Round 10 Preview – State League Men’s
It’s moving season! We’ll be on the lookout for new faces around the grounds this weekend as the transfer window has opened. On the pitch though, this could be the most intriguing round of the competition yet with plenty to play for in Round 10 of the State League Men’s Competition.
Western Condors v Central Coast United, Saturday 25 May, 5:30pm @ Chopin Park
Western Condors will be looking to secure back to back wins on Saturday but it won’t be easy against a Central Coast United side looking to finish their first half of the season strong.
It was a return to form for Western Condors last weekend after a horror few weeks leading up to the fixture. And it was no coincidence that this return to form came with getting some familiar faces back into the starting eleven against Prospect United.
In that one, it came down to a matter of class as they simply blew their opposition away in the second. Now they will be hoping to consolidate that win and push on back to where they feel like they belong in the top 4.
Ominous signs were there for all to see last weekend when Central Coast United came away with a convincing victory. Indeed, I didn’t foresee a four-goal margin in their game against Hurstville FC. Yes, it was helped by a slice of good fortune playing against ten men for fifty minutes of the contest but you can only play whose put in front of you.
Jarred Steen deserves a mention for United as his causing opposition teams a lot of difficulty in a combination up front with Adam Woodbine (who scored the fourth last weekend*). You never want to lose before your bye, can the visitors avoid that fate?
Nepean FC v Hurstville FC, Saturday 25 May, 6pm @ Cook Park (St Mary’s)
Oh, so close to an FFA Cup upset against Sydney Olympic, Nepean FC will be looking to carry that momentum against Hurstville FC.
It’s getting to the point where a Nepean loss can not be considered a surprise anymore. They have accumulated five of them in their opening eight fixtures and if they don’t start consistently winning the unthinkable could come true in missing the finals.
Last weekend was the low point for the club going down to Balmain Tigers at Leichhardt Oval and if a 2-1 defeat to Sydney Olympic in the FFA Cup is an indication, we could expect a reaction in the league as well. It won’t be easy though against equal second place in the competition Hurstville FC.
Last weekend wasn’t to kind to their visitors either. They lost their first game in five weeks last weekend going down to fellow contenders Central Coast United away from home in disappointing fashion. It came down to a bad start in that one conceding two goals early on before losing their first-choice goalkeeper Matthew Massarotto before the half time break.
That made it near impossible to get anything from the fixture and they’ll be keen to bounce back on Saturday night.
Fraser Park v South Coast Flame, Saturday 25 May, 7pm @ Fraser Park
Well rested and eyeing first position, Fraser Park will have to be on guard against a quality South Coast Flame outfit.
Top spot is there for the taking for Fraser Park come the halfway mark of the season. They find themselves just two points behind Central Coast United having played one less game, so two wins in the next two will see them take pole position coming into the second round of fixtures. Last time out was a welcome victory against UNSW FC in a local derby.
One thing lacking? A second clean sheet of the season, this despite being the equal best defense in the competition courtesy of keeper Ian Johnson and the defense in front of him. At the other end striker Matthew Nezval will look to make up some ground on the leading goal scorer in the competition Adam Woodbine.
The progression in South Coast Flame is being noticed. Having being on the end of the league’s most heavy defeat earlier in the season, the difference is eye opening. Last weekend they went down to UNSW FC at home in a tightly fought contest. It was just one of those games for the Flame who created just as many opportunities as their visitors but were denied perhaps cruelly by a late penalty.
It’s in the midfield that this outfit will win games this season and when they are on song, you won’t keep them scoreless too often. But against one of the leagues most disciplined outfits, will it be enough?
FC Gazy Auburn v UNSW FC, Sunday 26 May, 3pm @ Progress Park
FC Gazy Auburn continue to rise up the competition standings. Too continue to do so though, they’ll have to beat a reinvigorated UNSW outfit.
FC Gazy Auburn are looking good on the field. They come into this fixture without a loss in five consecutive fixtures. You’d suggest though they will be itching to get back on the park after last weeks heartbreaker. After leading by two goals early courtesy of goals to Haydar Al-Ameri and Ali Al Waeli. They threw the game away letting their opposition back into it and maybe being fortunate to take a point away.
There is no doubt that this side has the ingredients to match it with everyone in the competition. To do that though, they’ll have to be on guard for a full 90 minutes of action.
Time to look on up for UNSW FC? Normally by this time of the season, we have established where a team is going to be in the table. The thing about UNSW FC is we can’t really put a finger on it yet. However, this second of two games against a form team of some sort shall help us out in that endeavor. Last weekend they beat South Coast Flame courtesy of goals to Aaron Richmond and Nima Beik.
This week they could see a few new faces added to the fold in the hope they can get some consistent results going.
Hurstville City Minotaurs v Prospect United, Sunday 26 May, 7pm @ Valentine Sports Park No.2
No if’s, No buts. Hurstville City Minotaurs and Prospect United both need a win. This sets up a fascinating clash on Sunday night to conclude the round.
It was a welcome return for multiple members of the Hurstville City Minotaurs squad last week. Although it almost went pear-shaped, they found themselves down two goals within the first ten minutes of the match against FC Gazy Auburn. However, in a display of character, the Minotaurs came back highlighted by a last gasp James Law goal (did I mention he was a keeper) to claim a point in a game they arguably should’ve won.
Apart from Law, the other goal came through Thiago Rabinovich who continued his goal scoring run with a superb free-kick.
Winning this one won’t be easy though as they face another team desperate to return to the winner’s circle. Prospect United have lost their last two games in the league. Those two defeats did come against two of the competition’s better teams in Hurstville FC and Western Condors. Against the Condors they couldn’t match the class the condors have on the field despite a top draw finish from Daniel Vukovic.
A win for either side will bring them right back into the top 5 fold. The question is who wants it more?
By Justin Smith (@smiththejustin)
