Round 2 Preview – NPL 2 NSW Men’s

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Ten of the eleven teams had the chance to shake off any cobwebs last week, while St George City FA will get their first action on Sunday. We’ve got a repeat of last year’s Elimination Final, two former teammates in opposing dugouts and so much more: strap yourself in for Round 2 of this highly entertaining league.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Northern Tigers, 6:00pm Saturday 25 July, Bonnyrigg Sports Club

These two sides are developing a history of dramatic encounters. In the 2019 finals series, Ray Miller equalised with two minutes remaining and Bonnyrigg prevailed in extra time, while in March the Tigers got some revenge via Lachie Lloyd’s 95th minute winner.

Last weekend saw an uncharacteristic performance from the White Eagles: they only conceded four or more in a game twice in 2019, and the last time they were kept scoreless was Round 13 last year. Another shutout would be a surprise, given that not only can they can call upon the likes of Asmir Kadric and Aaron Peterson, but they’ve also scored 11 goals in their last three meetings with the Tigers.

One thing that can be relied upon is the Tigers ethos of promoting youth. Adam Hett looks to have found another talented youngster – Nick Drummond scored on his 1st Grade debut against Newcastle, a nice addition to Ollie Wiggin’s earlier brace. The northern suburbs outfit will also be hoping that a couple of former Bonnyrigg players in Shervin Adeli and Nikola Krljar perform well against their old club.

 

Hills United v Central Coast Mariners, 7:00pm Saturday 25 July, Lily Homes Stadium

If this is anything like the last meeting between these two sides, we’re in for a treat. In Round 22 last year, Central Coast scored in the opening minute, Hills led 3-1, then 4-3 in stoppage time, but the Mariners still managed to rescue a point in an exhilarating 4-4 draw.

Hills have benefited from the return of a couple of prodigal sons. Jordan Parfait is back from Mounties and caused havoc on the weekend, while the side that loves futsal players more than most has also welcomed Jacob Basden with open arms. United are of course coached by a Mariners legend in Patrick Zwaanswijk, while Jordan Lane has also spent time with Central Coast.

However, Zwaanswijk isn’t the only name which holds fond memories for Central Coast fans. Nick Montgomery is leading the youngsters in yellow & navy, and he will have been pleased by the impact Michael Katsoulis made when he came on as a substitute. The two Matthews, Cahill and Hatch, should also be looking forward to this one: they both scored doubles in the 4-4 draw mentioned earlier.

 

NWS Spirit FC v Hakoah Sydney City East, 7:30pm Saturday 25 July, Christie Park No. 1

Hakoah travel up to Macquarie Park, looking for their first win of 2020 against a Spirit FC side that were very impressive on Saturday.

Spirit won big at home last weekend, so they’ll be glad to have the opportunity for another hit-out in familiar surroundings. It wasn’t just the starters that David Perkovic will have been pleased with – Michael Konestabo and Louis Bozanic came off the bench to great effect, with Konestabo grabbing a couple of goals. The defence were also impressive, so credit must go to the likes of skipper Andy Robertson and Lewis Beumie.

However, Spirit will have plenty to think about in preparation for this contest. Hakoah forward Bruno Mendes was in sparkling form on Sunday – the Brazilian scored a wondergoal in his side’s 2-2 draw with St George FC. That’s not to say that the Eastern Suburbs club are a one man team, Joshua Da Silva also caught the eye at Hensley and with a little more luck could have found himself on the scoresheet.

 

St George FC v SD Raiders, 7:00pm Saturday 25 July, Ilinden Sports Centre

SD Raiders travel to the site of their 2019 Championship triumph on Saturday. They’re searching for their first points, however standing in their way is a strong St George FC outfit.

Manny Gonzalez is a proven goalscorer at this level, and on Sunday the forward scored a brilliant late free kick to salvage a point for the Saints. There’s also Juan Carlos Romero, Bruno Pivato and Paolo Mitry, making for a quartet that every club in this division will need to watch closely. This game is also an early chance for Evan Patramanis to make a good impression against the club he made 20 appearances for last year.

Life doesn’t always give you second chances, so the Raiders will be glad to have another go at the Saints. Back in March, SD Raiders were on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline, but with the talent at their disposal it’s unlikely that this will happen again. Nick Carle will be glad to see that Noah Chianese still has the goalscoring touch, while there’s also Mathew Barkho and Anthony Proia to challenge the St George FC backline.

 

St George City FA v Blacktown Spartans, 3:00pm Sunday 26 July, Arncliffe Park – Synthetic

After a week on the sidelines, St George City FA will have the chance to show what they can do at the new Arncliffe Park pitch.

City registered two wins from two games before the lockdown, so they know they can get the job done. With a lot of new acquisitions for 2020, the delayed start to the official season might have given them enough time to properly gel as a unit. The attacking potential is there for everyone to see: in March they had five different goalscorers (Troy Danaskos, Jordan Morfitis, Jason Romero, Tarik Ercan & Nathan Roberts).

For the Spartans, all eyes will understandably be on Mason Ireland after his spectacular goal against Central Coast. However, it’s not just about the attack with this side. In three games (the two back in March plus last weekend’s draw), Brett Hewit’s side have conceded only once, thanks in large part to the work done by centre backs Dau Akol and Alex Gollan.

Bye: Newcastle Jets

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By Eric Subijano (@eric_subijano)