Round 5 Preview – League Two Men’s
Round five of Football NSW League Two Men’s brings us a super Saturday, stacked with some blockbuster matches.
Our match of the round takes us back to Christie Park, as Gladesville Ryde Magic host Central Coast United.
On a five-game stand on Saturday, Bankstown City face a confident Macarthur Rams side, Bankstown United head to Rydalmere to face the lethal attack of the lions, Dulwich Hill aim to get back on a winning note against Inner West Hawks.
Canterbury Bankstown FC clash with Sydney University SFC, as Inter Lions lock horns with Dunbar Rovers in a top of the table clash.
Match of the Round:
Gladesville Ryde Magic vs Central Coast United FC, 3pm @ Christie Park
Gladesville Ryde return to action against Central Coast, after a postponed game against Berries last week.
The Magic will be eager to get back out on the pitch and back on the scoreboard after failing to register a goal in their last outing.
Gladesville have proven its defence capabilities and will be looking for another impressive performance against a Central Coast side struggling for form.
The hosts will have to remain wary of staying fit for the catch-up game with Berries, but will want to put a good performance on for its home fans.
Central Coast are aiming to put a disappointing first half performance against Dunbar last week in the rear view mirror as they prepare for Gladesville.
After showing plenty flashes of its true potential in the second-half, United will be keen to get its season back on track with a solid showing for the entirety of the game.
With Josh Swaddling and captain Daniel McFarlane standing out in attack, United will continue to lean on them as their main men going forward.
The duo will need to be on top-form when they face a formidable Magic defence, eager to keep its impressive record going.
Saturday 9th April
Bankstown City FC vs Macarthur Rams FC, 7pm @ Jensen Park
The first of the blockbuster Saturday night fixtures sees two sides full of confidence and goal-scorers doing battle.
Bankstown City recaptured its early-season form with a dominant three-goal victory over Inner West.
As City began to welcome back some crucial first-team players, their best form may be ahead of them.
The hosts will be motivated by its last result at Jensen Park and will aim to get past a strong Macarthur Rams side to continue its push up the table.
Macarthur will be proud of its efforts last week, fighting until the final seconds for a storied one-goal victory.
After having periods of dominance with ten-men, Rams should feel confident of taking on anyone in League Two.
With a dramatic last-minute winner to open his account for 2022, John Fahmi will look to continue his notable form with another inspiring performance in attack.
In what will be one of the hardest games to predict all season, both sides are sure to give the fans a stellar match-up come Saturday night.
Rydalmere Lions FC vs Bankstown United FC, 7pm @ Rydalmere Park
If a 5-1 loss last week wasn’t bad enough, Bankstown United now prepare for the daunting task of heading to Rydalmere Park to face the Lions.
United disappointing start to the season has been well documented and the timing of this match has not helped its case.
Coach Scott Belgre noted last week that his sides resilience and hard-work on the training pitch will be a catalyst to getting its season back on track.
With the introduction to some key first-team players imminent for United, they look certain to bounce back and recapture its form seen in 2021.
However, with a Rydalmere side on a three-game win streak raring to go, getting a result for United will be no easy task.
The Lions escaped an upset on Monday night, after holding of an impressive come back from Sydney Uni.
With two games in quick succession, the question has to be asked, how much of an affect will this have on the sides performance come Saturday.
Rydalmere have the depth and quality to get through a congested period like this and would firmly assert themselves as a title favourite if they can get another positive result.
The hosts will still enter this matchup as favourites, however United may have caught them at a perfect time and will be aiming to pull off a massive upset.
Dulwich Hill FC vs Inner West Hawks FC, 7pm @ Arlington Oval
Arlington Oval hosts an intriguing matchup between two sides reeling from tough losses in round four.
Dulwich Hill had its heart broken by a 97th minute penalty that left them with no points from last week.
For Dulwich this week, the focus must be on finishing its chances in front of goal, with only one goal in its last two outings.
Harry Browell and Emmanuel Zervas will be eager to etch their names back on the scoresheet to catapult their side past a defensively strong Inner West side.
They will be boosted by the fact that the Hawks conceded four goals last week, in a tough outing against Bankstown City
After a strong start to the season at the back for Inner West, they were broken down against City and will be aiming for a resurgent performance against Dulwich.
With just one point from its opening four games, the Hawks will have to be back at their best to get a result against Dulwich.
Although Dulwich will start as the favoured side to get a win, the flashes of potential we’ve seen from the Hawks this year could see them get off the board with a win against Dulwich.
Canterbury Bankstown FC vs Sydney University SFC, 6:30pm @ Valentine Sports Park
With a five-day turnaround from its last game, Sydney Uni face-off with a Canterbury Bankstown side who haven’t played since round three.
Uni surprisingly sit bottom of the league and will feel the score line did not reflect its performance on Monday against Rydalmere.
Although the results may not suggest it, Uni have visibly improved every week, but have been unable to convert on their strong showings.
Going back on the road to face an impressive Berries side is no easy task for a side without a point, however Uni look destined to break their drought sooner rather than later.
On the other side of this matchup is the Berries who will be aiming to prove their win against Bankstown City was no fluke.
With a potent attack and solid defence, Canterbury Bankstown will have every reason to think its strong form will continue in round five.
However, with the hosts still down a few players, they cannot underestimate its opponents and will have to be wary of a resurgence at the hands of Uni.
Inter Lions FC vs Dunbar Rovers FC, 7pm @ Majors Bay Reserve
The final game of the round gives us a spectacular matchup between two sides that lead League Two in scoring.
With Dunbar getting ten goals in its last three and Inter with twelve, the fans should be in for a display of potent attacks, looking to roll on with their red-hot form.
Inter have managed to survive an unprecedented start to the season and have come out looking like one of the strongest teams in the competition.
With Ollie Green bagging four goals last game, Dunbar will have his name circled in the scouting report, as they aim to tame the goal-scoring forward.
For Dunbar, it will be crucial to hold out the dangerous attacking threat of Inter, if they’re a chance to bag three more points.
Coach Christian Soares has his side flying on both ends of the park and will hope to see an even more impressive outing from his side on Saturday night.
This game will likely steal the headlines and may have cause some heads to move, as both sides look hungry for their win streaks to remain intact.
Round Four Catch-up: Sydney University SFC 3-5 Rydalmere Lions
A Charlie Day brace was not enough for Sydney Uni as they fell to Rydalmere on Monday night.
The Lions raced away to a two goal lead in the opening half hour, courtesy of some neat finishes from Matthew West and Garang Awac.
Scott Tonkin ensured the hosts had a fighting chance in the second half, however Uni’s comeback hopes looked dead in the waters as Luca Frasca’s world-class goal saw Rydalmere go into the break with a two-goal advantage.
The second-half was controlled by two players, Charlie Day and Ahmad Taleb.
Day sensationally bagged a ten-minute double to have his side on level pegging, as Uni looked certain to take the lead for the first time in the game.
However, the quality of Rydalmere proved too much to handle, as Taleb answered back with a double of his own to seal the result.
Uni will feel upset that the result ended up with a seemingly convincing win to Rydalmere, after having their own chances to steal the win.
By Football NSW Men’s League Two Writer, Dominic Criniti @DominicCriniti
