Round 4 Preview – League Three Men’s
Round four of the Football NSW League Three Men’s competition is set to get underway, with some intriguing fixtures once again set to draw excitement into the league.
UNSW FC will take on Newcastle Jets on Friday night, with South Coast Flame also taking on Hawkesbury City in Wollongong at the same time.
Parramatta FC will play just their second game of the campaign when facing off against Camden Tigers at Melita Stadium on Saturday evening before a duo of Saturday night games between Nepean FC and Prospect United as well as Western Rage and Hurstville FC will conclude the weekend.
During the week, Nepean beat Fraser Park 3-1 in a postponed match from round one.
UNSW FC vs Newcastle Jets, Friday 8pm, Hensley Athletic Main Field
UNSW will be facing off against the flying Newcastle Jets to begin the weekend in a tantalising matchup.
Newcastle has remained in first place on goal difference, with a 2-0 win over Hurstville FC seeing them level on points with Hawkesbury FC, the other away side in the duo of Friday night matches.
The Jets have excelled in their possession-based approach, prioritising rotations to confuse opposition sides with a good mixture of measured build-up play and lightning counterattacks.
The Novocastrian side has scored an astonishing 14 goals in their three matches played so far this season – an average of 4.67 per match – and are yet to concede this campaign.
The home side, on the other hand, has been on the end of two narrow defeats to begin the season, before gaining their first victory last weekend against South Coast Flame.
Nima Beik and Matias Da Silva Santos will both be looking to continue their strong goalscoring form into the crucial matchup against Newcastle, with both players currently on two goals in three games.
UNSW fixtures have been high in scoring themselves, with an exciting average of 4.3 goals per match in terms of their goals scored and conceded, and this match is set to enthral once more.
South Coast Flame vs Hawkesbury City, Friday 8pm, Ian McLennan Park
South Coast Flame will be taking on Hawkesbury FC in Wollongong in search of their first win for the season at Ian McLennan Park.
The home side has picked up one point from just two matches this season, having been on the wrong end of three astonishing goals in their last fixture against UNSW.
South Coast Flame has scored four goals in their two League Three Men’s matches this season with all four coming from different goalscorers in Lucas Ayala, Matthew Mazevski, Louis Miller-Tamsitt and Jack Balmforth, but it hasn’t been enough to see them find three points.
The side has been disappointed with its start to the season, and are under no illusion of how good Hawkesbury are on a technical level.
However, South Coast Flame will be welcoming coach Darren Jones for his first League Three Men’s game this year, after missing out in the first two matches due to unavailability and illness, while a more experienced side is once again expected for this fixture.
Meanwhile, Hawkesbury City, the only other side to have played three games and won the trio, will be coming into the game expecting a tough matchup “against what is usually a well-organised side on their own pitch,” according to coach Dean Bertenshaw.
They have won every game this season by a solitary goal, and are “looking forward to the challenge at a quality ground.”
Parramatta FC vs Camden Tigers, Saturday 5pm, Rydalmere Park
Parramatta FC will be taking on Camden Tigers in just their second match of the League Three Men’s campaign, with byes and weather being a key determinant to fixtures at the beginning of the season.
However, Parramatta has played an extra match in the Australia Cup, impressively defeating Football NSW League Two Men’s club Gladesville Ryde Magic in the knockout competition.
The win will have them in good stead ahead of their first home game of the season, where they will look to impress for the first time in front of their fans this campaign.
Camden Tigers picked up their first win of the season last weekend and will be riding off the momentum when facing off against their opponents in round four.
Nepean FC vs Prospect United, Saturday 7pm, Cook Park
Nepean FC will be taking on Prospect United at home on Saturday at 7pm with both sides looking for three points to propel themselves up the table, having played fewer games than some of the other teams due to byes and rain.
Nepean coach Joe D’Ermilio has stated that Prospect United “invariably provides tough opposition, and any points gained will need to be well earned.”
He’s confident that his side will step up after their disappointing opening game of the season was contrasted by their 4-1 victory over Fraser Park on Tuesday night, but is wary that “anything less than a 100% performance will see us punished.”
Meanwhile, Prospect United coach Darren Camilleri has stated that “any result on the day for us will be handy,” adding that the match is always an interesting battle on and off the pitch.
Western Rage vs Hurstville FC, Saturday 7pm, Blacktown City Sports Centre
Western Rage will be taking on Hurstville FC on Saturday as they remain in search of a win to open their campaign.
The home side picked up a point against South Coast Flame to begin their season, before narrowly losing to Hawkesbury City and then being defeated by Prospect United last weekend.
Hurstville, on the other hand, have had a strong start to the year, winning two of their three matches, with their only loss coming against League Three powerhouses Newcastle Jets.
Hurstville captain Paul Gagro has stated that the away side will be keen to bounce back after their first loss of the season, with their two matches prior to the Newcastle tussle both ending in 2-1 victories at home.
Bye – Fraser Park
Review – Nepean FC 4 – 1 Fraser Park
Nepean FC has beaten Fraser Park 4-1 in a postponed game from round 1 on Tuesday night.
Nepean scored their opening goal after a break down the left-hand side, with Cormack Stevens finishing off a cross at the far post.
They doubled their advantage with a crisp, unstoppable shot from Aaron Avery on the edge of the box, before adding a third through another spectacular strike, after Robert Morsello settled with the ball on the edge of the box before putting a strike perfectly in the top left-hand corner.
Morsello then got his second goal of the game after a crap within Fraser’s penalty box.
The away side gained a consolation goal late on off a counterattack, with Shu Torihara finishing off the move.
Nepean coach D’Ermilio stated it as a step in the right direction for his side, but still sees plenty of work to do for his side.
He praised the performances of Rory McGeown and Andre Cavallaro for his side, while also commending Fraser Park’s goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Fraser Park coach Emanuel Pais saw positives for his side – who are rebuilding almost from scratch with thirteen new players – but isn’t happy with the results to begin the season.
The team is looking to gel and gain more chemistry as the season progresses, with the side currently facing tough conditions in the turnover of players.
By Football NSW League 3 Men’s Reporter, Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
