Round 17 Preview – League Three Men’s

Round 17 of Football NSW’s League Three Men’s competition will be headlined by a Sunday night clash between first and second-placed Hawkesbury City and Newcastle Jets, while some crucial matches for the finals race mean another bumper round of fixtures. 

The football will begin on Thursday night with a catchup game between Camden Tigers and Newcastle Jets before UNSW FC will take on Nepean FC the next night.

On Saturday, South Coast Flame will take on Prospect United, before Fraser Park and Hurstville FC will host Western Rage and Parramatta FC respectively.

On Sunday, second-placed Newcastle Jets will come up against first-placed Hawkesbury City in a momentous matchup to conclude round 17.

Camden Tigers vs Newcastle Jets – Thursday 8pm, Ron Dine Stadium

In a makeup match from round eight, Camden Tigers will take on Newcastle Jets on Thursday at Ron Dine Stadium.

Camden is currently on a four-game unbeaten streak in League Three Men’s, with the home side for this match drawing to Parramatta FC and Hurstville FC on either side of wins over Prospect United and Fraser Park.

They’ll be looking to continue their unbeaten run in this midweek matchup, as they take on a Newcastle Jets side who remain in the race for the top spot on the ladder.

The Jets bounced back well from their first defeat of the season, as they defeated fifth-placed Nepean FC 2-0 last Friday night.

Newcastle has currently played three games less than Hawkesbury City, who sit in the spot while being eight points behind – the Jets will face Hawkesbury in a one versus two clash this weekend.

But to remain in the driving seat of the race up the ladder, they’ll need to beat an in-form Camden side in a tricky match away from home.

UNSW FC vs Nepean FC – Friday 8pm, Henelsey Athletic Park

UNSW FC will take on Nepean FC on Friday night in the first match of round 17 at Hensley Athletic Park.

UNSW is currently on the longest unbeaten streak of any team in the League Three Men’s competition, with the home side for this match now going nine games without losing.

Interestingly, their last and only third defeat of the campaign came against Nepean FC the first time these two sides faced, with UNSW propelling themselves into third place with their unbeaten streak following the loss.

UNSW will be looking to solidify their spot in the top four for finals with a victory over Nepean this Friday night.

Nepean, meanwhile, is pushing for a finals place of their own, as they currently sit in fifth spot on the ladder.

They’re four points behind Hurstville FC with two games in hand, meaning a win over UNSW on Friday would be a major boost as they look to march into the finals.

South Coast Flame vs Prospect United – Saturday 3:15pm, Ian McLennan Park

South Coast Flame will take on Prospect United in the first Saturday match of round 17 at Ian McLennan Park.

South Coast will be looking to get back into football this weekend, with their last match coming on the 18th of June against Hawkesbury City in a 2-1 defeat.

The home side for this game has won two of their last five matches in League Three Men, with their only two losses in the previous quintet of games coming against Western Rage and Hawkesbury.

Flame will be looking to move into the end of the season strongly as they look to hamper Prospect United’s finals hopes with a win in Wollongong on Saturday afternoon.

Prospect is currently sixth on the ladder, five points off the top four with three games in hand on fourth-placed Hurstville FC.

In the last six rounds, they’ll have to face all of the incumbent top four, including the top three in their last three scheduled matches, making a win against South Coast vital as they look to secure a finals position.

Hurstville FC vs Parramatta FC – Saturday 7pm, Penshurst Park 

Hurstville FC will take on Parramatta FC on Saturday night at Penshurst Park in one of the two 7pm matches for the round.

Hurstville has struggled for form in recent weeks in the League Three Men’s competition, with the home side for this game not winning in their last five matches.

After a run of three consecutive draws, they were defeated in the last minute by Western Rage and then by first placed Hawkesbury City to move to fourth on the table.

A win against Parramatta FC this weekend is vital for Hurstville, as they now face a battle to remain in the top four for finals football.

Parramatta FC is the only other side in the competition to not win in their last five, with their losses however remaining narrow.

They interestingly have the tied sixth-best defensive record by goals conceded in the competition, with Parramatta conceding less than every team above them up until sixth-placed Prospect United.

Parramatta will be looking to continue their solid defensive form and find an attacking spark, as they look to move into the final rounds of the campaign with a statement win over Hurstville.

Fraser Park vs Western Rage – Saturday 7pm, Fraser Park 

Fraser Park will take on Western Rage in the other of the two Saturday 7pm matches.

Fraser has won one of their last five matches in the League Three Men’s competition, with their last match ending in a defeat to UNSW FC.

One of Fraser’s two victories this season came against Western Rage back in round six as they prevailed in a dramatic match that finished 4-3 to Fraser.

Western Rage, meanwhile, has found fantastic form within their last five games, winning three, drawing one and losing just the solitary match to Hawkesbury City.

They’ll be looking to keep pushing up the table with a statement win over Fraser Park this weekend.

Newcastle Jets vs Hawkesbury City – Sunday 7pm, Lake Macquarie Regional Football Field 

To conclude the weekend, Newcastle Jets will take on Hawkesbury City at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Field in a match that could decide who comes out on top on the League Three Men’s ladder at the conclusion of the campaign.

The Jets will be coming off the back of a Thursday night game against Camden, while Hawkesbury’s last game came last Saturday in a 3-1 defeat over Hurstville FC.

Should the Jets beat Camden and then defeat Hawkesbury, they’ll move to just two points behind Hawkesbury with two games in hand.

However, should Hawkesbury defeat the Jets, they’ll move either 11, nine or eight points clear of Newcastle while remaining two games behind, depending on Camden’s result against the Novocastrian side.

A win for either side will essentially put them in the driving seat to clinch top spot on the ladder, making the match massive in the context of the final table and finals series.

By Football NSW League 3 Men’s Reporter, Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)