Round 20 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Men’s

After an avalanche of goals last weekend, we can only hope that we see more of the same when round twenty of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2 comes around this weekend. Saturday night will be busy with six fixtures while Sunday will see the two Mariners meet.

Our cameras will head to St George v Spirit FC for this week’s Match of the Round.

St George v Spirit FC Saturday 7pm St George Stadium, Kyeemagh

St George will be seeking redemption when they meet Spirit FC on Saturday. The heavy loss against Sydney FC bruised the collective ego and nothing but a victory will help wipe out the memory of last weekend. Prior to that match, the Saints had been unbeaten for a month, so they will be hoping to return to that form come this weekend.

Spirit FC were absent from action last round and will be looking forward to getting on the park once more. They have won their past two, most recently at Northern Tigers, scoring a combined five while conceding only one. And having only been beaten once in their past five, Spirit are in a nice vein of form coming into the last half dozen matches or so. They will need to keep gaining points though as the table tightens.

Fraser Park v Marconi Saturday 7pm Fraser Park, Sydenham

Fraser Park just keep on keeping on. They face their toughest test of recent times though with the visit of Marconi and how they fare against the team currently fourth will be watched with interest. With five recent wins, they are certainly on an upward spiral with the goals of Ben Vidaic proving vital. Fraser have used their physical strength to advantage, something Marconi will do well to match.

The Stallions somehow found themselves four goals down last weekend, not for the first time this season, but rallied to snatch a point against Bankstown Berries. They have scored in every league game this season, an impressive record after nineteen rounds, and one matched only by the league leaders Western Sydney Wanderers, and Mounties.  To maintain that record, but keeping that goal intact this week, will be the target.

Bankstown City v Mount Druitt Town Rangers Saturday 7pm Jensen Park, Sefton

It has been disruptive for Bankstown City these past few weeks with two postponed games out of their past four. And the two games they have played resulted in losses so it seems that the Lions have been sitting on 32 pts for some time. But they still remain third and with those two rescheduled games to be played at Jensen Park, a couple of wins could have them as a smoky for the title, should the top two falter.

Mount Druitt Town Rangers will be a test despite recent results. But after getting over the top of Northern Tigers last weekend, ending a three games losing streak, their confidence will have returned. And they have beaten Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers not too long ago, so nothing is beyond them.

Bankstown Berries v Western Sydney Wanderers Saturday 7pm The Crest, Bass Hill

Bankstown Berries must be kicking themselves for throwing away a four goal lead at Marconi last weekend. It would have been the first time this season that the Berries would have won consecutive games, a nice start for new coach Paris Svilicich, but even if it may not feel like it, a point at Marconi is still a point gained. This week, Western Sydney Wanderers travel to The Crest, a venue where the Berries have yet to win at this season. But with a change in fortune, this may be the week that the Berries put that statistic to rights.

The Wanderers continue to lead the way, keeping that one point advantage over Sydney FC. The race for the championship is turning into a battle which looks like it might go right down to the wire, if recent performances are anything to go by. Western Sydney had their biggest win for quite some time against Macarthur, after a poorer than usual month, and with just seven rounds to go, there is now little opportunity to slip up.

Macarthur Rams v Sydney FC Saturday 7pm, Lynwood Park, St Helens Park

Macarthur will be hoping that Sydney FC got the goals out of their system last weekend. The Sky Blues’ hefty 8-1 win only exceeded their earlier 7-0 defeat of the Rams back in round seven so that may be extra motivation for Macarthur, if any is needed.  They retain hope for the finals, as do many, and like the title, the final completion of the top six probably won’t be known until round 26. Until that time, expect Lee Sterrey to have his Macarthur side pushing all the way to the end.

Sydney FC probably put in their best game of the season last weekend, and after having beaten Bankstown City the week before, surely answered any concerns that their prior poor results were going to continue. Six different players found the back of the net last Saturday, so that will give the Rams some food for thought. Sydney FC have their eye on the title, and club championship, but the Wanderers are pushing them all the way. It looks set to be an enthralling finish to the season.

Northern Tigers v Mounties Wanderers Saturday 7pm Valentine Park, Glenwood

While the top four looks a safe bet, which clubs fill the remaining two finals spots remains open to question. Two of those clubs competing strongly for one of those berths meet at Valentine Park when the Tigers and Mounties clash. They have the advantage of a decent goal difference compared to their immediate rivals too which may prove decisive in the wash up. After an excellent result over Sydney FC, the Tigers succumbed in their next two matches, a rare occurrence. Losing three in a row would be even more of a rarity, so expect plenty from Northern Tigers this weekend.

Mounties seem to be getting it together again after a period where they struggled to win. Now that they have won their past two, it looks brighter out Mounties way. It could be a fruitful period over the next week or so with their rearranged game against Spirit FC due to take place next Wednesday but both Tigers and Spirit will provide for tough opposition. But if Mounties can get over the line, they will enter the final straight in a position of strength.

Central Coast Mariners v North Shore Mariners Sunday 3pm Pluim Park, Lisarow

It hasn’t been the best of fortnights for either of the Mariners clubs, with Central Coast losing their past two while North Shore have been defeated by two of their closest rivals down at the bottom. For Central Coast, the results have been peculiar in the sense that they lost both at home after having won twice on the road immediately prior. The majority of their wins have come away with only two wins at Pluim Park. With the finals looming, they have little option but to make amends.

North Shore put up a strong fight against Fraser Park last weekend but just failed to get an equaliser despite a tremendous amount of pressure. They will hope for better luck up at the Coast and especially considering that they led in both matches against Fraser Park, and before that, Bankstown Berries, any possible lead here will hold up. Some big matches are ahead and points are becoming increasingly important.

by Peter Rowney, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2 Reporter