Round 2 Preview – State League Men’s
The State League Men’s competition finally kicked off only to be interrupted by Easter, however, it has given team’s plenty of time to assess, address and prepare for the second round of the season.
Wagga City Wanderers rather surprisingly led the way after the opening weekend and will be looking to continue that against the big scoring Camden Tigers FC.
Elsewhere, Hurstville FC will be looking to make it back-to-back wins, while Prospect United and Nepean will be aiming to start with three points after their game was washed out two weeks ago.
UNSW FC vs Nepean FC – David Phillips Complex, 3pm
Prior to the season getting underway UNSW went through a club overhaul both on and off the pitch, and following a thrilling 4-4 draw against Camden in their opening bout, positivity ensued. Despite conceding four, FC could fight toe-to-toe and finish off their own efforts on goal, something they lacked last season.
However, Nepean FC is an unknown outfit, but one that has had more than its fair share of spotlight. Big things are expected of Magdy Andrawes’ side this season, and they will look to kick off their 2017 campaign with victory.
Wagga City Wanderers vs Camden Tigers – Gissing Oval, 3pm
If you were to say that Wagga would be top of the table after the first round, you may have copped a few weird looks, but after some heavy work on the training ground and some smart recruitment Ben Schmid’s side have done exactly that following a 5-2 win over Western Condors FC.
After racking up such a big score-line, fireworks are to be expected when they welcome Camden Tigers to Gissing Oval, as they managed to score four of their own and have developed a bit of a reputation as a team that can score goals.
Although, the possibility of goals is very high you may want to take that with a grain of salt because undoubtedly both coaches will be aware of this and aim to tighten their defences. Especially Dean Bradley at Camden, because we can’t forget despite scoring four they also conceded four.
Prospect United vs Bankstown United – William Lawson Park, 5pm
Despite falling victim to Hurstville FC, there was a lot to like about Bankstown United FC. For instance, on the front foot they demonstrated plenty of pace and penetration, but lacked the composure at the pivotal moment. They will be looking to fix that at William Lawson Park when they take on Prospect United.
Like Nepean, Prospect will be playing for the first time this season and have unpredictability on their side. They are also in form if we take into consideration their end of season form last year, where they beat the likes of St George and scored 11 goals in two games against FC Gazy Auburn and UNSW.
Hurstville City Minotaurs vs Western Condors FC – St George Stadium, 7pm
There was a lot of hype surrounding cross-town rivals Hurstville FC, however the Minotaurs were not to be outdone by their neighbours and conjured up a 3-1 victory of their own against FC Gazy Auburn at Valentine Park. Their opponents this week, Western Condors FC were not so fortunate falling victim to a rampant Wagga outfit.
However, with a new week we see new challenges and the perfect platform for the Condors to bounce back. Whereas, Hurstville City will be looking to continue their early season form with another three points and make sure they stay with the leading pack early on.
Hurstville FC vs FC Gazy Auburn – Seymour Shaw Stadium, 5pm
When you are one of the competition favourites it’s easy to let that go to your head, and cause a stumble or two. However, Hurstville FC managed to kick that fragility to the curb with a commanding 3-0 victory against Bankstown.
Their opponents this week present a banana skin scenario. FC Gazy Auburn loss 3-1 to the Minotaurs and continued their poor form from 2016, however, that preconception can easily be used as a motivator to kick their season into gear, especially after the opening weekend had plenty of positives defensively despite the score line.
State League manager, Jack Bulic, was very pleased with Hurstville FC’s performance in round one, however, he emphasised the importance of backing that up against a “dogged” FC Gazy Auburn.
“After our first-round victory against Bankstown it is very important to focus again after the Easter break and carry over the momentum gained from that tremendous performance,” said Bulic.
“FC Gazy Auburn will be dogged opponents and we are expecting a tough battle.”
-By Jake O’Brien
