Round 22 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Men’s
There is plenty of football action on offer across the PlayStation 4 National Premiers Leagues NSW Men’s 2, as always, with none more enticing than that of our Match of the Round, Fraser Park v Sydney FC.
Fraser Park v Sydney FC Saturday 7pm Fraser Park, Sydenham
Fraser Park’s grand run came to an end against Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend but the final scoreline didn’t really reflect the closeness of the game. Leading at one stage and level pegging at the break, it was only a couple of quick goals which brought them undone. Fraser will continue to work all the way as there is one thing they can’t be accused of is lacking fighting spirit, and the manner in which Fraser have turned their season around after it seemed headed for disaster is impressive. It is not over yet of course and they face another tough fixture when Sydney FC visit, but after having only gone down by a one goal margin the last time they played, Fraser will be doubling their efforts to go just that little bit better this time.
Sydney FC are pushing the Wanderers every inch of the way, with little let up from now until the season’s end. A comfortable victory last week keeps the Sky Blues in the hunt for the Premiership and, maybe more importantly, the Club Championship. Another clean sweep of results will be the aim here, but with Fraser determined to get out of trouble, and the Sky Blues without their suspended captain, Yianni Spyrakis, there will be little doubt that Sydney FC will know that they have a game on their hands.
Macarthur Rams v Mount Druitt Town Rangers Saturday 7pm Lynwood Park, St Helens Park
Both the Rams and Rangers are coming off losses and both will therefore be keen to get their chase for the finals back on track. Macarthur only went down to a penalty and having beaten Sydney FC the week before, will relish the opportunity back at Lynwood Park. They are only a couple of points behind Northern Tigers, who they face next week, so they have all to play for. They met Sydney FC’s predominantly A-League side in their traditional fixture on Tuesday night and came away with a 1-0 win, courtesy of a Mason Versi goal, a worthy scalp.
Mount Druitt Town are only one point behind the Tigers so a result here is just as important for them. There isn’t a lot between the clubs fighting for what might be considered the last remaining position in the top six so expect plenty of tight football over the final month. Rangers had defeated two of those clubs in the top six prior to the loss to St George so a quick recovery is needed here.
Bankstown Berries v Spirit FC Saturday 7pm The Crest, Bass Hill
It has been a productive month for the Berries, with seven points from twelve after gaining just one point from twelve for June, and while a loss away at Sydney FC may have been little surprise, the Berries’ recent results give rise to further progression as the season commences it’s run home. They remain second from bottom but will be relieved that they have got past the top three, earning points along the way. They have plenty to play for, both in the league and across the grades, as do Spirit FC of course, so there should be plenty on offer at the Crest.
Spirit FC continued their climb away from the bottom rung with a further point on Wednesday, taking their unbeaten run now to five games. Their strength at the back was on show again midweek, keeping Bankstown City to a minimum of chances, the result the third game in a row they have kept the opposition scoreless. Led by captain Daniel Cunningham, Spirit have the best defence outside of the top six, and the Berries will be doing well should they breach it.
North Shore Mariners v Marconi Sunday 3pm Northbridge Oval, Northbridge
It is turning into a right royal battle at the tail end of the table with a number of clubs fighting potential relegation, one of those being North Shore Mariners. They face a tough end of the season, being the only club still to face all of the three leading clubs. North Shore are going to need to be at the absolute best in the coming weeks but they have shown plenty of spirit in the past, and with Marconi having had to travel interstate midweek, a novelty at this level, and face a tough Westfield FFA Cup game, there probably won’t be a better time to face the Stallions.
Marconi will have been extremely disappointed to have been eliminated from the Cup on penalties on Wednesday night, but they will need to turn their attention back to league matters when they visit the lower north shore on Sunday afternoon. Currently third, they won’t be without hope that the top two might falter, and a win will be needed to keep any semblance of pressure on the leaders. They face a busy fortnight with another midweek fixture next Wednesday, although a trip to Jensen Park will somewhat simpler than Melbourne.
Central Coast Mariners v Western Sydney Wanderers Sunday 3pm Pluim Park, Lisarow
Central Coast Mariners suffered their heaviest defeat of the season last weekend and it doesn’t get any easier this Sunday when the league leaders Western Sydney Wanderers travel north. Despite the end result however, the young Mariners gave a good account of themselves, particularly in the first half and it was only late on that Marconi ran away with the game. The experience earned will be of benefit as perhaps, Central Coast start to look towards next season.
Western Sydney Wanderers have their eyes on the main prize and will of course already know how Sydney FC will have fared the night before. They have remained composed despite the pressure from their closest rivals with only one loss in their past six games, and as always, a presence up front. The Wanderers have scored in every game this season, and while Lachlan Scott departed the NPL2 scene in late May, Kyle Cimenti has ably filled his boots, scoring his fifteenth of the season last weekend. As we inch towards the final round, the pressure may mount, but the Wanderers won’t give up prime position without a fight.
Bankstown City v Mounties Wanderers Sunday 3pm Jensen Park, Sefton
Bankstown City, after four straight losses, got off the mark against Spirit FC on Wednesday sharing the points in a scoreless draw. Not the best of results perhaps as the Lions seek to reassert themselves in the top echelon but a point, after recent scorelines, may give them the impetus needed as they enter the final month or so. A cleansheet will be something to take away from the game, after having conceded three in each of their past four.
Four wins from their past four has swept Mounties into fourth spot, and with a game in hand, a top six finish is looking decidedly likely. They seem to be firing at both ends of the field too, with Matthew West now on fifteen goals while the Mounties defence are only bettered by Western Sydney Wanderers. They will be tough for Bankstown City to break down, and there will nothing Mounties will want more than to consolidate their current position.
St George v Northern Tigers Sunday 6:30pm St George Stadium, Kyeemagh
After a couple of poor weeks, St George put on a vastly improved performance last round against Mount Druitt Town Rangers to come away with a win from a venue which hasn’t been too kind to them in the past. It was a glimpse of what the Saints have shown on occasions this year, but without the consistency which would have given rise to finals contention. Raising their game against those teams above has gone hand in hand with lacklustre displays against those below on the ladder. Perhaps fortunately for St George the visiting Northern Tigers are sixth, and always a tough proposition. The Saints will be without Tarik Ercan who fractured his arm against Spirit FC, though playing on, and is likely to be out for the rest of the season.
It seems that every club in this competition has had a poor series of results during this extended twenty six round season, and the current Champions are no exception. Northern Tigers ended a three game losing streak when they overcame Bankstown City and with outright sixth spot in their hands, with five rounds to go destiny lies within the Tigers’ control. A positive goal difference, a rarity in this league this season due to the dominance of Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC, will be an added boost to the Tigers come the end of the season.
Rescheduled Round 19
Wednesday 27 July 2016
Bankstown City v Spirit FC
Bankstown City and Spirit FC ground out a nil nil draw, the game never rising to any great heights on a bumpy pitch, which made control difficult.
Maybe the Lions had the best of a drab first half, but the Spirit defence kept any chances to a minimum, Kyohei Kimura having the best without over extending David Lowery.
The match brightened in the latter parts of the game, as both teams sought a winner, and space started to be found, but neither side could grab a goal, that clinical finish missing at both ends.
Bankstown City 0 v Spirit FC 0
Bankstown City: 1. Dion Shaw 2. Todd Halloran 5. Michael Beauchamp 9. Gerard Ouffoue 10. Chris Gomez (15. Alessandro Pecora 83’) 13. Dhari Alsaad 16. Kojiro Hori 22. Kyohei Kimura (4. Mato Lucic 89’) 23. Grant Lynch 25. Shayne Ardle (14. Dean Bereveskos 76’) 30. Jack Musgrave.
Spirit FC: 51. David Lowery 2. Daniel Cunningham 6. Alexander Doyle 7. Jacob Harris 8. Grant Cornwell 10. Kim Changyu 11. David Mavisa (3. Henry Wells 83’) 13. Phillip Reilly 16. Mark McAlpine 19. Tom Lovell 21. Reuben Agyei-Danso (18. Brad Gibson 73’).
by Peter Rowney, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 2 Reporter
