Round 24 Preview – NPL 2 NSW Men’s

We’re well and truly into the business end of the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition. There are plenty of matches on Saturday to keep the fans occupied, while the relegation battle hinges on the sole Sunday fixture.

However, first we will review Tuesday night’s catchup game between Western Sydney Wanderers and Bonnyrigg White Eagles.

Western Sydney Wanderers 2 (Evan Tsakos 5’, Jacob Vasiliou 49’) vs Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4 (Jack Armson 33’ 62’, Ray Miller 34’, Asmir Kadric 83’)

Bonnyrigg White Eagles stayed in third place with a come-from-behind victory at Valentine Sports Park.

Evan Tsakos gave the Wanderers the perfect start in the fifth minute, firing a low shot into the net following some good play from Marley Peterson and Ali Auglah.

The White Eagles then scored twice in quick succession to take control, levelling the scores when Jack Armson got on the end of a knockdown at a corner and forced the ball home from point blank range. Barely 60 seconds later, Ray Miller finished off a sweeping counter attack by beating a defender and slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Wanderers attacker Jacob Vasiliou made it 2-2 four minutes in the 49th minute, scoring from 25 yards after turning past an opponent. However, Bonnyrigg would finish stronger, and Armson received a through pass before poking the ball into the net to put Bonnyrigg 3-2 up on 62 minutes.

The scoring was completed with seven minutes remaining when Asmir Kadric showed good composure to lob the goalkeeper after a quick break, and Wayne O’Sullivan’s side are now one win away from securing a finals spot.

Match of the Round: Blacktown Spartans v North Shore Mariners, 7:00pm Saturday 10 August, Blacktown Football Park No. 1

Blacktown Football Park is the venue for this week’s featured game, which potentially has huge implications for both the Premiership battle and the fight to secure a finals spot.

Blacktown Spartans extended a good recent away record last time out against Canterbury, now it’s time to see if they can get the job done at home. Even though they’re playing the league leaders, Paul Hubbard’s team will back themselves to get a result – they’ve won exactly two thirds of their home fixtures in 2019 (8 wins from 12 games). The Spartans have good reason to be confident: midseason signing Mason Ireland scored on Saturday and looks to be settling in, while the trio of Lachlan Rose, Finley Hayhurst and Connor Eldridge were also prominent.

North Shore have no more margin for error. Three wins from the next three matches gives them the Premiership, but anything else opens the door for Hills United, who sit one point behind and have a slightly better goal difference. Last weekend’s Derby defeat snapped a run of six consecutive away wins, so getting back to their usual away form will be crucial – look to the speedy duo of Joshua Mbakwe and Braden Cheng to pose a stern test for the left side of the Spartans defence.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Macarthur Rams, 5:00pm Saturday 10 August, Bonnyrigg Sports Club

This round starts slightly earlier than usual as Bonnyrigg have a late afternoon meeting with Macarthur Rams.

The White Eagles are flying – Tuesday night’s victory over Western Sydney Wanderers means they have taken 25 points from a possible 27 in the last nine rounds. Their attack is a big reason why, and Bonnyrigg certainly know how to find the net: they’ve scored thirteen times in their last three home fixtures. Asmir Kadric reached double figures for the year on Tuesday, while Ray Miller is also hitting top form – he scored a typically classy goal against the Wanderers.

It certainly looks like a tough task for Macarthur, who haven’t won since May. However, the Rams can take confidence from the fact their last triumph was a 1-0 victory over Bonnyrigg. Speedster Sam Onana Awono scored that night and will challenge the Bonnyrigg backline, while Mitchell Arcosa should energise the Rams midfield.

GHFA Spirit FC v Central Coast Mariners, 7:00pm Saturday 10 August, Christie Park No. 1

At Christie Park, Spirit FC can take a big step towards sealing their spot in the postseason with victory over Central Coast Mariners, who themselves are coming off a big win over Mounties.

Spirit have been the Cardiac Kids in recent weeks, and an 85th minute winner against the Wanderers was followed by Saturday’s 88th minute winner against St George FC. Duncan Stewart netted both of those late goals, and the 16 goal striker might have a point to prove against his former club. Spirit are far from a one man band though – Christopher Arditti and Travis Cooper also caught the eye against the Saints.

Central Coast aren’t quite eliminated from finals contention, but they would need wins in each of their remaining three games, as well as many other results falling their way. History does favour the Mariners, who have only lost once to Spirit in seven matches going back to 2016. Kyle Johnson showed his versatility on Sunday by lining up at left back and finding the net with a nice free kick, while Mariners coach Nick Montgomery will be hoping that Matthew Hatch can bring his home scoring form on the road.

Hills United v Canterbury Bankstown FC, 7:00pm Saturday 10 August, Lily Homes Stadium

The other half of the Premiership battle will take place at Lily Homes Stadium, and it’s really heating up after Hills United closed the gap at the top of the table to a single point over the last two rounds.

Hills have the most prolific attack in the league, and they have scored four goals or more in five of their last six matches. Winger Jordan Parfait reached the 10 goal mark thanks to a double on Saturday – he was one of five Hills players who scored when they beat Canterbury 6-0 in May. At the other end of the park, Shaun Catlin showed his worth by making some important stops on the weekend.

For Canterbury, this is a huge test. Enol Ordonez Suarez’s ability to make acrobatic saves will come in handy, while the duo of Andrija Mandic and Jake Bradshaw will be crucial in countering United’s strength in midfield. They can however, look to a good record in recent times against the north-west Sydney outfit – Canterbury have won three of their last five meetings with Hills.

Northern Tigers v Mounties Wanderers, 7:00pm Saturday 10 August, North Turramurra Recreation Area No. 1

North Turramurra Recreation Area will see another massive clash on Saturday night, and a Northern Tigers victory will put them within a point of Mounties.

The Tigers haven’t lost a home game since all the way back in March against Hills United. Forward Rory Spiers could be the man to help them keep this run going – he’s scored twice in two rounds, and Spiers is alwayas a handful with his physical presence and direct running. At the back, Jamie Lobb has been a valuable addition since joining midseason from Manly United, and he even found the net on Saturday.

Mounties have been good recently, but defeat here potentially puts a finals place in jeopardy. Brian Brown has a selection headache after suspensions to Theo Kofinas and Benjamin Spruce, so big performances are needed from the likes of Jacob Poscoliero and Peter Triantis. The Mounties attackers will be keen to show what they can do following last week’s defeat to Central Coast – only the third time they’ve been kept scoreless all season.

Western Sydney Wanderers v St George City FA, 7:00pm Saturday 10 August, Sydney United Sports Centre  – POSTPONED

Rydalmere Lions v St George FC, 3:00pm Sunday 11 August, Valentine Sports Park No. 2

There’s only one game on Sunday, but it’s a big one: the relegation battle between Rydalmere Lions and St George FC.

Everything about this fixture suggests that it will be a close contest. The teams are separated on the table by one place and one point, Rydalmere are only six points ahead of St George FC in the Club Championship, while the previous meeting between them was settled by a single goal (a 1-0 win to Rydalmere back in Round 11).

On Saturday, Rydalmere scored multiple goals in a match for the first time since June. Sam Perre demonstrated his quality with two excellent strikes, and Mitchell Gibbs was also back on the scoresheet. The short history between these two favours the Lions, who have won two of their three previous meetings against the Saints.

St George FC will be glad to have a rest this week. The Saints almost got a result against Spirit, which would have been impressive coming three days after their extra time FFA Cup epic against Sydney United. They definitely have the weapons required for victory: skipper Hussein Akil is sure to lead by example, speedy winger Marcus Beattie has three goals in his last five games in all competitions, and rising star Paolo Mitry could also make an impact.

By Eric Subijano

Twitter – @eric_subijano