Round 14 Preview – NPL 3 NSW Men’s
Round 14 signals the beginning of the second half of the National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition and it looks on course to be another weekend full of electrifying football.
Inter Lions and Stanmore Hawks will be the headliner this weekend as all the teams prepare to face each other for the second time this campaign.
Dunbar Rovers square off against Parramatta FC on Saturday afternoon in the early kick off slot of 3pm at Hensley Athletic Field.
Dunbar have collected just the three points from their last three fixtures and have not tasted victory since their round 10 encounter with Bankstown United.
Last week’s result saw them punished by leaders Bankstown City but a promising second half performance which saw them net twice will give them hope heading into this clash.
Rovers will be a welcome sight for Parramatta as they claimed one of their three wins to date against the home side back in their round one encounter at Melita.
The Eagles are coming off a 2-1 defeat to Camden and sit in a precarious 12th position on the ladder as we tick over into the second half of this year’s competition.
Bottom of the table Western NSW Mariners face another difficult task when they welcome SD Raiders FC to Sir Jack Brabham Park at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The Mariners are winless in their last three encounters with their latest defeat – a 5-1 humbling at the hands of Inter Lions.
The last time these two sides met, Raiders matched Inter’s score line and set Western on a rocky run of results which saw them face six defeats on the trot to open their campaign.
Raiders have enjoyed a relatively stable run of results lately with their last two contests ending in 1-1 stalemates.
The odds are stacked in their favour for this upcoming match, but they should still be wary of the hosts who have nothing to lose.
Hawkesbury City FC play out of David Bertenshaw Field for the third week running with Granville Rage the next side to make the trip to the Hawks’ nest when they meet at 5:30pm on Saturday night.
Hawkesbury enjoyed a 2-1 win against Western a fortnight ago while they also shared the points with Dully in their last outing with a 1-1 draw.
Rage are on a wretched run of form, having secured just two points from their last five contests.
However, there will be an air of positivity across the squad heading into this weekend with one of the visitors’ two triumphs this season coming against the host outfit.
An intriguing tie is set to take place at Arlington Oval as mid table side Dulwich Hill FC host top of the ladder Bankstown City FC at 7pm on Saturday night.
An average run of results has seen Dully slip down the table, with the inner west outfit in desperate need of victories if they want to remain in finals contention.
The hosts have not been on the winning end of a score line since their round nine fixture against Dunbar and have had to tolerate three draws and a defeat in their four matches since.
The visitors could not have expected a better campaign, they are perched at the top of the table as we approach the second half of the season with an outstanding 44 goals from their 13 matches.
A surprise defeat to the Tigers back in early April is the only time that the Lions have fallen, and they will be under the belief that they can extend their winning run to nine games come Saturday.
Camden Tigers FC will make the trip to Jensen Park on Saturday night as they clash against Bankstown United FC at 7pm.
United sit comfortable in sixth position and have so far excelled in their first year in this league.
The home side have collected two wins and a draw from their last three encounters with their latest match, a stalemate away to second placed Stanmore.
However, they will be wary of their opposition with Camden inflicting a humbling 4-0 defeat on Bankstown in the first set of fixtures this year.
The Tigers are undefeated in their last three fixtures and will arrive into this week’s match with plenty of confidence after they overcame Parramatta last week in was their first home encounter in just under two months.
Sydney University SFC play out of home for the first time since their shock defeat to Western four weeks ago when they entertain Gladesville Ryde Magic at 7pm on Saturday night.
The ‘students’ 6-0 thumping of Rage last round signaled a return to the winners’ circle for the hosts after a barren run of results which saw them suffer three defeats on the bounce.
Currently ninth in the standings, the home side are in desperate need of some consistency as they tackle the second half of the season.
Magic have had to tolerate three stalemates in their last three matches however they will be pleased with their latest draw which saw them hold nearest rivals Raiders in a tense affair.
Form side Inter Lions FC will be aiming to make it five wins from five when they welcome Stanmore Hawks FC to Valentine Sports Park No.2 in the sole fixture on Sunday with proceedings set to get underway from 6:30pm.
Aside from the league leaders, Sunday’s hosts currently read as second best in the form book.
Their winning streak began against Camden four weeks ago and has seen them rise from ninth to fifth over that period.
However, all those triumphs arrived against sides in the bottom half of the ladder and this weekend will be a true test for the men from Concord as we await to see if they can match it with the best in this league.
The Hawks were left frustrated from last week’s encounter at home to United after they took a share of the spoils despite having dominated for large periods of the game.
The inner west outfit are two points behind leaders Bankstown and will need to make sure that they stop dropping points to prevent that gap from widening.
-By NPL 3 NSW Men’s Chief Writer Samuel Greco Schwartz (Twitter handle: @SamuelGS97)
