Round 10 Preview – League One Two
Following a wet weekend last week, Round 10 of the 2024 Football NSW League Two Men’s season should see teams refreshed and ready to tackle some big challenges as the fixtures start to pile up.
The Match of the Round this week sees two sides currently in the top four look to take a step towards the top as 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC host 4th-placed Bankstown United FC.
Friday, 12th April 2024
Match of the Round: Mounties Wanderers FC vs Bankstown United FC, 8pm at Cook Park (Mt Pritchard)
These two teams did not meet last season.
After a water-affected Round 9, a mouth-watering clash headlines the Round 9 action as 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC host 4th-placed Bankstown United FC as the battle for places at the top heats up.
With no recent history to base this clash off, form so far this season and key players for each side will be important.
Mounties had their other big top four clash against South Coast Flame FC washed out last week and so will be refreshed and ready to take on the challenge of another contender near the top of the table.
Having picked up 19 points from a possible 24 so far this season, and with the equal-best attack and second-best defence in the league, they will be confident of picking up another big home win – they have won every home match by a minimum of three goals so far this season.
A run of fixtures where they would have faced every other side inside the current top five has seen them pick up some big results so far – they will hope the likes of the league’s second-top goalscorer with 11 goals, Yuki Kanai, and the ever-dangerous Brima Kamara and Kuot Maliet can lead them to another big victory.
Mounties did, however, bow out of the Australia Cup in the fourth round of preliminaries after they forfeited their clash away to Panorama FC.
Bankstown United FC, meanwhile, will be full of confidence after their strong 4-0 home win over the formidable Inner West Hawks FC last week and will hope to win a sixth match from their past seven fixtures.
Mitchell Cross has led the line well for Bankstown this season and leads the club with six goals – last season’s Golden Boot runner-up will hope to continue his scoring form after he scored another two goals last week.
Bankstown will hope to play at their best and will look to see where they stand among the top teams this season depending on their result away from home – they will be prepared to face a refreshed Mounties side as they look to prove they are in the hunt to be a top side this season.
Two sides high on confidence and ready to tackle another big challenge this week should see a match with no shortage of action – expect both sides to utilise their attacking forces as both sides look to hunt down the ladder-leading Newcastle Jets.
Hawkesbury City FC vs Gladesville Ryde Magic, 8pm at ELS Hall Park
Last season: Hawkesbury City FC 3-2 Gladesville Ryde Magic, Gladesville Ryde Magic 2-2 Hawkesbury City FC
Two teams who are faltering at the bottom of the league in 14th-placed Hawkesbury City FC and last-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic will hope to pick up a big win when they face each other in Round 10.
Last season, there was no shortage of goals between the two sides with nine goals scored between the two matches and with both sides having conceded the second-most and most goals this season, respectively, this matchup should provide some fireworks.
Hawkesbury City FC will be at a makeshift home ground at ELS Hall Park in Ryde this week after their regular home ground was flooded out from the torrential rain last week and will hope for a change of fortunes after a rough 6-1 loss to Granville Rage in last week’s Match of the Round.
With six losses from their eight games so far this season, Hawkesbury will hope to pick up a timely win against a side they will be hopeful of having a good game against, albeit without the suspended Stuart Gosling after his red card last week.
Daniel Morsillo, Vincent D’Ermilio and Harry Drew all scored against Gladesville last season and will hope to gain confidence from that as they face the Magic again – look for Hawkesbury to come out with intent in this match.
Hawkesbury City FC did, however, bow out of the fourth preliminary round of the Australia Cup midweek after a 4-1 away loss to Berkeley Vale S.C., despite a goal from Anthony Pedavoli.
Gladesville Ryde Magic, meanwhile, lost a fourth-straight match after their 5-1 away defeat to Fraser Park FC last week and will hope to turn around their fortunes sooner rather than later.
The Magic have conceded 22 goals across that five-match period and only scored two as they struggle to deal with the pace and power teams have across the park – they will hope with a concentrated defensive effort at an away match just an eight-minute drive from Christie Park, they can bring home the three points.
Look for Gladesville to put in a solid display early, where they will hope to snag an early goal through the likes of their top scorer for the season in Genki Kohyama.
The Magic did, however, crash out of the fourth preliminary round of the Australia Cup midweek to fellow League Two Men’s side Central Coast United FC after a ten-man Gladesville side could not hold off a strong Pirates side, despite goals from Aram Tayebi and Tyler Frost, as they succumbed to a 4-2 home defeat.
Two teams who will be desperate for the win will hope to produce a good display across the park as they look to move away from the bottom of the ladder.
Saturday, 13th April 2024
Parramatta FC vs Central Coast United FC, 5pm at Melita Stadium
These two teams did not meet last season.
Two teams who will hope their week off following their respective washed out matches last week will hope to claim victory sees Parramatta FC host Central Coast United FC.
These two sides did not meet last season but with experience and pace in attack, will hope to produce a fast, attacking contest this week.
Parramatta had their home match to Sydney University SFC washed out last week but will hope to carry on their momentum from their big 5-0 away win over Gladesville Ryde Magic from the week before.
The Eagles are getting their confidence back across the pitch and will hope their strong finishing, as well as their willingness to kill off the match last time out, will hold them in good stead against the Pirates this week.
Parramatta have shared the goals among the playing group this season, evidenced by them scoring 17 goals with Marco Sama their top scorer with four – look for the Eagles to continue to play for each other as they hunt back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Central Coast United FC, meanwhile, had their away match to Camden Tigers FC last week washed out and will hope to use the week off to help them go a fourth match unbeaten.
Ben Flakus and Zac Pezzutto will be the main threats to watch for the Pirates in attack, who will hope to improve on their league position with games in hand on the teams above them.
Expect the Pirates to come out firing early where they will be confident of picking up a result if they can grab the first goal in this contest.
The Pirates also progressed to the fifth preliminary round of the Australia Cup midweek after a Ben Flakus hat-trick and a goal for Cade Mapu led them to a 4-2 away victory over fellow League Two Men’s side, Gladesville Ryde Magic.
With two sides who will hope to have more consistent results moving forward clashing, an entertaining clash can be expected as the Eagles and Pirates do battle.
Camden Tigers FC vs Hurstville FC, 7pm at Ron Dine Memorial Reserve – Carbiz Stadium
Last season: Camden Tigers FC 5-4 Hurstville FC, Hurstville FC 1-0 Camden Tigers FC
Two teams hoping to build off the back of big victories sees Camden Tigers FC host Hurstville FC in a match which should provide plenty of attacking threat.
Last season, these two teams played out vastly different encounters, with Camden prevailing 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller in the first matchup, before Hurstville won a tense second encounter 1-0 – expect this clash to be just as unpredictable as both sides hunt a big victory.
Camden Tigers FC have found form with big back-to-back wins 4-0 at home to Fraser Park FC and 5-1 away to Sydney University SFC, respectively, and will hope to continue their momentum this week after their Round Nine home match to Central Coast United FC was washed out.
The Camden defence will need to be at their best against Hurstville, who always look a threat in attack, as they look to further improve their defensive record this season.
Look for the Tigers to continue sharing the goalscoring, with five goal scorers for their past nine goals, while their leading scorer in Bailey Simpson will hope to lead the offence once again.
Camden did, however, crash out of the fourth preliminary round of the Australia Cup midweek after a 2-0 home loss to fellow League Two Men’s side, Fraser Park FC.
Hurstville FC, meanwhile, picked up their biggest win of the season after their 4-0 away success over Prospect United SC and will hope that result can propel them moving forward.
Conor Earley moved to six goals for the season after his double last week and will hope to continue his goal scoring form this season as Hurstville’s leading scorer.
Look for Hurstville to pile on the pressure with possession and shots early as they look to play with spirit and discipline to disrupt the Tigers before they can get a foothold in the match.
With two teams who like to utilise their attacking threat and both be hoping to build on strong victories, this clash promises to provide plenty of action in a matchup where the respective home side picked up the victories last season.
South Coast Flame FC vs Fraser Park FC, 7:15pm at Sir Ian McLennan Oval
Last season: South Coast Flame FC 2-1 Fraser Park FC, Fraser Park FC 1-0 South Coast Flame FC
An intriguing clash awaits when South Coast Flame FC host Fraser Park FC, with both sides coming off contrasting results from the match before.
Last season, both respective home sides picked up victories by one-goal margins and a similarly close encounter could ensue this time with both sides looking to play themselves into form.
South Coast Flame FC have not won either of their past two matches but did show grit to come from behind to claim a 2-2 draw at home to Central Coast United FC in their last match and will hope to use that fighting spirit moving forward.
Following their washed out Round Nine match away to Mounties Wanderers FC, the extra week of rest will do good for the Flame players, who will hope to fire up and put in a good performance as they chase down the ladder-leading Newcastle Jets.
Michael Trajkovski is the fourth-highest goal scorer in the league currently and will hope to add to his tally of eight goals when he suits up for the Flame this weekend, with support from Genki Iwata, who has four goals so far this season.
Fraser Park FC, meanwhile, ended a five-match losing streak in emphatic fashion after they put five goals past Gladesville Ryde Magic last week and will hope to use that as momentum going forward.
They had five different goal scorers last week, with many of them coming from their pace in behind, while their clinical finishing saw them in a strong position in the match within thirty minutes.
Look for Fraser Park to continue to fire with their pace in behind, where the likes of Alexander Nicolosi will hope to add to their goal tallies, Nicolosi on four for the season as Fraser Park’s leading scorer.
Fraser Park also progressed to the fifth preliminary round of the Australia Cup after a 2-0 away win over fellow League Two Men’s side, Camden Tigers FC, thanks to goals from Francis Mcalpine and Alexander Nicolosi.
With both sides hunting down a win to change and continue momentum, respectively, neither side will give up anything easy as they look to climb the ladder.
Sunday, 14th April 2024
Sydney University SFC vs Newcastle Jets, 5pm at Sydney University Football Ground
Last season: Sydney University SFC 0-2 Newcastle Jets, Newcastle Jets 3-0 Sydney University SFC
Two sides who have had contrasting seasons so far will clash when a Sydney University SFC side looking to win a first match in four rounds hosts the ladder-leading Newcastle Jets.
Last season not only did the Jets do the league double over the students, but they kept clean sheets in both matches as a sign of their strength last season.
Sydney University SFC are hoping to end a three-match losing streak and upset the Newcastle Jets in a contest where they will need to be at their best to deny the league-leaders.
Their Round Nine match away to Parramatta FC last week was washed out, so the side would have had plenty of rest, as well as more training sessions, to prepare for the challenge ahead this week.
Look for Uni to continue to experiment with positional and formation changes as they look to hunt down the winning formula that works for their squad moving forward.
The Newcastle Jets, meanwhile, had their bye last week and will hope to use their week off to return refreshed, ready to take on the competition and extend their lead at the top of the table beyond one point.
They have still scored the most goals, 28, and conceded the least goals, seven, this season; their attack has been led by a raft of players, including Alex Nunes, Justin Vidic, and Xavier Bertoncello, who all have six goals this season, as well as Janni Rafty, who has five.
With some big wins against tough opposition already this season, and with a positive 2023 season against Uni to inspire them, look for Newcastle to want to extend their winning streak against the students.
With two young sides coming up against each other, nerves in the match will need to be contained as both sides hunt the three points.
Granville Rage vs Inner West Hawks FC, 5pm at Rydalmere Park
Last season: Granville Rage 0-1 Inner West Hawks FC, Inner West Hawks FC 5-0 Granville Rage
Two teams who have had strong starts to the 2024 season, in contrast to their 14th and 15th placed finishes, respectively, last season, will hope to continue their positive start to the season when Granville Rage host Inner West Hawks FC.
Last season, the Hawks did the league double over the Rage after a close encounter in their first matchup, before a big victory in their second – look for the Rage to want to rectify this and for the Hawks to use it as motivation.
Granville Rage have found some big wins lately and have picked up 10 points from their past 15 available as they look to continue building their play and climb the ladder.
The Rage playing group has shown how much they have learned from last season to this and have taken their chances lately, scoring in each of their past five matches, only being held scoreless once so far in their nine matches this season.
The Rage will relish the opportunity to play another side fighting in the top half of the ladder and will hope to fire up with good positive play to take down the Hawks this week – look for Nikola Todoroski, who is currently the third-highest goal scorer in the league, to want to add to his nine goals.
Inner West Hawks FC, meanwhile, will hope to respond after a tough 4-0 away loss to Bankstown United FC last week and will be without Peter Yannopoulos in attack after his red card last week.
That was the first match this season where the Hawks have failed to score a goal and they will hope to rectify that this week with the league’s leading goal scorer, with 13 goals from nine matches, Takuma Hirano leading the line.
Expect a spirited response from the Hawks, who will hope a tough loss will be the kick they need to get back to winning ways in this encounter.
Inner West Hawks FC also crashed out in the fourth preliminary round of the Australia cup-mid-week after a 2-1 away loss to Coogee United FC; despite taking the lead early through Peter Kontis, they could not hold on for victory.
With two sides who are looking to find some consistency in the Rage and Hawks, expect plenty of attacking action in this matchup where the result is anything but guaranteed.
Prospect United SC have a bye in Round 10.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa @_dylancosta
