Round 7 – State League Men’s Preview

The number seven means something special in Football.

So, we look ahead to round 7 of the State League Men’s looking for just that.

Upsets could be on the cards with clubs in cup action and our match of the round sees Balmain needing just that, something special to kick start their season.

Match of the Round

It’s make or break time for visitors Balmain Tigers as they travel to Seymour Shaw Park to face Hurstville FC this Sunday.

Hurstville FC come into this fixture after an impressive result against Western Condors at the same venue last week. The victory comes after a few large losses against strong sides like Nepean FC and Central Coast United.

Last weekend, the story well and truly belonged to Cristian Di Meglio who scored a double in his second competitive fixture in first grade. Coach John Gagro will want his side to continue to adapt defensively though as opponents Condors weren’t without their chances in the match. At least now they don’t have to worry so much about their attacking stocks after doubling their goal tally last week which is bound to be a confidence boost for the side particularly his particularly

Now or never, Balmain Tigers were picked by most before the season to finish in the top 5. However, things don’t always go right in football. The visitors this week find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table with only one win in six.

Last weekend they were unlucky not to at least take a point from Bankstown United. In what they will hope as a season turning moment, they controlled much of the second half creating chance after chance. Unfortunately for them, lady luck wasn’t on their side. So what better way to turn a season around then a must win match of the round clash? They will be relying on leaders like Johnathan Kontalis and Swaray Kamara to do so this Sunday afternoon.

Wagga City Wanderers v Bankstown United

A return to home comforts awaits Wagga City Wanderers after a rough result last weekend.

It doesn’t get any easier though as they face Bankstown United to kick off the round at Gissing Oval.

Wagga City Wanderers turned up last weekend expecting to be given nothing and so it came to be. Normally you would consider a visit of Bankstown just as difficult.

This time however the visitors travel to Wagga after a midweek cup game and two games into the reign of a new coach. The hosts will be relying again on the attacking ability of Tyler Allen and Tinotenda Kunesu. Although keeper Robert Fry and his defence can be sure they’ll be kept busy especially early on.

Bankstown United come into this fixture after hopefully a less dramatic week compared to last. However, all is well that ends well as the saying goes eventually showing some character to beat Balmain Tigers at Illinden.

In busy periods like this it’s always good to have a striker who scores week after week. Mitch Cross is exactly that and the striker has 8 goals in six games with plenty of support from the likes of Sean Roberstson.

With new coach Scott Belgre assessing his squad after taking over the reins from Claudio Canosa, one things for sure, the Bankstown boys will certainly be up for this trip.

Central Coast United v South Coast Flame

Finally, the two expansion clubs meet! The first ‘coast derby’ takes place at Pluim Park this Saturday afternoon.

Central Coast United have started well… how many expected them too. United find themselves undefeated after the six rounds. They will come in as a team again in mid-week cup action against Hurstville City Minotaurs off the back of a 7-0 thumping of FC Gazy Auburn last Saturday.

So, does fatigue play a factor in this one?

Only father time will tell.

In terms of threats, well there are many I could mention. Josh Swadling continues his terrific form but number 9 Adam Woodbine who got a hattrick last weekend. We can expect the goals to start flowing now for him.

Don’t be fooled by last weekends results, South Coast Flame bounced back from a disappointing outing in Wagga the week before. The Flame went down to a pretty impressive Prospect United side last weekend in a tit for tat battle in Wollongong.

If Central Coast United are off or looking weary, they do have the playing stocks to punish them in Matt Mazevski and Bojan Caric up front. Defence is where this sides fate will lie though and didn’t they need a confidence building performance last week.

Western Condors v Hurstville City Minotaurs

Two sides on the wrong end of results last week face off as Western Condors welcome Hurstville City Minotaurs to Chopin Park.

The Western Condors have started the season rather sporadically. Last week they disappointingly went down to Hurstville FC at Seymour Shaw Park.

For them at the moment, home games are vital in ensuring they remain there or thereabouts this season.

They have missed the services of Cristian Leiva Martinez up front who has been serving a suspension. Goals win games so the likes of other goal scorers Talan Myers, Joakim Moussinga and Ahmed Chandab will need to contribute if they are to be a threat this weekend.

Their opposition, Hurstville City Minotaurs went down in last week’s match of the round against Nepean FC. The Minotaurs were impressive and could well have caused one of the biggest upsets of the season so far.

Up front is where they missed out though with many opportunities missing the target. Results need to turn around for the Minotaurs or we can expect some changes in the upcoming transfer windows. Look out for striker Ketung Manyiel as well as Sam Mehana to create something.

Prospect United v UNSW FC

This has the potential to be a beauty! Two in form sides clash as Prospect United host UNSW FC at Blacktown Football Park.

Prospect United surprised the competition way back in Round one and have not looked back since. Last week it was a gutsy victory over South Coast Flame on the road where in all honesty they didn’t play close to their best for much of it.

This week it will take just as much guts, heart and perhaps a bit of luck. They will need a ninety-minute performance against a competition high-flyer. Goals have been spread around so look for Nic Valjak, Alex Bit and Efosa Amegor.

So, about those highflyers, UNSW FC are still probably going under the radar, not been taken completely seriously by their competition. The question is how long that can continue? Last week they eased past Wagga with a rotated side.

They will be backing up from a tough cup tie, so that might just make the playing field a bit more even in terms of quality. Threats come from all around the park however recently left back Ignacio Pacheco has emerged onto the scene showing they’ve got immense depth this campaign.

Nepean FC v FC Gazy Auburn

It doesn’t get any easier for FC Gazy Auburn this week, the visitors travel to a inform Nepean FC this Saturday night.

Losing two of their first three games of the campaign seems a long time ago for Nepean FC. Last week they made it three wins in a row beating Hurstville City Minotaurs. There’s still a lot of improvement to come for Nepean though.

They found themselves on the backfoot for two-thirds of that game with multiple missed chances almost biting them in the backside. They are an impressive unit though, plenty of chances are bound to fall to Clement Waoci and Alex Moore. If they take them well this could get ugly.

FC Gazy Auburn faced a nightmare Saturday afternoon last weekend. They were swept aside easily by Central Coast United in a 7-0 rout. It was a case of deja-vu from last season’s campaign, so time to bounce back?

It is a rough draw though and FC Gazy are in for a task no easier then last week. Last Wednesday they did mount an impressive come back against South Coast Flame. Javier Salinas has been a bright spark with 4 goals this campaign. If they are going to score, it will come from him.

-By Justin Smith