Round 14 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Men’s
The second round of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues’ 2 NSW competition kicks off this weekend and with things so tight and congested on the league ladder, every point will be vital to every team, from Premiership favourites Marconi to bottom-placed Bankstown City Lions.
Marconi host Central Coast in a mouth-watering Match of the Round this Sunday, but every match has some significance to the combatants, with positions on the line and momentum a highly valued commodity.
In other matches, Mt Druitt Town Rangers host Western Sydney Wanderers; Northern Tigers entertain Hills Brumbies; the Berries and Lions clash in the Bankstown derby; Macarthur travel to Spirit FC; Blacktown Spartans host St George; and on Sunday Mounties face North Shore Mariners.
Match of the Round
Marconi Stallions vs Central Coast Mariners, 3pm, Sunday 4 June, Marconi Stadium
Competition leaders Marconi Stallions host the in-form Central Coast Mariners in an a mouth watering Match of the Round at Marconi Stadium this Sunday.
Marconi were lucky to escape with a 3-2 victory over a courageous St George last week and will face a young Mariners side full of momentum and confidence.
Marconi trailed Saints 2-1 with just 14 minutes left on the clock, but somehow secured their victory in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The win was far from convincing but new coach Peter Tsekenis was pleased with his side’s performance.
"What impressed me the most was when we went behind and they rolled their sleeves up and really came home strong," Tsekenis told Football NSW. "It shows a bit of character and it was an opportunity for me to see where everyone’s at as a team.
"They pulled together and got a result as a team, even the boys who came on (from the bench) did a good job for me and had a bearing on the end result. They came home strong and I’m very proud of them."
Meanwhile, Central Coast extended their winning streak to three matches with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Spirit FC at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday night.
The Mariners have come on strong in the past three weeks, scoring 15 goals and conceding none, making them the form team of the competition, one that Premiership favourites Marconi will need to be wary of come Sunday afternoon.
Mariners coach Ben Cahn was impressed with his side’s performance against Spirit and praised the youngsters for their professionalism and maturity.
"We said a lot earlier on in the season that we lacked that real maturity to turn dominant performances into results and while the game against Spirit wasn’t necessarily the cleanest performance, we took our chances," Cahn told Football NSW.
"And when we do that – and we’re now showing more resilience at the other end – there’s always a good chance we’ll win games."
But the Central Coast mentor also warned his team that the serious part of the season is only just beginning, starting with the Stallions’ clash this Sunday.
"While it’s okay to have three clean sheets in as many games, the real test will be doing that in the second half of the season on a consistent basis," Cahn said.
Marconi has the most experienced side in the competition and when they’ve got their minds on the job, they’re virtually unstoppable. But they’re far from unbeatable, especially when their focus isn’t 100 per cent true.
The Mariners meanwhile, possess some brilliant and audacious young talent that thrives on playing pure football. It’ll be interesting to see how they cope with the Stallions’ direct style and the attacking force of Pavlovic, Jesic and Rooney.
This game not only pits youth against experience but pure football against direct football. It’ll be interesting to see which form prevalis.
Northern Tigers vs Hills Brumbies, 6.30pm, Saturday 3 June, Turramurra Recreation Area
Northern Tigers host Hills Brumbies at North Turramurra on Saturday and both sides will be looking to continue on their winning way.
Northern Tigers claimed outright second place on the ladder after handing Blacktown Spartans an extraordinary 7-3 thumping last week; while Hills beat Mounties 3-1 and sit in equal fourth alongside North Shore Mariners.
The Tigers pumped three quick goals past Blacktown within 22 minutes but inexplicably switched off and allowed their opponents to fight back and level the scores in the second half. They then regained their composure and finished the Spartans off with four more goals, ending one of the more unique matches of the season.
"It was a strange game," Tigers coach Mark McCormick told Football NSW. "We started really well and we played with a lot of composure. We played as good as I’ve seen us (play all season).
"And then we just switched off. In the last 20 minutes of the first half we totally switched off and the Spartans were the better team. I was massively disappointed that we allowed them to score three goals and to level the game at three-all."
Looking ahead to this weekend’s clash against Hills, McCormick said he believed the newly-promoted side played some of the best football in the league and he was looking forward to playing them.
"They’re well coached and they’re very well organised and they try to play football in the correct way," McCormick said. "They’re a welcome addition to the league and I’m really looking forward to the game."
Meanwhile, Hills had to make do with 10 men for around 50 minutes of last week’s clash against Mounties but somehow hung on to claim the spoils in a courageous 3-1 victory.
The Brumbies struck in the ninth, 18th and 28th minutes to hold a commanding 3-0 halftime lead, while Mounties grabbed their goal just shy of the hour.
Hills coach Dan Sheppard was pleased with his side’s performance, especially after the dismissal of captain Daine Merrin just before halftime.
"To play 50 minutes a man short and only conceding one goal was very impressive," Sheppard told Football NSW. "Playing with 10 men for that long is a tough ask."
Hills bumped off Northern Tigers 3-1 in the opening round of the season but they’ll need to be at their very best if they’re to repeat the effort against a team that has emerged as a serious threat for the Premiership.
"The Tigers would have changed quite a bit from then to now," Sheppard said. "They’ve really come up the ladder and are probably the form team in the competition at the moment.
"I expect them to be really tough and what I know of them they probably play better football than some of the other teams so it’s probably going to be a decent enough game with two teams trying to play some good football."
Sheppard praised the Tigers for their youth, enthusiasm and energy and conceded that his side will go into the match as underdogs.
The Brumbies’ coach aslo said that his side’s task would be even more difficult due to an FFA Cup commitment against Kemblawarra on Wednesday night.
"The players will have to back up on Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, which gives Northern Tigers an advantage," Sheppard said. "It’s going to be tough."
Blacktown Spartans vs St George, 7pm, Saturday 3 June, Blacktown Football Park
St George travel to Blacktown Football Park to take on Blacktown Spartans on Saturday night and the boys from Sydney’s south will be looking at inflicting more damage on a side that is struggling to even put a team on the field.
Saints lost 5-3 to the high-flying Spartans in the opening round of the competition, but since then the fortunes of the two sides have changed dramatically, with St George now in equal-third and the Spartans languishing in eighth on a congested table.
The Spartans last week copped a 7-3 hiding from Northern Tigers and while they showed courage to fight back from 3-0 down to draw level in the second half, they fell in a heap just as quickly and conceded four late goals.
Spartans coach Luis Contigiani told Football NSW that he was struggling for numbers due to suspensions, injuries and a lack of depth, his team’s recent record of four losses from as many games a clear indication that all is not well out Blacktown way.
"We’re going to go through a bit of a hard time now and I was lucky to put out eleven players last week," Contigiani said. "We’re really working overtime looking for players. We’re a young team and it’s getting tough but we’re just going to have to keep working hard and hoping and praying that things will change.
"With my regular team that started the season we could compete with anyone", including St George. "But now we’re so understrength we’re working overtime looking for players. We’re trying so hard to change our circumstances."
Meanwhile, St George suffered an unlucky 2-1 defeat to Premiership favourites Marconi last week, conceding the winner five minutes into stoppage time.
Coach Terry Palapanis said that while Marconi dominated the first half, he felt his side had the Stallions on the ropes for the majority of the second half.
"We had three goals disallowed in the match," Palapanis told Football NSW. "Marconi had a few opportunities in the first half so I tweaked a few things at halftime and there was a very positive vibe when the boys left the changing room for the second half. We had them on the ropes and we were the better team.
"We led 2-1 late in the game so Marconi started to play the long ball and it worked. The last goal they scored was from a bad error and we were very unlucky.
"The game was ours but we march on and see how we go this week against the Spartans, who beat us quite comfortably in the first round. I’ll go home and watch some video and come up with a game plan."
Mt Druitt Town Rangers vs Western Sydney Wanderers, 7pm, Saturday 3 June, Popondetta Park
Mt Druitt Town Rangers host Western Sydney Wanderers at Popondetta Park on Saturday night and the locals will be hoping to play as well as they did when they held the Red and Black to a draw way back in Round 1.
"I think that was one of our best performances of the season," Rangers coach Aidan Desmond told Football NSW. "The Wanderers had their full strength side available for selection and we played really well."
Like everyone, Desmond has noticed that the Wanderers have suffered three losses in their last four games, and given the likes of Mario Shabow and Liam Youlley have moved on; and Abraham Majok and Keanu Baccus are unavailable due to the upcoming A-League preseason, it could well be a good time for Mt Druitt to face Trevor Morgan’s team of youngsters.
But Desmond doesn’t buy into that theory.
"We expect that there’ll be some new faces in the Wanderers team but regardless of who they put out, they will be more than capable of playing at this level," Desmond said. "We expect to play a side that will come out and play possession-based football, a side that builds up from the back. The Wanderers will challenge whoever they play. For us it’s no walk in the park. We know we’ll have to be at our best if we want to beat them."
Mt Druitt last week smashed four goals past a hapless Bankstown Berries in a 4-0 rout at Popondetta Park. But the victory wasn’t as convincing as the scoreline might suggest, with the home side grabbing two late goals after the Berries had a penalty saved and two players sent from the field.
"It was quite an interesting game," Desmond said. "Bankstown sat fairly deep for the whole game. They never really attacked or pressed us hard."
Desmond praised striker Kuag Reec, whose return a few weeks ago has inspired his teammates to greater deeds; while he also singled out Hiten Sato and Kristopher Vlismas, who made his debut for the club after recently switching from Sydney United 58.
Meanwhile, Wanderers coach Trevor Morgan said he expected a tough match at Popondetta and assumes the locals will make life extremely uncomfortable for his young side.
"I expect them to be pragmatic and I expect them to try to punish us with their physicality," Morgan told Football NSW. "To be fair I don’t expect too different a game plan to how most teams set themselves up against us.
"They also know how we play because a couple of their staff, including (Mt Druitt coach) Aidan (Desmond), were involved with our academy, so they won’t be surprised with our style of play and they’ll be able to prepare their players fully. I expect a tough match."
Western Sydney lost 2-1 to North Shore Mariners last weekend and while Morgan wasn’t impressed by the tactics employed by the opposition, he understood the method behind the madness.
"You can’t blame these other teams to play to their strengths," Morgan told Football NSW. "They never come out to play us, they don’t try. We’ve got grown men playing retreat defence against kids but that’s what they have to do. And it works for them. We made some mistakes early, but I felt that after being 2-0 down our response was excellent.
"I think we created more opportunities in the second half and I felt that we had every chance to turn it around."
Bankstown Berries vs Bankstown City, 7pm, Saturday 3 June, The Crest Athletic Centre
In a match that is critical to both sides, the Berries host the Lions in this Saturday’s Bankstown derby at The Crest Athletic Centre.
Bottom-placed Bankstown City last week upset Macarthur Rams 1-0 to bridge the gap on Spirit FC at the foot of the table, while the Berries went down 4-0 at Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
Despite the win, Lions coach Mile Todoroski still isn’t happy with his side.
When asked what he expected of his rivals this weekend, he replied with some amusement: "Same target. Same difference. I have to be positive. As a human being you have to live with some hope. If hope dies you die of living.
"We have to do something. We have to bring some fresh blood. Not maybe quality, just fresh because these boys (in the team), individually they’re not too bad. But as a team it is a disaster."
Languishing in dead last on the table, the Lions need to take advantage of a Berries side that has in the past few weeks imploded and gone from being one of the form sides in the competition with victories over Mounties and Western Sydney, to leaking nine goals in their last two games.
Indeed, Berries player coach Perry Moustakas had his side humming a winning tune and playing with such spirit and ferocity, that regardless of the result, the opposition always knew they’d been in a game.
Can the Berries look upon this clash with the Lions as a new beginning? An opportunity to play their way up the table? Or will Mile Todoroski’s Lions take another step away from the bottom of the table? We’ll know more late on Saturday evening.
Spirit FC vs Macarthur Rams, 7pm, Saturday 3 June, Valentine Sports Park
Spirit FC and Macarthur Rams will both be looking at getting their respective seasons back on track when they meet at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday.
Spirit last week copped a 4-0 hiding from Central Coast Mariners while Macarthur suffered an upset 1-0 loss to bottom-placed Bankstown City.
Spirit coach David Perkovic said that errors led to the Mariners’ first three goals last Saturday, allowing the young Coasters to skip away to a 3-0 lead.
"You can’t do that to a good side unfortunately, and they were a really good side," Perkovic told Football NSW. "We turned over possession for the first and third goals, and the second goal came from lazy defending at a set-piece. To be honest, the fourth goal was a really good football goal."
Looking ahead to the Macarthur game, Perkovic said the beginning of the second round would give his side an opportunity to set the reset button and to get their season back on track.
"We’ve had our midseason review and we’ve had to address a few things and finally last week was the first week I’ve had a full bench, so that was at least a good change of fortune. Now we can have consistency in numbers at training and drive competitiveness for starting spots that might give us a little bit extra in terms of what we need. We just need a good performance and with a bit of luck hopefully we can get a result and get some momentum.
We still have a lot of belief in ourslves and we’re looking at this weekend as a fresh start."
Meanwhile, Macarthur coach Eddie Briscoe expects Spirit to be fired up after their big loss to the Mariners last weekend.
"They’re a decent team and they’re going to be ready to battle," Briscoe told Football NSW. "If we play the way we did last week (in the 1-0 loss to Bankstown City) we won’t come away with anything."
So what happened against Bankstown City?
"The preparation wasn’t right and obviously we didn’t turn up in the first half at all. But second half we improved a fair bit but not enough to get back into the game. And if they keep doing that it’ll be a tough second half to the season.
"There’s no excuses, we put eleven players out there – and every club has injuries and suspensions – but we’ll start to get players back this week and hopefully that’ll help."
Mounties Wanderers vs North Shore Mariners, 3pm, Sunday 4 June, Valentine Sports Park
Mounties Wanderers will be hoping to get their season back on track when they face a confident, in-form North Shore Mariners side at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday.
Mounties went down 3-1 to Hills Brumbies last week, while North Shore will go into the game fresh from a 2-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
A disappointed Sterrey said his side didn’t turn up against Hills.
"There were two teams on the park, one was up for the fight, up for the battle from the first minute – which was them – and we didn’t show up," the Mounties coach told Football NSW.
"We were very lethargic, we were going through the motions, and before we knew it we were 3-0 down, and we saved a penalty as well. So, realistically it was an un-Mounties-like first half completely. I talked about our character the week before against Western Sydney – we came back from a goal down – and we’ve showed lots of character throughout the year at different times thus far, but it wasn’t there against Hills."
Sterrey added that while his side had chances, they just weren’t potent enough in front of goal and took some bad options.
"It’s a game I’d like to forget even existed, but we’ve got to move on quickly to this week against a North Shore Mariners team that is the most improved team in the league. They’ve been scoring goals regularly, they’ve been playing really well and while we beat them 3-1 in the first round, there will be two different teams going out there on the weekend, they’re full of confidence and we’re not. We’ve got to turn that around somehow."
Meanwhile, Mariners coach Joe Haywood said he was expecting Mounties to be desperate to get a result at Glenwood on Saturday.
"They’ve obviously had an inconsistent season so far but on their day they can beat anyone in the league so I think we’ve got to take the game as we take all games – first and foremost expect it to be a competitive game and try and get the win."
Haywood also feels his side’s opening round loss to Mounties will have no significance on the clash this weekend.
"We had four of our first-grade team unavailable that day and three under 20 players started as a result; and there are a few players from that game who are no longer at the club. We’re a completely different team, a completely different setup to be honest."
Haywood added that his boys were upbeat and in high spirits after beating the Wanderers last weekend, winning two on the trot for the first time this season.
"It didn’t matter that it was the Wanderers we beat last weekend, it was just great to get two wins on-the-bounce.
"In the first half (against the Wanderers) I thought we were quite aggressive with our press from the start and we frustrated the opposition. Our defensive resolution was impressive too but I thought we were always a threat on the counter attack."
Expect more of the same from Joe Haywood’s band of merry men this Sunday.
-By Derek Royal, Football NSW Reporter
