Round 4 Preview – NPL 2 NSW Men’s

How will the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition follow up on last weekend’s goal-fest? The top two sides are yet to taste defeat, but with the talent in this league it’s unlikely that any team will break away from the pack.

Central Coast Mariners v Northern Tigers, 3:00pm Saturday 8 August, Pluim Park No. 1

This round starts a little earlier than usual as the free-scoring Mariners face Northern Tigers on Saturday afternoon.

Central Coast’s first Pluim Park outing would have surpassed their most optimistic expectations – they finished that extraordinary contest with seven different goalscorers. Harry McCarthy will be a big loss after his red card, but Nick Montgomery can take a lot of comfort in knowing that his whole team played brilliantly on Sunday. It wasn’t just the players on the scoresheet that impressed, as former Tiger Jordan Smylie played a part in three goals last weekend.

Northern Tigers will be looking to make amends after being unable to finish the job against Hills United. There were plenty of bright spots, most notably the performance of Ollie Wiggin, who was almost unplayable on Saturday night. With Central Coast in such red hot attacking form, this will be a big test for the young central defensive partnership of Nicholas Kalogerou and William Foristal, but the Tigers did keep clean sheets in both of their 2019 meetings with the Mariners.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles v St George City FA, 6:00pm Saturday 8 August, Bonnyrigg Sports Club

The White Eagles host a St George City FA side looking for their first points of the season.

Bonnyrigg should be fresh after a bye week and will be looking to repeat their last home performance: an impressive 2-0 win over Northern Tigers in Round 2. Their defence stood out that evening with solid performances from Hiyori Kawaguchi and Bradie Smith, as well as an impressive substitute appearance from Robert Eremugo. In front of them, Mun-soo Gil and Ray Miller always seem to pull the strings in midfield, so the White Eagles could well start flying up the table.

City have played well so far and were unlucky to lose both of their first two games. They do have plenty of experience with the likes of Tomi Romic and Troy Danaskos, while Domenic Brischetto showed there’s more to his game than just defending with a lovely assist on the weekend. As always, Hiten Satoh will be one to keep an eye on, and fleet-footed attacker Steve Kuzmanovski is another player who could well be the game-changer on Saturday.

Hills United v Newcastle Jets, 7:00pm Saturday 8 August, Lily Homes Stadium – POSTPONED

The two goalscorers from the 2013 A-League Grand Final will go head-to-head as opposing coaches in Seven Hills: Patrick Zwaanswijk’s Hills United welcome Daniel McBreen’s Newcastle Jets.

Hills showed their flair for the dramatic with three goals in the final half hour to salvage a point against the Tigers. Glen Kelshaw and Adolph Koudakpo helped turn last week’s contest when they entered the fray and could be pushing for starting spots on Saturday. As usual, Wade Giovenali was excellent in midfield – the Futsalroos star will take advantage of any space that the Jets give him.

Newcastle have had good spells in their first two outings, so now it’s a matter of putting it together for a whole game. Midfielders Jack Simmons and Bailey Wells looked promising on Saturday and were at the heart of their best moments. On the flanks, Cole Mutton and Kieran Hayes provide lots of energy, while Brodie Volkiene’s shotstopping ability will be tested against a side that knows how to score goals.

NWS Spirit FC v SD Raiders, 7:00pm Saturday 8 August, Christie Park No. 1

It’s third vs fourth in Macquarie Park, and with only four teams involved in finals this season the importance of a good result here can’t be underestimated.

For Spirit, the way they started against Central Coast is the silver lining from last week’s result. Wins in each of their first two games show that they have the ability to go for the full ninety minutes, and a return to their home patch (where they are yet to concede) will help. Kota Odakura grabbed a goal and an assist on the weekend, and the technically gifted midfielder will be vital in controlling the centre of the park for his side.

Dead ball expert Alvaro Malmierca is leading the way for the Raiders, with two goals and three assists even at this early stage of proceedings. It’s not just their set pieces however, the speedy pair of Daniel Bittar and Mathew Barkho also provide danger when the Raiders counter attack. Adrian Valenti has shown his versatility in the last two weeks: scoring the winner against St George FC and backing that up with an excellent defensive performance last weekend.

St George FC v Blacktown Spartans, 7:00pm Sunday 9 August, Blacktown Football Park

We have a Sunday evening showdown to end the round, as the Saints meet the league leaders in Rooty Hill.

There’s nothing quite like a derby victory to lift spirits, especially one as dramatic as St George FC’s triumph at Arncliffe Park. They also have an excellent record against the Spartans, with six consecutive victories dating back to 2017. Juan Carlos Romero always gets mentioned when the Saints are discussed and with good reason – he now has a half century of NPL 2 Men’s goals, nine of them coming against Sunday’s opponents.

The Spartans were dominant last time out, with their free-flowing football causing all sorts of problems for Newcastle Jets. Lachlan Rose provided a couple of clinical finishes, and Malcolm Ward also caught the eye – the adventurous fullback set up two goals last weekend. It wasn’t just about the attack though, as Mitchell Evans added a clean sheet to the pair he kept back in March.

Bye: Hakoah Sydney City East

By Eric Subijano (@eric_subijano)