Round 11 Preview – NPL 2 NSW Men’s

This round of the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition is all that stands between us and the finals.

The weekend’s action is headlined by a top two showdown on the Coast, while elsewhere we will bid farewell to a beloved goalkeeper.

Central Coast Mariners v Bonnyrigg White Eagles, 3:00pm Sunday 27 September, Pluim Park No. 1

We’re set for a dramatic end to the home-and-away campaign in Lisarow. The 2020 Premiers will probably be one of these two teams (although Spirit FC will have something to say about that) – who will prevail in this titanic clash?

As the league leaders, the Mariners have their fate in their own hands. They’ve been excellent at Pluim Park this year, winning all four games there and scoring 20 goals in the process. Central Coast’s array of attacking threats is best demonstrated by twelve different scorers in nine games, which unsurprisingly is the most in the division. Matthew Cahill (nine goals) is the favourite to win the Golden Boot, although he may come under threat from Damian Tsekenis, who is two goals behind and has scored six times in the last three rounds.

For Bonnyrigg, only a win will suffice. The Premiership will be decided on goal difference if both they and Spirit FC win, so the schedule works in Bonnyrigg’s favour because they will know the Spirit FC result before kickoff. White Eagles coach Wayne O’Sullivan will be keen to get one over his former club, while Aidan Taouil and Jack Kuipers are also former Central Coast Academy players. If anyone can stop the high-powered Mariners attack, it’s Bonnyrigg – they’ve only conceded four goals in their last eight games.

St George FC v NWS Spirit FC, 7:00pm Saturday 26 September, Ilinden Sports Centre

Before the top two meet, Spirit FC have the chance to throw their hat in the Premiership ring when they travel to Rockdale.

St George FC had good spells against Bonnyrigg and will be looking to repeat that over 90 minutes so they can finish their season on a high. As is often the case, Bruno Pivato was heavily involved when they were at their most dangerous. Saturday did bring some good news – long time Saints Jacob Bandur and Ali Nasreddine returned to the lineup, while Blake Tuxford and Anthony Mann made their debuts for the club.

History favours Spirit FC: Duncan Stewart’s late winner at Ilinden Sports Centre in 2019 means they have won five in a row against the Saints and only lost one of the last 12. Aaron D’Mello showed his versatility on the weekend, moving from the midfield to put in a solid performance at right back. Pat Cappuccio and Narveen Richardson also deserve credit for the way they slotted into the defence after injuries to Andy Robertson and Jacob Harris.

Northern Tigers v Hakoah Sydney City East, 7:00pm Saturday 26 September, North Turramurra Recreation Area

These two clubs had some memorable clashes in 2015, the last time before this year that they occupied the same division. After one win apiece in the regular season encounters, Northern Tigers defeated Hakoah 3-0 in Week 1 of the finals and took out the NPL 2 Men’s Championship three weeks later. Hakoah will also have fond memories of 2015 as it was the year they earned a second consecutive promotion.

Since the Tigers fell behind in their Round 5 game against St George City FA, they have conceded one goal in roughly 400 minutes of football. The central midfield pairing of Lachlan Lloyd and Mo Bachelard have been immense, both in shielding the defence and supporting attacking moves. Adam Hett’s side certainly know how to get the job done at home: they have scored at least three times in each of their home games this season.

Hakoah haven’t yet played a competitive 1st Grade fixture in North Turramurra, but they were victorious in their most recent away game against the Tigers – a 1-0 win at Mills Park in Round 18 of the 2015 campaign. Expect Harry Jones and Dominic Cox to be in the thick of the action as Hakoah look to win the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Sunny Chang could be an attacking option after an energetic substitute performance on Sunday.

Blacktown Spartans v Hills United, 7:00pm Saturday 26 September, Blacktown Football Park

We should see a close contest in Rooty Hill: none of the last four games between these two sides has been decided by more than a single goal.

The Spartans moved back into the winner’s circle on the weekend after a confident display against Hakoah. Three goals in the opening 32 minutes paved the way for them, and they’ll be aiming for another fast start as they look to secure fifth place. The defence was also impressive, especially in the second half, helped by vital contributions from the likes of Mitchell Evans and Richard Blanco.

Although they lost to St George City FA on Saturday, Hills created numerous chances and were fluid in attack. Adolph Koudakpo and Stephan De Robillard love running at defenders, so those two are sure to provide a stern test for the Spartans backline. Last weekend also saw Jordan Parfait’s first action since Round 3 – he provides a quality left foot and plenty of trickery.

St George City FA v Newcastle Jets, 3:00pm Sunday 27 September, Poulton Park – Synthetic

Newcastle Jets will be aiming to fly off the bottom of the table against a St George City FA side who could finish as high as fifth.

For City goalkeeper Tomi Romic, Sunday’s outing will be the final game of his career. Romic has been a quality shot-stopper for many years (who could forget his performance against APIA in the 2017 FFA Cup Qualifiers?), winning this division’s Goalkeeper of the Year award when he was with Macarthur Rams. There’s every chance of City helping Romic attain the perfect farewell: Jason Romero was on fire last time out against Hills, ably supported by Hiten Satoh and Steve Kuzmanovski.

The Jets have really grown into this competition after some early struggles. We could be set for excitement in South Hurstville – last weekend’s shootout with SD Raiders was their second 4-4 draw of the season. Maki Petratos was a constant menace, not only netting twice but also combining brilliantly with both his brother Kosta and Archie Goodwin. Lucas Mauragis was another one to impress and he scored his first goal of the campaign, a deserved reward for his attacking play from left back.

Bye: SD Raiders

By Eric Subijano (@eric_subijano)