to transition the new boys into the lineup with minimum disruption to the overall playing style.”

Wagga City Wanderers vs. Gazy Auburn FC – Saturday 2 July, 3PM at Gissing Oval

The Wanderers will have been frustrated to have had their Round 13 fixture washed out, and itching to get back on to the park this weekend.

They will see this clash against Gazy Auburn as must win, as they look to battle their way up the table. 

The home side will no doubt look to in form striker Scott Dunn to continue his prolific performances this season.

Gazy Auburn continue to languish towards the bottom of the ladder and will not relish the long trip down to Wagga Wagga.

Their performance against Hurstville FC last weekend left them with plenty of positives, and they will play with nothing to lose this Saturday.

Hurstville FC vs. Bankstown United FC – Saturday 2 July, 3PM at Heffron Park

It’s crunch time for Hurstville FC, who face extremely tough competition in Bankstown United this weekend – where a loss could see them slip away from St. George at the top of the ladder.

Coach Alex Prophet says that he has worked on some specific measures to counter Bankstown, with his boys battling through the bitter cold to train hard

“We have had good results and played well against Gazy, so we come in well prepared this weekend.”

Bankstown United will also feel like a win here is vital if they’re to have any chance of competing for the Premiership this season, and have to step things up from their Round 13 performance against UNSW.

Nepean FC vs. Western Condors FC – Saturday 2 July, 7PM at Cook Park

Nepean FC need to get back down to business this weekend, after a series of losses has halted their midseason revival in its tracks.

Tough defeats to Southern Districts and St. George have shown just how far Nepean have come, but also how much more they have to improve.

The Western Condors will be a massive challenge, and this fixture could prove decisive come the end of the season.

The Condors have impressed everyone with their combination of highly technical football and resolute defending. Nepean’s new look side has begun to exhibit a very similar style.

Both teams will be fighting for Finals positions and will be determined to beat the other on Saturday.

SD Raiders FC vs. Prospect United – Saturday 2 July, 7PM at Ernie Smith Reserve

Prospect United finally came away with a win last weekend, but now face an unenviable away trip to the SD Raiders FC.

Breaking a string of horrible defeats, Prospect finally put the pieces together on Saturday against the Hurstville City Minotaurs. However, if they’re to generate any sort of momentum in Round 14 they will have to take on the league’s most potent attack.

Coach John Caruana acknowledges that his boys will have to “work harder and smarter against a quality team”.

“Can we win? If the cards fall right, we can.”

Southern Districts will turn towards star forwards McClintock and Symington to continue their lethal season, as the team chases St. George and Hurstville ahead of them on the table.

They will, however, have to ensure they are defensively sound, as Prospect have been playing extremely effective attacking football this season.

Prospect’s attacking prowess is represented no better than the fact that only two teams have scored more goals than them this season; Southern Districts being one of those teams.

Hurstville City Minotaurs vs. Camden Tigers FC – Saturday 2 July, 7PM at Valentine Sports Park 3

The Camden Tigers will be expecting nothing short of victory this weekend, against a downtrodden Hurstville City Minotaurs.

Camden’s Finals hopes are still well alive, while the Minotaurs occupy the bottom of the table. Camden simply cannot afford to lose games like this, with a win potentially launching them into the top five.

Nevertheless, the Tigers were not able to play last weekend with their game against the Wagga City Wanderers washed out. The Minotaurs will look to punish any rustiness from the visitors, but will do well to overcome the league’s best defence outside of the top five.

-by Daniel Palmer, Football NSW State League Men’s Reporter