Round 11 Preview – League Two Men’s
It’s the final round of new match-ups in Football NSW League Two Men’s, with round eleven giving us an electric slate of games.
Our Match of the Round takes us to Fraser Park, as Dunbar Rovers look to rejuvenate their season against an inform Canterbury Bankstown side.
Round eleven kicks off on the Central Coast with the Pirates taking on Inter Lions, Bankstown City return to Jensen Park to face Dulwich Hill, Inner West Hawks lock horns with Bankstown United.
Macarthur Rams look to tame Rydalmere Lions, as Gladesville Ryde round out the weekend with a Sunday afternoon fixture against Sydney University.
Round 2 Catchup: Inter Lions FC 4-1 Rydalmere Lions FC
Inter Lions have become kings of the jungle, taking down Rydalmere Lions in a statement win.
This catch-up fixture was one that had all the eyes of the league on it, with the top-two sides battling for supremacy atop of League Two.
It was the visitors who got on the scoreboard first courtesy of an own goal from Nicholas Trimble opening the scoring for Inter Lions in the 19th minute.
Heading into the break Inter went in with a 1 nil lead with Inter unlucky to have made it more.
Inter didn’t have to wait long to increase their lead with Owen Duke scoring in the 48th minute to take the Lions to a 2-0 scoreline just minutes after the restart.
With the sides battling in a stalemate for the next half an hour, Duke popped up once again to put Inter in the lead to 3 nil with just ten minutes remaining.
The visitors firmly put the result to bed in the final minutes, with Nicholas Paras scoring in the 88th Minute which you could only describe as one of the goals of the season, leaving the Rydalmere keeper helpless to take Inter to 4 nil lead.
An own goal by Inter in the dying moments gave Rydalmere a consolation goal.
Match of the Round: Dunbar Rovers FC vs Canterbury Bankstown FC, 7pm @ Fraser Park
Dunbar Rovers return to Fraser Park with a chance to overtake their opponents in round eleven, Canterbury Bankstown.
The hosts are coming off a thrilling eight-goal draw with Gladesville Ryde and will hope to carry the momentum of a late comeback into this matchup.
Currently sitting in 7th place with 12 points, Dunbar will be eager to return to the winners circle, avoiding the already tight scrap for eighth.
Dunbar will be hoping for another courageous performance from skipper Aram Tayebi, after an inspirational hat-trick last week.
The hosts have caught the Berries at the worst time possible, in the midst of winning five of their last six.
The Berries have made a habit of punishing teams when given the chance, scoring 15 goals in their last five games.
With a Dunbar side that has conceded eight in the previous two games, the Berries could inflict further punishment on the Rovers.
Both sides will have to manage their squads with Australia Cup ties mid-week, leaving this result up in the air.
Saturday 21st May 2022
Central Coast United FC vs Inter Lions, 5pm @ Pluim Park
Central Coast return to their home at Pluim Park to host the undefeated Inter Lions.
After a tough draw to Sydney Uni last week, Central Coast will be aiming to show Inter why many fear the long trip up the coast.
United have a strong record at home, winning their last three in a row and scoring eight goals in those games.
Central Coast struggles in defence lately may be highlighted in this game, going against an Inter side averaging 3.2 goals per game.
The Lions are riding high at the top of the table and defeating two of their closest rivals in the last three weeks.
Inter have set the bar and proven to be the team to beat and will be keen to uphold their reputation.
The Lions can ill afford a slip-up from here if they want to take out first-place and will be tested with a tough trip up the coast.
However, with the incredible form of Ollie Green and Owen Duke, Inter shouldn’t have a problem finding the back of the net.
Inter should be favourites for this match, but with all the factors considered, a result for United wouldn’t be a shock.
Bankstown City FC vs Dulwich Hill FC, 7pm @ Jensen Park
Bankstown City look to defend Jensen Park, as they host a potential finals opponent in Dulwich Hill.
On the heels of a three-game win streak and an emphatic derby win, City are one of the form sides in the league and will look to keep the good form going.
However, after going for nearly two hours in an Australian Cup tie on Tuesday night, fatigue may play a part in the squads preparation.
The hosts have built some formidable momentum behind an impressive attacking line, averaging 2.4 goals per game.
City currently hold the record for the league’s best defensive record, but they will be up against a Dulwich Hill attack in equally good form.
Dulwich Hill enter this matchup on the heels of a bitter draw with Rydalmere, where they conceded two penalties and were forced to share the points.
With a cup tie against St George set for Wednesday, Dulwich Hill may also be feeling worse for wear come Saturday night.
Dulwich have managed to keep the positive results coming, despite winning one of their last five games they’ve maintained a spot in the top four.
With shot stopper Ryan Wood finding his best form in the last couple weeks, City could be in for a tricky night in front of goals.
In what will be undoubtedly the hardest game to predict all season, either side could easily stake their claim for a massive victory.
Inner West Hawks FC vs Bankstown United FC, 7pm @ Arlington Oval
Arlington Oval plays hosts to an interesting match-up between two sides desperate to gain three crucial points.
Inner West are looking to revive its promotion bid under Gus Cerro and will aim to start against United on Saturday.
The Hawks have shown promising signs under Cerro, finding spaces in attack but lacking the clinical touch in front of goal.
As a result, they’ve be blown away in games they could of considered themselves competitive in.
Sidhya Malhotra will be a massive loss in the Hawks midfield, serving a suspension for a red-card last week.
Bankstown United are reeling post-derby loss and will hungry to prove the doubters wrong in this affair.
United coach, Scott Belgre admitted last week that every game from now will be treated as a finals game in order for them to gain promotion.
With this mentality we could see a new-look United attack, one that is willing to throw caution to the wind, in order to secure three points.
With just six goals all season, United will need a massive game from their creative sparks Emilio Martinez and Oscar Nieto Rava.
In another tight game to predict, both sides will have to be at their best to claim a vital win.
Macarthur Rams FC vs Rydalmere Lions FC, 7pm @ Lynwood Park
Macarthur return to their home in the south-west, looking to hand Rydalmere a second straight loss.
The Rams will feel gutted to not be heading into this matchup with a win over Inter in round eleven, conceding two late goals and being forced to share the points.
Macarthur’s defence was resistant for the majority of the game and will be a continued strong point for them against Rydalmere.
The hosts have scored ten in their last five and will feel confident of their chances against the Lions, conceding ten in their last four outings.
Rydalmere were brought back down to earth by the league-leading Inter on Tuesday, but will be eager to prove this result was a mere outlier.
The Lions now find themselves in third behind Bankstown City and will need a win here to keep breathing room on Dulwich Hill.
Rydalmere remained undefeated by fighting until the final moments of every game and putting teams under immense pressure, something they’ll likely continue on Saturday.
With their first loss of the season still fresh, Rydalmere may look for revenge at the expense of Macarthur.
Sunday 22nd May 2022
Gladesville Ryde Magic vs Sydney University SFC, 3pm @ Christie Park
The final game of the round finds us at Christie Park for a battle between Gladesville Ryde Magic and Sydney University.
Gladesville Ryde will consider themselves unlucky to walk into this matchup with another draw this season, as they currently lead the league in draws with five.
With another 4-4 draw, the Magic will be looking to sure up their defensive structure in order to ignite a positive result.
The Magic have been hit with an injury bug, losing some experienced and youthful players to injuries early-on, depleting their squad depth in the process.
Despite the injuries, Magic captain Michael Gaitatzis has led his side through the difficult period and found himself in red-hot form in front of goal.
Sydney Uni are in the midst of winless run stretching back to round five, where they defeated the Berries in their sole win of the season.
After an improved performance against Central Coast, Uni will feel more confident of returning to the winners circle.
Crucial to Uni’s chances will be Jay Hirschowitz, who is always a threat when given space in attack.
Gladesville Ryde will be slightly favoured due to their recent attacking form, however Uni can’t be ruled out in this match.
-By Football NSW Men’s League Two Writer, Dominic Criniti @DominicCriniti
