Round 26 Preview – League Two Men’s
With the Newcastle Jets edging closer to the league title and promotion, and a raft of sides still within reach of the all-important 2nd place for the promotion/relegation playoff matches, every match will be crucial in Round 26 with five rounds to go of the 2024 Football NSW League Two Men’s season.
The Match of the Round this week will focus on one of the sides chasing promotion this season when 4th-placed Inner West Hawks FC look to keep their hopes alive when they travel to face 9th-placed Fraser Park FC.
Saturday, 27th July 2024
Match of the Round: Fraser Park FC vs Inner West Hawks FC, 7pm at Fraser Park
Previous Meeting: Inner West Hawks FC 4-1 Fraser Park FC
Every win matters at the pointy end of the season and 4th-placed Inner West Hawks will want to keep up their promotion charge when they travel to face a 9th-placed Fraser Park FC side looking to win their first match in four matches.
The last time these two teams met, in Round 11, a hat-trick from Jacob Palamidas and a late goal from Takuma Hirano for the Hawks cancelled out Alexander Nicolosi’s opener for Fraser Park in a big 4-1 win for the Hawks – plenty of firepower will also be on display in this contest, too.
Fraser Park FC lost a Round 21 catch-up match at home to 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC 2-0 mid-week after their 0-0 draw away to 5th-placed South Coast Flame FC last week, which meant their four-match unbeaten run suddenly turned into a three-match winless streak – they will hope to make amends to that as they look to have their say on the promotion race.
The fixtures keep coming thick and fast for the hosts, with this being their sixth match in 19 days, and they will hope to use the depth of their squad to get through this tough period.
A win for Fraser Park would keep them in 9th, while a loss could see them drop to as low as 11th on the ladder – they will hope to pick up a positive result to have their influence on the promotion battle this season and keep their hopes of a top-half finish alive.
Inner West Hawks FC, meanwhile, held off a formidable 7th-placed Granville Rage 3-2 last week and will hope to keep themselves in the hunt for promotion with another three points this weekend.
The Hawks will look to be crafty up front with Takuma Hirano, Peter Yannopoulos and Hesan Soufi, with the former just two goals behind Bankstown United FC’s Mitchell Cross in the battle for the Golden Boot with 24 goals.
A win for the Hawks could see them move level on 49 points with 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC if results go their way, while a loss could see them fall six points behind in the battle for 2nd this season – every match for them is crucial in the final five weeks of the season.
With Fraser Park having done the league double over the Hawks last season, they will hope to pile on a bit of pain as they look to have their say on the promotion race, while the Hawks will want to come out firing as they chase down the top two – with that, this match should provide plenty of excitement.
Friday, 26th July 2024
Mounties Wanderers FC vs Camden Tigers FC, 8pm at Cook Park (Mt Pritchard)
Previous Meeting: Camden Tigers FC 1-1 Mounties Wanderers FC
A match which provided plenty of drama earlier in the season promises to deliver once again when 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC hosts 13th-placed Camden Tigers FC in a big match for the hosts’ promotion hopes.
The last time these sides met in Round 11, a 90+6’ goal from Camden’s Brendan Lane rescued a point for the Tigers in a 1-1 draw at home to Mounties, which means this clash could provide some more drama given the circumstances.
Mounties responded to their late, 90+8’ goal conceded in their 3-3 draw away to 3rd-placed Bankstown United FC last week with a strong 2-0 away win over 9th-placed Fraser Park FC mid-week and will hope to continue with that momentum as they look to stay in 2nd.
Nikola Todoroski continued his strong start to life at his new club with another goal in that catch-up match, while Yuki Kanai racked up his 24th goal of the season, which put him just two goals behind Bankstown United FC’s Mitchell Cross in the race for the Golden Boot.
Mounties have the upper hand in the promotion race, being one point ahead of 3rd-placed Bankstown and three points ahead of 4th-placed Inner West Hawks FC – they will hope to extend their unbeaten streak to five matches and will also hope the other two teams drop points as they look to consolidate 2nd.
Camden Tigers, meanwhile, went a 10th-straight match without a win after their 4-1 away loss to 8th-placed Hurstville FC last week and would love to end that run by influencing the promotion race this season.
After being prolific scorers throughout the season, Camden have struggled for goals lately with only two goals scored from their past five matches, while they have also lost five matches in a row.
A win for Camden would be welcome relief and could see them rise up two spots to 11th on the ladder, but they will also want to take the three points so they can have their say on the battle near the top of the table.
With Mounties in prime position to lead the chasing pack for 2nd place and Camden looking to end a tough run of form, neither side will be too cautious moving forward as they chase the win.
Granville Rage vs Newcastle Jets, 8pm at Rydalmere Park
Previous Meeting: Newcastle Jets 2-1 Granville Rage
7th-placed Granville Rage will hope to do what no other team has done this season and that is defeat the league-leading Newcastle Jets when they meet in a Friday night blockbuster.
The Jets held on for a 2-1 home win late over the Rage in the reverse fixture and will hope to go a fourth-straight head-to-head match unbeaten against the Rage.
The Rage had their three-match unbeaten streak snapped last week when they could not complete a comeback in their 3-2 away loss to 4th-placed Inner West Hawks FC last weekend.
They have scored at least one goal in each of their last four matches, however, and will hope to continue their strong second half of the season as they look to take the match to the Jets at home.
A win for the Rage would keep them in 7th, while a loss could see them drop to 8th, but more importantly they would love to be the first team to take all three points away from the Jets this season.
The Newcastle Jets, meanwhile, are just two wins away, maximum, from securing the league title and promotion to the League One Men’s competition for next season after their 1-0 win over 14th-placed Sydney University SFC last week, while their unbeaten season so far includes 18 wins and 5 draws from their 23 matches.
They could wrap up the league title this weekend if they win this match and both 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC and 3rd-placed Bankstown United FC lose their respective matches, as they would be an unassailable 13 points clear of Mounties in that scenario.
With four-straight clean sheets to their name, the Jets have shown no signs of jitters as they chase this never-before-seen achievement of an invincible season, but that will not be at the forefront of their minds as they look to take it one match at a time.
The Rage will hope to play ultimate spoiler to the Jets fairytale season, while Newcastle will hope to take it one match at a time as their promotion becomes a near certainty, with the possibility of an invincible season still alive.
Saturday, 27th July 2024
Central Coast United FC vs Gladesville Ryde Magic, 5pm at Pluim Park
Previous Meeting: Gladesville Ryde Magic 0-1 Central Coast United FC
With 6th-placed Central Coast United FC in form and last-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic looking to find a way to avoid that position come the end of the season, both teams will look to do battle in what was a tight contest in the reverse fixture in what was Round 11’s Match of the Round.
That match saw a lone goal in the second half from the Pirates’ Cade Mapu lead Central Coast United to a 1-0 away win over the Magic and both teams will hope to take the three points on this occasion for their own positional gain.
Central Coast United won a fourth match from their past five after they scored a late winner in their 1-0 home victory over 11th-placed Parramatta FC last season and will hope to continue that momentum in their rise up the ladder.
In their past five matches, the Pirates have kept three clean sheets and only conceded two goals as their defence has shown major improvement in the second half of the season, with only eight goals conceded from their nine matches.
Expect the Pirates to keep the match tight and in control to their playstyle as they look for a win which could take them to within one point of 5th-placed South Coast Flame FC.
Gladesville Ryde Magic, meanwhile, lost a fifth-straight match after their 3-1 home loss to Hawkesbury City FC in the battle for the Stroke Recovery Cup in last week’s Match of the Round and they will hope to end that streak when they travel up the coast.
Having kept the match tight against the Pirates in the reverse fixture, the Magic will hope to do so again and will hope to have extra motivation after the retirement of Kyriakos Tohouroglou last weekend as the club turns a new leaf ahead of next season.
With a young squad hoping to stay together and continue learning, they will hope this match against the Pirates will provide them with another opportunity to learn – a win for the Magic and a loss for 14th-placed Sydney University SFC, meanwhile, would lift the Magic out of last place.
With positions still up for grabs this season, both the Pirates and the Magic will hope to fight and conjure up some special moments.
Parramatta FC vs Prospect United SC, 5pm at Melita Stadium
Previous Meeting: Prospect United SC 0-3 Parramatta FC
A western Sydney derby will see bragging rights up for grabs when 11th-placed Parramatta FC hosts 12th-placed Prospect United SC.
Parramatta put in a strong showing in the reverse fixture with a 3-0 away win, thanks to goals from Youssef Badr, Gabriel Contigiani and Mouhammad Bakr and will hope to complete the league double over their western Sydney neighbours this weekend.
The Eagles put in a valiant effort in their 1-0 away loss to 6th-placed Central Coast United FC last week and will hope to turn their chances into goals this weekend as they look to get back to winning ways.
Parramatta will look to hold the ball in good areas at home this week as they look to play around the press of Prospect, while they will hope captain Marco Sama can add to his 11 goals for the season.
A win for Parramatta could see them rise two places to 9th on the ladder, while a loss could see them drop to 13th as the table remains tight late in the season.
Prospect, meanwhile, had a bye last week and will hope to end their four-match winless run when they take to the field this weekend.
They have pride to play for in this match and will hope to square the ledger at 1-1 in the head-to-head against Parramatta this season in a win which would also help them in bragging rights regarding league position this season, too.
Youssef Badr will come up against his old club in this match, as will Blake Steward, and the former would love to score against his former side – a win for Prospect could see them rise to 9th, while a loss could drop them to 13th.
With pride on the line between the two western Sydney clubs, neither team will want to give up the match easily as both sides chase the three points.
Hawkesbury City FC vs Bankstown United FC, 5:30pm at David Bertenshaw Field
Previous Meeting: Bankstown United FC 5-3 Hawkesbury City FC
A match between two teams who have brought excitement this season sees 10th-placed Hawkesbury City FC host 3rd-placed Bankstown United FC in a big match for the promotion chances of the latter this season.
Bankstown took out an eight-goal thriller when these two teams met in Round 11 and secured the win thanks to a Mitchell Cross sealer in the 89th minute – this match could provide just as much action with everything to play for, for the visitors.
Hawkesbury won their first match in three attempts after they came from behind to claim a 3-1 win away over Gladesville Ryde Magic in last week’s Match of the Round, which also meant they won the Stroke Recovery Cup in their first attempt.
They would love to have their say on the promotion battle this season, while a win for them personally could move them up one spot to 9th on the ladder while a loss could see them drop to 11th.
Expect Hawkesbury to utilise their attacking players well to play both out wide and through the middle as they chase the three points in the contest.
Bankstown, meanwhile, scored two late goals, including a 90+8’ goal through Mitchell Cross to give themselves a big boost in their battle for promotion this season.
Mitchell Cross delivered the dagger in that come-from-behind draw and will hope to add to his 26 goals, the highest in the league this season, when he takes on the team he put two past earlier in the season.
A win for Bankstown could lift them back into 2nd place if other results go their way, while a loss could see them drop down to 4th and would damage their promotion chances.
With pride on the line for Hawkesbury and promotion at stake for Bankstown, expect another match which should be filled with fluid attacking play from both sides as they chase their goals this season.
Hurstville FC vs Sydney University SFC, 7pm at Penshurst Park
Previous Meeting: Sydney University SFC 0-1 Hurstville FC
With both 8th-placed Hurstville FC and 14th-placed Sydney University SFC having picked up two wins from their past five matches, both will want to make that three as they meet in Round 26.
A 90+3’ goal from Declan Sheldon gave Hurstville a tight 1-0 away win over Sydney University in the Round 11 reverse fixture and this match could provide another special moment as both teams hunt the three points.
Hurstville won back-to-back matches after their 4-1 home win over 13th-placed Camden Tigers FC last week and will hope to win three-straight matches for the second time this season when they face the students this weekend.
They will hope to utilise their quick counterattacking football to cause problems for University, while their midfield trio of James Tsokos, Samuel Shainfeld and Jonathan Maras will hope to lay the platform for success for Hurstville once again.
A win for Hurstville could see them rise to 7th on the ladder and they will want to continue to play positive, attacking football to end the season on a positive note as they look to complete the league double.
Sydney University SFC, meanwhile, could not win back-to-back matches after they fell 1-0 in a tight contest away to the league-leading Newcastle Jets last week.
The students have shown many positive signs in the second half of the season so far and will hope to continue to build on that as they look to avoid finishing in last place this season.
Expect University to play without fear and keep the match tight as they look for a win which would help in their bid to avoid last place.
With Hurstville firing and University on an upward trend, both teams will want to show their worth in this match as they chase down the victory.
5th-placed South Coast Flame FC have their bye in Round 25.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa (@_dylancosta)
