Round 12 Preview – State League Men’s
We’ve past the half way mark of the State League Men’s competition and it’s time to go around a second time.
With less than half the season to go, it’s time to look back and reflect as well as look forward to the back half.
So, trying to control any urges to use a cliché Bon Jovi reference, lets preview our round 12 fixtures!
Match of the round: Balmain Tigers v Prospect United, Sunday 9th June, 1pm @ Ilinden Sports Centre
The longer this season goes on, the better Balmain Tigers seem to get. Coming into this match of the round fixture this weekend, they have only lost one game in their past four fixtures. Yes, it seems the Tigers are just starting to find their feet and ready to play the role of spoilers for the rest of the campaign. Crucial to this turn around in form is the establishment of a regular goal scorer in Mario Garcia (scoring 3 in as many fixtures) and a regular team. If they are to pick up more points though, the Tigers will need to work on seeing out games late on.
Will last weeks result against Nepean FC galvanize this Prospect United side? They somehow picked up points last week despite being on the end of a barrage particularly in the first half. However, as they so often have done under the guidance of Darren Camilleri, they came out from the break galvanized and were rewarded with a goal to substitute Benjamin Lam. The only stain on their record is the fact they have picked up five draws and you would suggest they’ll need to turn a few draws into wins starting this week against Balmain.
An improved Balmain Tigers will be looking to take advantage of home comforts and pick up their second win of the season. It won’t be easy though as Prospect United will be eyeing a top 5 spot by the end of the weekend.
Prediction: Draw
Central Coast United v Nepean FC, Saturday 8th June, 5pm @ Pluim Park No.1
Steady as she goes. Were you expecting anything else from Central Coast United this year? They will come into this one with a bit of revenge on their minds after going down to their visitors in Round one of the competitions. That fixture marks a rare blip in their second season of existence, one in which they have picked up seven wins. Perhaps the biggest compliment we can offer them though has been the emergence of young players such as Jarred Steen and Oscar Torres who now are a regular part of the first team squad.
If the home side are going, steady as she goes, Nepean FC are the exact opposite. The side from the foot of the mountains have managed to find new and exhilarating ways to not pick up three points in the first half of the competition. In reaction to that, they have recruited defensive reinforcements in the window, now they just need them to settle in. Last weekend, they took the lead through Daryl Watson in the first half but couldn’t take advantage of outright first half dominance and were punished with an equalizer.
Just when you think Nepean FC have turned a corner, they find new ways not too win. They’ll have to be at their best this weekend to take anything from Central Coast United this weekend in one of the must-see fixtures in the competition.
Prediction: Central Coast United
Western Condors v South Coast Flame, Saturday 8th June, 5:30pm @ Chopin Park
Well the season started well for Western Condors… But since then, it has turned rather ugly as they have lost four of their past five fixtures. Maybe I’m been harsh, they have had a tough draw in that period but if you want to play finals, lessons will need to be learnt. So, if we add everything into our equation simulator, nine points are a must from the next three fixtures. What do they need to do to be playing late August then? Score more goals then they can concede, football can be as simple as that and four goals last week was a good start (five goals conceded wasn’t).
Neither here nor there, that’s really all you can say about South Coast Flame so far this season. At their best they can compete with the best sides in the competition, yet at their worst it can turn ugly pretty quickly. Last weekend they came out victorious against Hurstville FC at home thanks to a superb individual performance of Hiroaki Ushijima who picked up a double. Scoring goals isn’t the problem for this week’s visitors though. And if it doesn’t improve during the second half of the season, they could struggle to maintain a finals spot.
Now this one is probably the hardest to call… It’s the third meeting this season between these two sides and Condors have won both so that probably gives them a mental advantage.
Prediction: Western Condors.
Hurstville FC v FC Gazy Auburn, Sunday 9th June, 5pm @ Seymour Shaw Park
Home comforts have never looked as good for Hurstville FC as they do now. It’s been five weeks since they have graced the synthetic grass of Seymour Shaw and even longer since they have tasted a win. So, what’s gone wrong for a side who won four of their first five fixtures? Unfortunately, one look at the table gives you all the answers as they have only scored a league low eleven goals whilst conceding seventeen at the other end. However, looking on the bright side, they still find themselves in fourth place and one win you fancy could change everything.
Contrasting fortunes are a theme this weekend and as Hurstville are dropping points, their opposition must be gaining them? Yes, that is the case and what a welcome site it is to see a competitive FC Gazy Auburn team. If they win this fixture, they could find themselves in third position by the end of it. So, what’s gone right? It’s quite simple to understand actually. They haven’t lost a game since round three in the process winning four whilst drawing three. It stands as they longest undefeated run at seven games. Will it continue?
Fourth play fifth in this clash Sunday evening. That’s about where the similarities end though as one team in on a distinct upward trajectory whilst the other is going in the opposite direction. Can the home side put a nightmare road trip behind them?
Prediction: FC Gazy Auburn.
Hurstville City Minotaurs v Fraser Park, Sunday 9th June, 7pm @ Ilinden Sports Centre
Sometimes, you are willing to just pay money for one individual player to do his thing on a football field. Hurstville City Minotaurs have unearthed such a player om Thiago Rabinovich and their fate in season 2019 is on his shoulders. Elsewhere they have some work to do approaching this contest, in their fixture last week they just scrapped past UNSW FC. Having gone up three nil, they let it slip going down to ten men and all of a sudden, the scores were level. Then stepped up Rabinovich to score and they will take confidence in their resilience.
Let’s pull out a well-worn cliché, the table doesn’t lie. So, who are we to argue with it when it says Fraser Park are the best side in the competition? The visitors are sitting pretty having only lost two of their opening ten fixtures. Last weekend, they defeated Western Condors but in doing so did show a bit of fragility and the two games they have lost this season have come on the road. Two things can happen this weekend, a loss will give the competition a sniff whilst a win could be their most important yet as they face seven fixtures away from home. Some to gain, a lot to lose.
If we use last weeks fixtures as a guide, all signs lead to a high scoring thriller to conclude the round. However, you would suggest class will show in this one and the Minotaurs face an uphill battle.
Prediction: Fraser Park.
Before we go, Lets do a quick Club Championship update in the race for Promotion.
Central Coast United have a clear lead with 167 points, they are followed by Fraser Park on 141 points, South Coast Flame on 103 points and Nepean FC on 101 points. Whilst at the other end FC Gazy Auburn and Balmain Tigers are equal bottom on 42 points.
By Justin Smith (@smiththejustin)
