Round 13 Preview – League One Men’s
Best set of games yet? Round 13 of the FNSW League One Men’s competition has the potential to be one to remember with some big fixtures Saturday night.
Headlined by a derby fixture between Bankstown City and Bonnyrigg White Eagles, there’s also a top three showdown and much more to look forward too. We also have a bonus review for you so let’s get stuck in!
Match of the Round: Bankstown City v Bonnyrigg White Eagles; Saturday 4 May, 7pm, Jensen Park
A game we’ve been looking forward to since fixture release day, Bankstown City host Bonnyrigg White Eagles at Jensen Park this Saturday evening.
The hosts come into this one on the back of an inconsistent run of form, while Bonnyrigg White Eagles have turned the corner in 2024 with four wins in their last six matches
We’ll start with Bankstown City since there isn’t a midweek game to cover in their camp. A win against Nepean FC last weekend coming much to the relief of the club. Sitting in fourth position, they sit 8 points outside the top two coming into this one.
Chris Payne scored the important goal last weekend from the spot, while Mabior Garang is their main man going forward. Last weekend also seeing them keep their third clean sheet of the season in the narrow victory. They have won three of their six games at Jensen Park this season, something they will be looking to improve ahead of this one.
The visitors Bonnyrigg White Eagles approach this one after a defeat earlier this week at the hands of Bulls FC Academy. That loss came after wins against both SD Raiders and Dulwich Hill both at home. Sitting in 10th, they could rise as high as fifth with a victory this weekend.
Up front, Brad Bartels and Maksim Jez will be a threat on goal with a couple goals each in their past three fixtures. They have found the going tough away from home this season, with three wins in their nine games away from home. The most recent of which saw them fall to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Hakoah.
A highly anticipated derby, you can catch this one on the Football NSW YT page under the live tab, kick off 7pm.
R9 Review: Bonnyrigg White Eagles 0-2 Bulls FC Academy
Bulls FC Academy brought to an end the good form of Bonnyrigg White Eagles with a 2-0 victory at Bonnyrigg Sports Club Tuesday night.
An important victory which extends their advantage in second position, the young Bulls took the lead early in this one before adding an exclamation mark in second half injury time. The coaching staff pleased with the maturity shown from their squad.
They took the lead after five minutes, Flynn Madden finishing on the end of a 10+ passing move in possession, noted as a great team goal.
It was far from one way traffic though and the hosts certainly put the Bulls defence under the microscope. Bonnyrigg playing themselves into both halves after a fast Bulls start, playing a lot of balls into the box particularly in the second half.
Bulls withstanding that pressure before they found a second goal in second half injury time through Ariath Piol. The performances of Frans Deli, Flynn Madden, Oliver Jones, Lachlan Macdonald and Joel Bertolissio particularly impressing on the night.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 0
Bulls FC Academy 2 (Madden 6’, Piol 94’)
Other Features:
Mt Druitt Town Rangers v Hakoah FC; Saturday 4 May, 7pm, Popondetta Park
A big top three clash awaits us Saturday night as Mt Druitt Town Rangers host Hakoah FC at Popondetta Park.
It’s the first of two big games for Mt Druitt Town Rangers who face second placed Bulls FC Academy next weekend. They come into these clashes in good form sitting pretty at the top of the table with 31 points in 12 games.
Last weekend, they secured three points away from home against the Blacktown Spartans. Andre Martins and Daniel Wong scored their goals but they will be missing Martins for this one after a red card late in the first half. They have won six of their seven home games this season, so you’d imagine they’ll be hard to beat here.
Their opponents Hakoah FC will be keen to bounce back though after suffering their first couple of defeats of the season last week. After going down narrowly against Rockdale Ilinden in the Australia Cup, tired legs perhaps cost them in their league meeting with UNSW FC.
Still you could see why they are a threat to any side in the competition, the likes of Nicholas Drummond and Connor Shaddock standing out in that one. They have a midweek game after this which could well and truly bring them into the top two equation with a victory here.
It’s set up nicely this one, definitely a game worth keeping an eye on this Saturday night.
Blacktown Spartans v Macarthur Rams; Saturday 4 May, 7pm, Blacktown Football Park
Our focus turns back to the mid-table as Blacktown Spartans host Macarthur Rams in the third of our featured matches.
Blacktown Spartans will be looking to bounce back after a defeat last weekend while Macarthur Rams could make it four wins in their past five with a victory.
The hosts couldn’t quite get the job done against Mt Druitt Town Rangers last weekend which brought their unbeaten run to an end. With eight points at home so far this season, there is room for improvement in their familiar surroundings ahead of this one.
So what do we look out for here? You’d imagine there has been a particular emphasis on being clinical in front of goal after last weekend. Rollison’s side just unable to apply the final touch when they were on top. So look out for Aedon Kyra and Suleyman Bangura to make a statement in this one. Kyra third in the golden boot race this season.
Macarthur Rams stand as challenging opponents for the hosts however after picking up their third victory in four weeks. Last weekend, they claimed a narrow victory over Northern Tigers at home which saw them rise up into 11th on the table.
Two names stood out in that one, captain John Fahmi in midfield who also found himself on the scoresheet. While former Spartan Alex Gollan was key in marshalling his defense. Jaidynn Dunn other scorer on the night.
Quickfire Previews:
Nepean FC v Canterbury Bankstown; Friday 3 May, 8pm, Cook Park (St Marys)
In a competition where it’s generally harder to claim three points away from home, Nepean FC will be desperate for a result to come in this one. Last weekend they went down narrowly against Bankstown City despite a spirited performance. With one win to show for their seven home matches, can they secure their second win here?
Canterbury Bankstown claimed a victory in last weekends match of the round over Dunbar Rovers. They have won back-to-back games and sit in 8th position after 12 rounds. Taiga Kawano continued his goal-scoring record while Gino Cerasoli also impressed in that one taking charge of the midfield.
Northern Tigers v Dunbar Rovers; Saturday 4 May, 6:30pm, North Turramurra Recreation Area\
Northern Tigers return home after a semi-productive two games away this weekend. Last week, they went down to Macarthur Rams despite having good periods throughout the fixture. Shervin Adeli scored from the spot, and they’ll come in favourites for this one.
Something has to give in this one as the form of Dunbar Rovers is not much better. One point in their last five games, they need a confidence boosting win sooner rather than later. Round 12 saw them fall to a defeat away from home against Canterbury Bankstown, can they bounce back here?
Rydalmere Lions v Dulwich Hill; Saturday 4 May, 7pm, Rydalmere Park
After a full week of training with their new coach behind them, Rydalmere Lions take to their home ground with the hope of turning their season around. Despite the result suggesting otherwise, they were well organised against the Bulls Academy side giving them a good test.
So far, it’s been a tough set of games on the road for Dulwich Hill who have fallen twice in narrow loses. Last weekend, they saw themselves on the end of a Inter Lions comeback victory. One thing you can expect is goals, with three of their last four games having 4 goals or more.
Inter Lions v SD Raiders; Saturday 4 May, 7pm, Majors Bay Reserve
Inter Lions returned to winning ways with an important victory over Dulwich Hill last weekend. Backing up from an improved performance against the competition leaders, Fikret Berisha led the way against Dully with a brace in the come from behind win. They’ll be looking at this one as a chance to build momentum.
They face a SD Raiders side who themselves are in pretty good form. Last weekend however they went down against Bonnyrigg courtesy of two late goals. A positive however is the form of Jairo Torne Fernandez in front of goal with three goals in his last four league games.
UNSW FC v Bulls FC Academy; Saturday 4 May, 7pm, The Village Green
There’s no doubt that UNSW FC are capable of getting a result here against one of the top three. They did just that against Hakoah last weekend in impressive style. Look out for the impact of their substitutes in this one, their changes last weekend playing a big role in said win.
Three games in a week is a rarity for an A-league academy side, but it’s one which Bulls FC Academy will be relishing in good form. A win over Rydalmere Lions last weekend was followed up midweek with an important win over Bonnyrigg White Eagles which saw them build a 6 point gap over third placed Hakoah.
By Justin Smith
