Round 3 Preview – League One Men’s
With only five sides yet to taste defeat in two rounds of action, the start of the FNSW League One Men’s competition has been as unpredictable as expected.
As we approach round three of the competition, our camera makes the trip up to North Turramurra as Northern Tigers host a rejuvenated Mounties Wanderers. While seven other fixtures this Saturday gives you plenty of other choice across the grounds.
Match of the round: Northern Tigers FC v Mounties Wanderers FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, North Turramurra Recreation Area
Two winning round two sides meet in our match of the round as Northern Tigers host Mounties Wanderers, Saturday evening.
After a round one defeat, it was important for Northern Tigers to claim a victory in round two. Still very much a work in progress, they showed signs of where they want to be in their victory over Canterbury Bankstown at Jensen Park.
Getting off to a fast start, Kai Denton was an important feature last weekend scoring a double with Lachlan Lloyd joining him on the scoresheet. However, Shervin Adeli also played an important captain’s role, Adeli with two assists. They will be without Charles Abou Serhal who will miss this one with suspension.
They face a Mounties Wanderers who have secured some promising results in the opening rounds of the season. Against two new sides to the division, they took a point away from Pluim Park and three points from a home game against Inter Lions.
This appears to be a step up from that though against a side they haven’t won against since 2016. Bruno Pivato is very much the heartbeat of the side, while Jesse Spang and Anthony Windsor scored their goals last weekend. Look out for their influence of the bench this weekend as that was a key point of difference last time out.
A game with a one-sided head to head record, can Mounties break the drought here? If you can’t get out there, NPL.TV is the place to be as with every match of the round of the season.
Hakoah FC v Macarthur Rams FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, Hensley Athletic Field
Hakoah FC will be looking to bounce back from late heartbreak last weekend when they host Macarthur Rams in one of two early kick offs.
Victim to the first decisive injury time goal of the season, Hakoah FC will be extra keen to return to the pitch after a loss to Rydalmere Lions. Nicholas Drummond scored his first goal for the club but it proved not enough for them to take away a reward. Make sure you don’t leave too early from this one, with all three of their goals this season coming after the hour mark.
It was an eventful night on the pitch last weekend for Macarthur Rams. One thing we can take away from it though is that they are well up for the challenge of league one football. Spearheading their attack is the form of Anthony Proia who has scored two first class goals in his first two appearances at his new club. Another big-name club awaits them this weekend, let’s see how they go.
Central Coast United FC v Dulwich Hill FC; Saturday 18 February, 5pm, Pluim Park
Central Coast United return to home comforts as Dulwich Hill make the trip up the motorway to Pluim Park.
Winding back the clock to last year, this result in favour of Central Coast United really kickstarted their season and they’ll be hoping for something similar here. Last weekend, they copped a harsh reality check at the hands of Hills United away from home. Not lacking quality on the park, Daniel Mcfarlane stands out as a key man here after scoring his first goal of the campaign last weekend.
Dulwich Hill will come into this one with a bit of confidence behind them after a victory in round two. Against Dunbar Rovers, they scored twice in the second half to give them the three points. Thomas Tranberg looks a quality pick up in attack scoring twice in as many weeks while Goncalo Paradanta also found the back of the net. A win here would only see their confidence grow heading into their round four meeting with Blacktown Spartans.
Blacktown Spartans FC v Bankstown City FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, Blacktown Football Park
After two victories away from home, Blacktown Spartans take to their home ground for the first time this season as they await Bankstown City.
The only side with a perfect record heading into round three of the competition, Blacktown Spartans have started life under Ben Rollison well. Against SD Raiders last weekend, the impact of Emmanuel Dolo off the bench proved the difference, Dolo picking up a brace late. While striker Danny Durkin also found the net for the first time.
Just missing that clinical touch, Bankstown City will be spurred on by an encouraging performance against St George FC. They weren’t without their chances particularly in the first half and they walked away thinking about “what if’s?” Playing their first three games against three well placed existing League One sides, a good performance here would set them up well for their round four return home.
SD Raiders FC v St George FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, Ernie Smith Reserve
Not much separating these two on the table, SD Raiders host their second straight home game with St George FC making the trip to Sydney’s South-West.
Goran Ljuboja’s side will be looking to bounce back after a narrow defeat in round two. Against Blacktown Spartans, the match was there for the taking with the Raiders having multiple good chances before being “sucker punched.” Mihael Marcic has scored both his sides goals this season and they’ll learn from last weekend’s result.
St George FC on the other hand have the reverse results of their opposition. Having tasted defeat in round one, they righted the ship against Bankstown City. Reuben Awaritefe and Conor Quilligan both found the back of the net with the latter perhaps best on park. Though it was a lot more refined across the park. They’ll be looking forward to facing a more familiar opposition here.
Dunbar Rovers FC v Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, Fraser Park
Bonnyrigg White Eagles will come in favourites against Dunbar Rovers this Saturday night for their clash at Fraser Park.
That won’t scare their hosts Dunbar Rovers though who would have circled this fixture before the season as one to look forward too. And having lost their previous two games, they’ll be desperate to grab at least a point here. Last weekend they tasted defeat against Dulwich Hill, though Reece Berelowitz scored their first goal of the season.
Seven days will probably just be enough for Bonnyrigg White Eagles fans to recover from last weeks game against Macarthur. It was a game which involved every potential emotion having taken the lead, conceded twice and come back with a leveller. Aaron Peterson continues to be their main man with a brace on the night, so he stands as their key player for this one.
Inter Lions FC v Hills United FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, Majors Bay Reserve
On paper, this one looks like one of the better matchups heading into the weekend as Inter Lions host an inform Hills United side.
Round two was a lesson going forward for Inter Lions. In their first game against an existing league one side, they were another side who were made to pay for missing a few opportunities in the second half. Fikret Berisha scored their goal late in the first half before a late goal from Mounties condemned them to their first defeat. They’ll back themselves to rebound here.
Statement made! Hills United were impressive in their round two match of the round victory over Central Coast United. With their three goal victory, there was a lot to like about how they responded to round one disappointment. Mitchell Smith has been impressive in his return to the division, while the experience of Nicolai Muller will also play a key role going forward.
Safe to say both these sides haven’t had trouble finding the net in their opening couple of games, both averaging 3.5 goals a game. If it keeps up, we’re in a special night in Sydney’s Inner West.
Canterbury Bankstown FC v Rydalmere Lions FC; Saturday 18 February, 7pm, Jensen Park
Canterbury Bankstown FC will be after their first victory of the season against Rydalmere Lions to conclude our preview.
The table position of Canterbury Bankstown FC seems a bit harsh after the opening two rounds of action. Indeed, there was a lot to like about their performance on the field against Northern Tigers. Conceding two goals early, they fought hard with Jake Bradshaw and Garang Awac both finding the net to make things difficult for their opponents.
Speaking of bouncing back well, Rydalmere Lions had the biggest turnaround of anyone in terms of round one and two results with a victory over Hakoah FC. It was a much-improved defensive performance which allowed Paul Fraser’s side to claim victory. With Ahmad Taleb coming off the bench to score twice in the final 25 minutes.
This clash saw Rydalmere take bragging rights from their two meetings in league two last season, can Canterbury Bankstown get some revenge here?
By Justin Smith
