Round 5 Preview – NPL 2 NSW Men’s
Is it Round 5 already?
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition always entertains the fans.
After this weekend, some teams will be halfway through their schedule – for those that need to make a charge up the table, there’s no better time than the present.
Hills United v NWS Spirit FC, 3:30pm Saturday 15 August, Lily Homes Stadium
These two sides shared five goals the last time they met (Round 21 of the 2019 campaign), and with both Hills & Spirit averaging exactly three goals per game this season, we could well see another high scoring affair.
Hills had an unexpected weekend off after their game against the Jets was postponed, so they should be well rested. Daniel Fogarty scored three times against Spirit in 2019 – he, Adolph Koudakpo and Joshua Mbakwe all have the pace to stretch opposition defences. United would also have been delighted to see club legend Greg Giovenali returning to action in their last outing against Northern Tigers.
Spirit’s last away trip didn’t go to plan, but their other performances suggest the Pluim Park outing was very much a one-off. Talismanic striker Duncan Stewart has five goals in his last four games against Hills. However, this is not a one man show: ten different scorers in their first four games shows that David Perkovic has a variety of weapons to call on if required.
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners, 2pm Saturday 15 August, Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility
We’ll see a bit of NPL 2 Men’s history in Lake Macquarie: the competition’s first ever F3 Derby!
Their opponents may be called the Jets, but it’s Central Coast who are flying high at the top of the table. The Mariners are the only side in this division to have four players with multiple goals – one of them being Michael Katsoulis, who has scored in all four of their games. Louis Khoury also impressed last weekend in what was his first appearance of the campaign.
This is Newcastle’s only home game for the season, a rare chance to make familiar surroundings work to their advantage. As the Jets try to take off from the foot of the ladder, Daniel McBreen might look to the Y-League records for some inspiration – they have only lost one of their previous six games against the Mariners in that competition, with Jack Simmons scoring the last time these two Academies met.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Hakoah Sydney City East, 6:00pm Saturday 15 August, Bonnyrigg Sports Club
Bonnyrigg are hoping to continue their winning run against a Hakoah side searching for their first victory of the season.
Wayne O’Sullivan will be aiming for another fast start: Bonnyrigg’s previous two games have been 2-0 victories, with ther goals coming in the first half. Another constant is Jack Armson – the midfielder scored in both of those matches. Up front, Aaron Peterson’s physical presence and Asmir Kadric’s speed usually cause problems for opponents, while goalkeeper Stefan Giglio has settled in well to life at Bonnyrigg.
Hakoah’s recent history against the White Eagles is good. The Eastern Suburbs side are unbeaten in their last four meetings and have kept three consecutive clean sheets. Daniel Loe and Charlie Cox will be hoping to help continue this excellent defensive record. At the other end, the Jordan Koton / Bruno Mendes combination worked a treat in Hakoah’s last game as the pair linked for both of their goals against SD Raiders.
Blacktown Spartans v SD Raiders, 7:00pm Saturday 15 August, Blacktown Football Park
Spectators at Rooty Hill will see a clash between two teams looking to keep pace with the league leaders.
The Spartans had to scramble to rescue a point last Sunday, but the good news is they are still undefeated. Connor Eldridge is building a nice scoring streak – the forward has found the net in each of his last three games. Eldridge is supported by a fluid midfield that can both create and score, with the likes of Finley Hayhurst and Christian Torrelli coming to mind.
After last weekend’s setback, the Raiders are aiming to get back into the top four. In defence, former Spartan James Letta will be keen to make his mark in front of a bunch of familiar faces. The partnership of Anthony Proia and Noah Chianese were dangerous against Spirit, while fullbacks Matias Toro Suazo and Diego Molina love to bomb forward in support of the attack.
St George City FA v Northern Tigers, 3:00pm Sunday 16 August, Arncliffe Park – Synthetic
The round ends at Arncliffe with two teams aiming to bounce back from defeats on the weekend.
City have been much more competitive than their ladder position suggests. Stephen Athanaseris and James Markovic will be key in providing defensive steel and helping the side catch up with the pack. Jordan Gomez helps control the centre of the park, while young attacker Jacob Gjorsevski is a new acquisition from Blacktown City – he was lively after coming off the bench on Saturday.
For the Tigers, Nicholas Drummond has three goals in four games and continues to make the most of his promotion to the 1st Grade squad. Since both 2019 games featuring these two sides ended in draws, we can expect another close contest – the experience of skipper Jordan Ferrier and Jamie Lobb may just help Adam Hett’s side get over the line on Sunday.
Bye: St George FC
By Eric Subijano (@eric_subijano)
