NPL 3 NSW Men’s – Round 1 Finals Series Preview

Well there we have it for another season – the National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition proper is done and dusted, with only the sudden death Championship Series remaining.

It has been an enthralling season of football to say the least, with goals like never before – 755 of them, in fact, across 182 games, at a healthy average of 4.14 goals per game.

Half of the teams in the league managed 60 goals or more, with Premiers, St George City FA, leading the way on 79, just ahead of SD Raiders (77) and Gladesville Ryde Magic (74).

It has been a competitive league, with almost any given team on their day able to spring a surprise, which now makes for an interesting and mouth-watering Finals Series.

And then there were six!

Premiers, St George City FA, and runners-up, Hawkesbury City, have earned the right to have a week off to recharge their batteries, whilst the other sides battle for the right to play these two in a fortnight’s time.

St George City FA will take on the worst placed of the Elimination Semi Final winners, whilst Hawkesbury City will face the best placed Elimination Semi Final winner – either way, these games are over 90 minutes, and it’s about who shows up on the day and wants it bad enough that’ll determine the winner.

So let’s take a closer look at this week’s Elimination Semi Final combatants.

SD RAIDERS – BANKSTOWN CITY

Arlington Oval, Dulwich Hill

Saturday, September 8 @ 4-30pm

SD Raiders tackle Bankstown City Lions in what promises to be a closely fought Elimination Semi Final on Saturday afternoon at Arlington Oval.

The two teams were separated by a single point in the wash up of the competition ladder.

SD Raiders finished 4^th on 47 points, whilst Bankstown City finished 5^th on 46 points, as both teams shuffled positions back and forth throughout the season.

Daniel Bittar is the dangerman for the Raiders, the tricky winger with quick feet and speed to burn notching 19 goals in a stellar season for the club.

But the Raiders play a fluent style of attractive, quick touch football, reminiscent of coach, Nicky Carle’s, playing days, and have other players that can hurt you. Sebastian Malfara can strike a ball from distance to great effect, whilst John Fahmi is clinical when presented with an opportunity inside the box.

Captain, Goran Ljuboja, steadies the ship in defence, with Lucas Rossi an effective wing back, netting six goals over the season with some great overlapping runs.

Bankstown City Lions had high hopes when the season begun, and would be disappointed to have finished 5^th given their high intentions. The Final Series gives the Lions the opportunity to make amends of sorts, and they will be keen to start off with a win against the Raiders to give them the confidence to go on with it.

Carl McMahon has been a reliable shot stopper in goals, and has often kept the visitors at bay with some telling saves. Nathan Lopino has come to the fore with some strong displays in central defence, keeping some big name strikers quiet in key games, as well as finding the net 5 times himself.

Jeff Issa provides a wealth of experience on the flank, as well as a steady supply of crosses in to the penalty box. Tommy Markovski has managed 9 goals this year with his constant support in the front third, whilst the recent return of skipper and central striker, Nikola  Todorovski, gives the Lions another lurking option inside the area.

The synthetic surface at Arlington Oval will play to the fluency of the Raiders football, but the intensity and desire from Bankstown could prove a difficult obstacle to face – expect an arm wrestle on Saturday that may be decided beyond the 90 minutes.

2018 Previous Encounters;

R12 on May 26^th @ Ernie Smith Reserve;

SD Raiders                 4 (Bittar 2, Barkho, Toro Suazo)

Bankstown City           2 (Tomic 2)

R25 on August 26 @ Potts Park;

Bankstown City           1 (Todorovski)

SD Raiders                  1 (Smith)

 

GLADESVILLE RYDE MAGIC – DUNBAR ROVERS

Christie Park, Marsfield

Saturday, September 8 @ 4-30pm

Gladesville Ryde Magic welcome the visit of Dunbar Rovers to their home patch on Saturday afternoon, with one team ninety (or one hundred and twenty!) minutes away from ending their season.

With 16 wins and 4 draws from 26 matches this season, Magic finished 3^rd on the ladder, boasting a mammoth total of 74 goals.

With a solid backline including the towering Lachlan Harte in central defence, as well as Sergio Tarazona and Aaron Khan as ball winners in the midfield, it is difficult to get a shot in at experienced goal keeper, Kyriakos Tohouroglou.

But it is in the front third that Magic can punish you, with some potent attacking weapons.

Chris Tomaras is deceptively deadly, and only knows how to score great goals, striking like a cobra if you give him an inch around the penalty area.

Skipper, Chris Gaitatzis, leads his team by example, with an intensity from box to box that defies his 33 years. Chris Gaitatzis has chimed in with 12 goals from an attacking midfield role, and he links up especially well with his brother, central striker Michael Gaitatzis.

Michael Gaitatzis is as clinical as they come in and around the box with either foot, and has netted in 16 games for Magic, no less, managing a hatrick or more in four matches. Michael Gaitatzis finished the season with a double hatrick in the Round 26 13-1 drubbing of Fraser Park, his 6 goals taking him to 35 of what has been a fruitful campaign.

Dunbar Rover finished the season in 6^th position, the last semi-final spot, and did well to hold off the challenge of Sydney University during the latter part of the season.

Dunbar have a robust and honest style of play about them, they’ll compete for ninety minutes and beyond if they have to, and that sort of effort tends to pay dividends on the end.

A standout in defence this season has been Gilad Swartz, a tough uncompromising tackler who simply refuses to have a striker get the better of him.Captain Andrew Doddy is a midfield terrier with a high workrate, as well as an eye for the spectacular, noted this season with the odd goals from distance catching the opposing keeper off his line.

Henry Kamleitner and Yoel Silvestre are both intelligent strikers, both with a cunning sense in and around the box, scoring 18 goals between them. But the ‘go to’ man for Dunbar has been Ryan Shaughnessy – anything of note in attack seems to pass by this attacking midfielder. Shaughnessy has managed 15 goals this campaign, as well as a few assists, and has the capability to unravel the best of defences.

Given the closeness of the two previous matches this season, ninety minutes may not be sufficient to separate these two sides, and it could go the distance and penalties given there must be a winner come Saturday evening.

2018 Previous Encounters;

R3 on March 25^th @ Magdala Park;

Gladesville Ryde Magic          2 (Gaitatzis, Voukidis)

Dunbar Rovers                       1 (Shaughnessy)

R16 on June 23^rd @ Hensley Athletic Field;

Dunbar Rovers                       2 (Holton, Swartz)

Gladesville Ryde Magic          2 (M.Gaitatzis 2)