Round 26 Preview – League One Men’s
While those in Paris begin their quest for gold, we continue our quest for goals in round 26 of the FNSW League One Men’s competition.
All top three sides are looking too bounce back from dropping points last weekend with our match of the round taking us to Jensen Park to see if Hakoah FC can keep their promotion hopes alive.
Match of the Round: Bankstown City v Hakoah FC; Saturday 27th July, 3pm, Jensen Park
Our match of the round this week sees fourth host third as Bankstown City welcome Hakoah FC to Jensen Park, Saturday afternoon.
This game could decide the fate of Hakoah FC this season who sit five points behind Mt Druitt Town Rangers with five games to go. Their last result was a tough result to take with the teams above dropping points opening the window for them, an opportunity they didn’t take.
Indeed it is away from home where they have struggled of late with that one point in their last two away games at the wrong time of the season. On the field, Yianni Spyrakis has recently made a return with two starts in their last four which has helped them on their way to three consecutive clean sheets. While Cam Philpot stands out as their in form player coming into this one.
Bankstown City are a tough opponent to face in such a situation though. City on an unbeaten run across their last five games including a three goal victory in the derby against Canterbury Bankstown last time out. Sitting on 47 points, they could cut the gap between them and their opponents to two points with a win here.
Back to last weekend however, it was Chris Payne and Rhett Desilva who stood out particularly in the second half. Both those two finding the back of the net while Desilva also picked up an assist. This is their first home game in a month after picking up two wins and two draws on the road.
It’s another important match of the round, make sure you check it out on the FNSW youtube page under the live tab. Hakoah won their previous meeting back in April with a 3-2 victory.
Other Features
Bulls FC Academy v SD Raiders; Saturday 27th July, 3pm, Sydney United Sports Centre
Kicking off at the same time as our match of the round, competition leaders Bulls FC Academy host an inform SD Raiders at Sydney United Sports Centre.
Bulls FC Academy lost their winning streak against Inter Lions away from home last weekend, while SD Raiders picked up their fifth straight win against Dunbar Rovers.
A team who have made a habit of bouncing back from setbacks in 2024, Bulls FC Academy are our hosts for this one. As mentioned above, the academy side tasted their first defeat in eight games last weekend away from home.
Now they will have to respond against a side who got the better of them back in the first round. If they are to bounce back, expect Flynn Madden to play a key role who has found the back of the net ten times this season. Last weekend was just the third time they have conceded three goals or more this season.
After several false starts this season, SD Raiders have finally found the form which we saw back in 2023. Five games unbeaten, they have conceded just twice in that run, one of which coming against Dunbar Rovers last weekend.
That doesn’t mean they will be favourites for this one though, with Goran Ljuboja not entirely satisfied with his sides performance last weekend. Noah Chianese stands out as their attacking threat for this one, Chianese scoring in four of their last five games.
Macarthur Rams v Dunbar Rovers; Saturday 27th July, 7pm, Lynwood Park
Finally in our final feature of the weekend, it’s a big game at the bottom as Dunbar Rovers travel South-West to take on Macarthur Rams who sit six points above them.
The visitors come into this one in the better form of the two sides with four points in their last five, while the Rams have just a single point from their last five games.
A loss here could well drag Macarthur Rams into a relegation fight. Recent form hasn’t been pretty from a Rams perspective with their last win coming in the midweek round at the beginning of June. (Feels a long time ago, doesn’t it?)
Last time out, they went down to another two goal defeat at the hands of Rydalmere Lions. The Rams once again finding themselves chasing the game. Emmanuel Gonzalez has been a rare bright spot in recent times finding the back of the net on a regular basis. Can they halt their bad form here?
After showing signs of life in their quest for survival, Dunbar Rovers need another positive result in this one after back to back defeats last week. On thirteen points, they are currently sitting in the relegation playoff spot with Nepean FC a point behind them.
Last weekend, they nearly pegged back SD Raiders away from home putting their opponents under significant pressure in the final quarter of the fixture. Mondo Kagami scored a goal in that one, Kagami a clear standout in recent weeks for the Rovers.
Quickfire Previews
Rydalmere Lions v Blacktown Spartans; Saturday 27th July, 5pm, Rydalmere Park
Two wins and a draw in consecutive games, Rydalmere Lions are in season best form coming into this one. They proved too strong for Macarthur Rams last weekend with new signings Jihad Alsayed and Robert Eremugo featuring in starring roles. Can they continue their strong run of form here?
Blacktown Spartans bounced back well from a heavy defeat the week previous against Northern Tigers last Saturday night. Winning four of their last five, this promises to be a good contest this weekend. Last weekend both their top goal-scorers found the back of the net in Aedon Kyra and Suleyman Bangura. Kyra third in the league with 12 goals.
Previous Meeting: Blacktown Spartans 3-2 Rydalmere Lions
Northern Tigers v Nepean FC; Saturday 27th July, 6:30pm, North Turramurra Recreation Area
It’s another two game week for Northern TIgers who host two games this week at North Turramurra. A welcome return home after a defeat to Blacktown Spartans in round 25, you have to go back to round 15 for the last time they were held scoreless. Look out for the likes of Olivier Beltran-Woodward and Kai Denton to right that wrong here.
Nepean FC suffered a big defeat in the round 25 match of the round at the hands of Dulwich Hill. Now seven points behind 14th position, you would suggest a playoff spot come season end is their best outcome. To do so however, they will need to pick up a few results, something they have struggled to do in recent months.
Previous Meeting: Nepean FC 1-2 Northern Tigers
Dulwich Hill v Bonnyrigg White Eagles; Saturday 27th July, 7pm, Majors Bay Reserve
Dulwich Hill picked up their most important win of the season last weekend against Nepean FC. Extending the gap between themselves and teams below to six points, they put five goals past their hapless opponents. Keen to the win was the efforts of Domenico Tripodi from central midfield, so his our player to watch this week.
Their opponents Bonnyrigg White Eagles bounced back from a five goal midweek defeat in positive fashion with their draw with Hakoah. They welcomed back Brad Bartels to the squad after being out for a month and kept their sixth clean sheet of the season.
Previous Meeting: Bonnyrigg White Eagles 2-1 Dulwich Hill
Inter Lions v Mt Druitt Town Rangers; Saturday 27th July, 7pm, Majors Bay Reserve
Inter Lions had their best week of the season last week with victories over Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Bulls FC Academy. Playing to their strengths against the academy side, their quick transition game saw them put three unanswered goals on the Bulls. Lachlan Everett, Giuseppe Tilio and Ollie Green all finding the back of the net while Nicholas Paras contributed to two of their goals.
They face a side who also got the better of them in round one in Mt Druitt Town Rangers. They missed an opportunity to go top in defeat to UNSW last weekend. A back and forth game, Andre Martins scored two goals either side of half time to bring them level before a late goal consigned them to their fourth defeat of the season.
Previous Meeting: Mt Druitt Town Rangers 1-1 Inter Lions
UNSW FC v Canterbury Bankstown; Saturday 27th July, 7pm, The Village Green
After dropping points in recent games at home, UNSW righted that wrong with a 3-2 win over promotion chasing Mt Druitt Town Rangers. However this is potentially a bigger test for the students backing it up against a side below them on the ladder. Last weekend, Alexander Malfara scored his first for the club while Matias Da Silva Santos scored a memorable winner.
In contrast to a few sides we’ve spoken about in this preview, Canterbury Bankstown have seen their form drop off a cliff in recent times. Their last win came back in round 20 over Northern Tigers, last weekend tasting defeat to Bankstown City. To turn that around here, they will need to pick up a rare away win with only two coming away from Jensen Park so far this season.
Previous Meeting: Canterbury Bankstown 4-3 UNSW FC:
By Justin Smith
