NPL 2 NSW Men’s Mid-Season Review 2018
We’re at the halfway point of the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition, so let’s take a look at how your team is performing and see what they need to do if they are going to achieve success in 2018.
1st – Mt Druitt Town Rangers – 29 points
The ladder leaders burst out of the gate in the early rounds, winning 7 of their opening 8 games. But two defeats in the past month has seen them pegged back to the chasing pack and their lead at the top of the table stands at just two points.
Whether they can fend off the threat to their Premiership crown from the Central Coast Mariners remains to be seen but Aidan Desmond’s side will almost certainly be playing finals’ football this season.
Moment of the season so far:
2-0 win over St George in Round 4 cemented their place at the top of table and kept the attacking threats of Juan Carlos Romero and Raul Romero quiet.
Top Goal Scorer:
Emmanuel Gonzalez – 12 goals
At this stage last season
8th on 19 points
2nd – Central Coast Mariners – 27 points
The only undefeated team in the competition and leading the way in the Club Championship race, the Mariners have every reason to be happy with their season thus far.
A surprisingly high number of draws (6) but recent wins over Mt Druitt, St George and Hills United have proven why many are tipping them to take out this year’s competition.
Moment of the season so far:
4-1 away win in Round 10 against Mt Druitt brought the Rangers’ undefeated streak to an end.
Top Goal Scorer:
Emmanuel Peters – 7 goals
At this stage last season:
7th on 19 points
3rd – St George – 22 points
Before a ball was kicked, St George were many people’s favourites to claim Premiership and Championship success this season.
But the greatest drama at the club has been off the field, rather than on it.
The Terry Palapanis – would he go or wouldn’t he – saga, and then, a dagger blow to the heart of St George fans, as Juan Carlos Romero and Raul Romero both departed for the Mounties Wanderers.
Since their departure the club has lost two from two, failing to score in both games.
They face an uphill battle to hold onto their finals’ position without two of their brightest stars.
Moment of the season so far:
5-1 win over Hills United in Round 7 was a master class in attacking skill.
Top Goal Scorer:
Jordan Morfitis – 4 goals
At this stage last season:
4th on 21 points
4th – Hills United – 22 points
One of the competition’s surprise packages so far.
Hills United have been riding the Daniel Fogarty wave all the way to the top four and look as though they have the attacking talent needed to maintain their place amongst the competition’s big boys.
Luke McGuire’s men have secured some impressive results this season, with wins over Western Sydney Wanderers and Mounties Wanderers.
But with so many teams trying to steal their finals’ place off them, can Hills United keep up this impressive form?
Moment of the season so far:
6-0 win over Rydalmere Lions in Round 9. Bradley Robertson with a double and Wade Giovenali and Eoin Montford chipping in with a goal each.
Top Goal Scorer:
Daniel Fogarty – 9 goals
At this stage last season:
6th on 20 points
5th – Western Sydney Wanderers – 21 points
After a slow start to the season where the Wanderers lost their first three games, the boys in red and black led by up and coming coach Arthur Diles steadied the ship with a 9-game undefeated streak.
Player availability may be a dilemma as the season progresses but the Wanderers should be playing finals’ football this season.
No matter where they finish on the table the Wanderers have the ability to beat any team on their day and they could prove a real dark horse later in the competition.
Moment of the season so far:
A dramatic 2-1 win over Spirit FC in Round 9 secured a crucial three points for the Wanderers with a 90 minute strike by Kosta Grozos.
Top Goal Scorer:
Lachlan Scott and Kosta Grozos – 7 goals
At this stage last season:
3rd on 21 points
6th – North Shore Mariners – 20 points
2018 has been a mixed season so far for the North Shore Mariners. With wins against Western Sydney Wanderers and the Northern Tigers tempered by heavy defeats at the hands of the Central Coast Mariners, Parramatta FC and St George.
Their place in the top six is under serious threat from a cluster of teams in the chasing pack behind them and they will need to improve their results against the teams above them in the league if they are to play finals’ football this year.
Moment of the season so far:
5-4 win over Mounties Wanderers in Round 8 – arguably the game of the season with a goal with almost the last kick of the game to win the match.
Top Goal Scorer:
Mitchell Smith – 5 goals
At this stage last season:
5th on 20 points
7th – Northern Tigers – 19 points
The Tigers are 5 places and 4 points worse off this year than they were at the same season last year.
That’s a worrying decline.
On their day the Tigers can beat anyone in the league. But too often this season they have been on the wrong side of a big score line – like their recent 5-1 defeat at the hands of St George – and if this trend was to continue in the final 13 rounds they won’t be playing finals’ football in 2018.
Moment of the season so far:
3-0 win over Blacktown Spartans in Round 2. An early season game but one that displayed all the qualities they Tigers possess; speed, flair, strength and skill – something I’m sure Jason Eagar would like to see more of in the second half of the season.
Top Goal Scorer:
Liam Mcconaghy – 7 goals
At this stage last season:
2nd on 23 points
8th – Rydalmere Lions – 17 points
The aim for the Lions this year was to simply stay in the league.
And after 13 rounds, they have all but secured that.
But after losing the Elrich boys to Parramatta FC and Amaury Gauthier to Hakoah Sydney City East, the Lions roar has lost much of its ferocity.
The second half of the season will be tough for the Lions but it will give them a platform for which to build on for 2019.
Moment of the season so far:
4-1 away win over rivals Parramatta FC in Round 3.
Top Goal Scorer:
Mitchell Gibbs – 5 goals
At this stage last season:
2nd on 34 points (NPL 3)
9th – Canterbury Bankstown – 15 points
If you offered Canterbury Bankstown a comfortable mid-table position on 15 points after the horrendous start they endured at the beginning of the season, they would’ve bitten your arm off.
Without a goal in the first three rounds, 2018 looked like being a long year for the Berries.
But Branko Culina has proven he has more than a few tricks up his sleeve and his side are now on an unbeaten run of 5 games. Since his arrival the club has picked up a fair few points as the wily eyed manager continues to pump his chargers up the NPL 2 ladder.
Don’t expect a finals appearance this season but a mid-table finish is sweet relief for the fans of Canterbury Bankstown whose perennial flirtation with relegation was beginning to take its toll.
Moment of the season so far:
5-1 win over Macarthur Rams in Round 13. A six-pointer for two teams at the bottom of the table proved to the Berries that they have the quality to comfortably survive in 2018.
Top Goal Scorer:
Jake Bradshaw – 7 goals
At this stage last season:
11th on 15 points
10th – GHFA Spirit FC – 15 points
After winning three of their opening four games, Spirit FC looked to be primed for a full-fledged assault on the top six this season.
But a horrible run of four defeats in a row has all but extinguished those ambitions.
They now find themselves in a fight for survival in the Club Championship and will need experienced striker Matthew West to deliver the goals to send them to safety.
Moment of the season so far:
1-0 win over St George in Round 13 – it broke the Christie curse and ended their run of four straight defeats.
Top Goal Scorer:
Kevin Lopes – 7 goals
At this stage last season:
13th on 12 points
11th – Parramatta FC – 14 points
After a disastrous start to the season, Parramatta looked to have finally turned a corner.
Football is a results business and despite putting in some impressive performances, the first 13 rounds haven’t yielded the points Parramatta would have expected for this stage of the season.
But two emphatic wins in their last two games – not to mention the additions of Zak and Ahmad Elrich plus Yahoo Elhindi – look to have the Eagles primed to make a late season surge towards the finals.
I think they will make it.
This is going to be one fascinating story.
Moment of the season so far:
3-0 win over Mt Druitt in Round 12 – signalled the start of a new era at the Eagles.
Top Goal Scorer:
Neram Yalda – 8 goals
At this stage last season:
12th on 5 points (NPL 1)
12th – Mounties Wanderers – 14 points
Strap yourselves in because the Wanderers are set to make big waves in the final 13 rounds of the season.
After signing arguably the competition’s most lethal striker, Juan Carlos Romero, plus his partner in crime Raul Romero; as well as Abdelrahman Kuku from Western Sydney, the Mounties have both weakened two top six rivals whilst also strengthening their own squad.
They’ve also just signed young-gun striker, Hassan Jalloh from NPL top tier side Sydney FC which will only bolster their attacking stocks.
With the players the Wanderers now have in their squad, they should not only qualify for the finals but have a big say on who’s crowned Champions of the NPL 2 NSW Men’s in 2018.
Moment of the season so far:
2-1 win over St George in Round 9 as Terry Palapanis gets one over his former club.
Top Goal Scorer:
Juan Carlos Romero – 16 goals
At this stage last season:
10th on 16 points
13th – Blacktown Spartans – 10 points
The first 13 rounds of 2018 have not been kind to the Spartans.
They are the lowest scoring team in the competition – by a long way – with only 12 goals.
This is largely where their problems lie. With Alex Boyadjian their top scorer on 5 and Peter Crevani the only player to score more than 1 goal, the Spartans lack potency across the park.
Their Round 14 clash against Macarthur Rams looks like having a significant say over who takes home this year’s wooden-spoon, even though we are only at the halfway point of the competition.
Moment of the season so far:
3-3 draw against a much fancied Central Coast Mariners in Round 3.
Top Goal Scorer:
Alex Boyadjian – 5 goals
At this stage last season:
12th on 14 points
14th – Macarthur Rams – 8 points
In last position at the halfway mark.
The Rams have been thoroughly underwhelming so far this season.
Aside from the performances of Mark Symington and Sam Onana Awono, Macarthur have given their fans very little to cheer for in 2018.
More worrying for the Rams is that in each of the last two seasons the team coming last at the halfway mark has ended up being relegated.
Can they pick up enough points in the final 13 rounds to break the trend of does NPL 3 football await them in 2019?
Moment of the season so far:
4-1 win over Parramatta FC in Round 9 – their equal biggest win of the season.
Top Goal Scorer:
Mark Symington – 8 goals
At this stage last season:
9th on 17 points
– By Ryan Latty
