Round 13 Preview – League Two Men’s
Round Twelve of Football NSW League Two Men’s gives us plenty of mouth-watering fixtures that will be sure to cause plenty of chaos on the table.
Our match of the round is a blockbuster top of the table clash, as Rydalmere Lions will be looking for revenge when they travel to face Inter Lions.
There’s no shortage of crucial fixtures around the league, kicking off with Dunbar Rovers hosting Bankstown United, Macarthur Rams battling Sydney University, with Canterbury Bankstown looking to halt Dulwich Hill.
Bankstown City go against a rampant Central Coast United, as Christie Park hosts the final game of the round with Gladesville Ryde Magic entertaining Inner West Hawks.
Saturday 4th June 2022
Match of the Round: Inter Lions FC vs Rydalmere Lions FC, 7pm @ Majors Bay Reserve
Previous Meeting: Inter Lions FC 4-1 Rydalmere Lions FC
They don’t get much bigger than this in League Two, it’s first versus second place in a marquee fixture at Majors Bay Reserve.
Rydalmere will be out for vengeance after going down 4-1 to Inter just two weeks ago in a catchup fixture.
The hosts were at their best in front of goal last week, putting six past Bankstown City and reasserting the pressure on Inter in first place.
After bagging a hat-trick last week, Matt West will look to be the danger man again alongside Ahmed Taleb, who secured a brace.
A win here would all but secure Rydalmere’s spot in the finals, but with just four points in their last four games the pressure still remains on.
Inter dusted off their loss to Central Coast with a late win against Canterbury Bankstown in Round 12, which gave them the three-point gap on their opponents.
Although a lot of the playing squad and what seems like half of the nation has been brought down by the flu, Inter will be hoping to recover in preparation for this mega clash.
Inter’s win in the make-up clash will give them plenty of confidence of repeating their success on Saturday night.
The visitors fight and determination until the final whistle has put them in the position they are in today and will be certainly play a role in this game.
With two goals in his last two games, Daniel Georgievski may well pop up again and give the visitors a crucial advantage.
Although history is on the side of the league leaders, it is almost impossible to split the sides, giving us a certain blockbuster on Saturday night.
Dunbar Rovers FC vs Bankstown United FC, 7pm @ Fraser Park
Previous Meeting: Dunbar Rovers FC 3-0 Bankstown United FC
Dunbar Rovers return to Fraser Park looking to gain their third successive win when they face off against Bankstown United.
The Rovers completed their second straight win without conceding last round and will look to continue their tough defensive efforts in round 13.
A win for Dunbar could see them go as high as fourth by the end of the round, with their strong start to the season giving them a respectable position on the ladder.
Dunbar’s improvement on the defensive end has seen them climb up the rankings and places them in second spot for least amount of goals conceded.
Going against a Bankstown United side that has only scored eight goals should encourage the hosts for another clean sheet, however it seems clear that the goals are coming for their opponents.
Although they were held goalless by the Magic last week, United were unlucky to have not found the back of the net and will be looking to open the floodgates at Fraser Park.
United are entering dangerous territory and will need a win here to keep their promotion bid alive.
Another loss for United would be detrimental to their season and they will need to be at their best to take down an inform Dunbar side.
In the reverse fixture, Dunbar displayed their dominance and would send themselves to the top of the league with an impressive 3-0 win.
Dulwich Hill FC vs Canterbury Bankstown FC, 7pm @ Arlington Oval
Previous Meeting: Dulwich Hill FC 2-1 Canterbury Bankstown FC
Canterbury Bankstown head to Arlington Oval for their second game in five days when they face Dulwich Hill.
The hosts are in a rich run of form, after taking down Sydney Uni last week which extended their unbeaten run to six – the best current record in the league.
Dulwich Hill will be eager to welcome back some of their regular starters, after having to rotate some of their key men in the midst of a clogged fixture list.
The hosts could cause some problems for the lethal attack of the Berries, holding the second best defensive record in the league.
Key to Dulwich Hill’s success defensively has been shot stopper Ryan Wood, who will be hoping to carry on from his strong showing last week.
Canterbury Bankstown slumped to their second-straight loss last week against Inter and will have a bad taste in their mouth from that match.
The Berries will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage in this matchup, with a Wednesday meeting with Gladesville Ryde preceding this encounter.
The visitors will have added motivation to the take revenge on Dulwich Hill and trying to find themselves some breathing room back in the promotion race
The Berries are currently in ninth place and could see themselves as high fourth at the completion of the round.
Although Dulwich Hill’s recent from would give them an edge in this game, Canterbury Bankstown’s promotion aspirations could be the cause of an upset.
Bankstown City FC vs Central Coast United FC, 7pm @ Jensen Park
Bankstown City host an inform Central Coast United in a tantalising Saturday night fixture.
City will be out to prove last week’s 6-2 loss to Rydalmere was a mere blip in what has been a successful season thus far.
Jensen Park hasn’t been too friendly to City this year however, with just three wins and four losses from their opening seven home fixtures.
City do hold some bragging rights over Central Coast as they currently are the only team to beat the Pirates at home this season.
The Lions will be looking to sure up their defence in anticipation of the Central Coast attack, which has taken the league by notice.
United are in the midst of an iconic season revival, after winning another home game this time against the Rams, they now boast an impressive record of just one loss in their last eight.
The Pirates success at home has been well documented, but it is yet to be seen whether this good run of form can translate to a massive away win.
Central Coast have bagged 14 goals in their last five games and have found success from a combination of Zac Pezzutto, Yuki Morikawa and Daniel McFarlane.
A win here would likely separate United from the battle for eighth and give them some deserved breathing room, as they look to lock down a spot in the top eight.
City took out the round two fixture between the two sides, but will have to be wary of a Central Coast side that has shown plenty of improvement since.
Previous Meeting: Bankstown City FC 2-1 Central Coast United FC
Macarthur Rams FC vs Sydney University SFC, 7pm @ Lynwood Park
Lynwood Park plays hosts to a critical promotion battle, as hosts Macarthur Rams lock horns with Sydney University.
The hosts enter this matchup on the heels of a below average performance against Central Coast United, ending their three match unbeaten run.
Macarthur are now locked down into the tight battle for eighth, equal on points and goal difference with their opponents from last week.
The Rams have made Lynwood Park a tough place to play at in the first half of the season, only suffering one lose in their first five home games of the season.
With the weather in the south-west looking likely to fall into single digits come kick off, it’s likely the hosts will have the advantage playing in the cold.
Sydney University will have to be determined to get a result, after going down to Dulwich Hill last week in heartbreaking circumstances.
Uni are now without a win in their last seven games and have drawn two of their last three games.
The visitors will be looking for a spark from Thomas Quilligan, who looked to be a genuine threat every time his side was in attack during the round 12 fixture.
With the weather sure to play apart in the final result, the Rams may be favoured but will have to be cautious of a resurgence from Sydney Uni.
Previous Meeting: Macarthur Rams FC 1-0 Sydney University SFC
Sunday 5th June 2022
Gladesville Ryde Magic vs Inner West Hawks FC, 3pm @ Christie Park
Our final game of the round takes us to what should be an unusually warm Christie Park, as Gladesville Ryde host the Inner West Hawks.
The hosts who still currently lead the league in draws, converted their good form into three crucial points against Bankstown United in round 12.
However, with two games in the matter of five days, the Magic’s depths and squad fitness will receive its biggest test of the year.
The Magic currently sit in sixth place on the ladder and with another three points, they could not only set themselves apart in the race for promotion but push for a finals spot.
The defensive worries the plagued the Magic in the last couple of weeks have seemingly been put to bed, as they’ll look to add a third clean sheet of the season in this outing.
The Hawks came agonisingly close to taking down Dunbar last week and were left once again with nothing to show from a positive performance.
Inner West will have to be at their best to take points away from the determined Magic side, as they cling on to a slim chance of promotion.
The Hawks are currently in the midst of a four game winning streak, but there’s a feeling of optimism from the club with a week by week improvement, just lacking a finish touch.
The Magic will look for a repeat of the round two fixture and will be favoured to do so, but they always have to remain wary of a Hawks upset.
Previous Meeting: Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-1 Inner West Hawks FC
By Football NSW Men’s League Two Writer, Dominic Criniti @DominicCriniti
