League One Men’s/League Two Men’s Leg 1 Playoff Preview
Mounties Wanderers FC take on Nepean FC in the 2024 Football NSW League Two Men’s/FNSW League One Men’s promotion-relegation playoff first leg in what is a rematch of last season’s playoff tie this Saturday at Cook Park.
Mounties Wanderers FC will hope to bounce straight back from their relegation last season and will hope to carry on their form from the past month, particularly, as they chase the ultimate success for the season.
For Nepean FC, they will hope their first-ever stay in the NSW second division does not end after just one season and will hope to channel their fight from their matches against Mounties last season to save themselves from relegation in 2024.
Here is what to look out for in the first of the two legs ahead:
Previous Meetings: Nepean FC 3-2 Mounties Wanderers FC, Mounties Wanderers FC 0-0 Nepean FC
Mounties have had a strong 2024 after their relegation from the League One Men’s competition last season and will hope to bounce straight back as they look to complete what has been a successful season for the club.
They finished in 2nd place in 2024 on 61 points, 13 behind the Premiers, the Newcastle Jets, but their spot in this playoff was confirmed in the final round of the season, with Bankstown United FC’s 1-1 draw with South Coast Flame giving Mounties the chance to seal 2nd, which they did by three points after their 4-1 away win over Parramatta FC in the final round of the League Two Men’s season.
The main threats for Mounties up front will be Yuki Kanai, who is returning from a hamstring injury just in time to add to his 25 goals for the season, the second highest in the competition, as well as the threat of experienced attacker Nikola Todoroski, who joined mid-season from Granville Rage.
Another big part of Mounties’ success this season has been their defence – they have only conceded 30 goals in their 28 matches, which is the second-best record in the competition, and they will hope that holds them in good stead against Nepean.
Since new Head Coach Jure Bilokapic joined the club following their Round 26 loss to Camden Tigers FC, Mounties have been formidable, with 14 goals scored and just three conceded in their four matches since – he has revitalised the squad and will hope to do so more against Nepean.
Mounties will look to be solid at the back with Roberto D’Angelo between the sticks, while they will welcome back Nikola Todoroski to their attack, as well as Andre Schroeder, who will hope to be a rock at the base of the midfield.
Fikret Berisha will also be full of confidence after his hat-trick in Round 30 in a Mounties attack which has been the second-best this season, only behind the Newcastle Jets, with 83 goals scored.
Expect Mounties to attack with pace and purpose as they look to take on a Nepean side which they will want revenge over after their playoff heartbreak last season.
Compared to their squad from those two matches last season, the Mounties side has changed drastically, and they will hope the investments they have made into the squad will give them an edge in this match.
Mounties will be full of confidence, flying high under a new coach with a top scorer who is having a break-out first season in the league in Yuki Kanai – expect Mounties to start this first leg on the front foot as they chase promotion back to the League One Men’s competition one year after they left it, while they also seek revenge.
Nepean FC, meanwhile, have not had the season they would have hoped for in their first time in the League One Men’s competition but will hope to salvage it by securing their safety in the playoffs.
Nepean finished the regular season in 15th place on 19 points, three ahead of automatic relegation, which Dunbar Rovers were condemned to, and five points behind 14th-placed Macarthur Rams, who secured their safety.
They replaced Stephen Appleby as Head Coach less than two-years after appointing him and replaced him with interim head coach Joseph D’Ermilio – they have had success since, with a 3-1 win over Inter Lions FC, a 1-1 draw with Dunbar Rovers FC and a 1-0 win over Rydalmere Lions FC saving them from automatic relegation.
A player to watch for Nepean will be forward Daunte Cervo – the former Sydney United under-20s player has combined well with the likes of Harrison Fox up front and will be a danger for Mounties in the playoff.
Nepean have struggled for goals in 2024, with just 27 scored from their 30 matches, four less than the next-lowest team – they will hope to rectify that in the two biggest matches of their season.
Defensively, Nepean have been relatively sound, with 56 goals conceded; that puts them at a rank of 11th out of the 16 teams in the league in that stat, which shows their defence has been able to stand up at points throughout the season, which they particularly showed in their final match of the season, a 1-0 away win over Rydalmere Lions FC.
Despite losing some of their talent during the mid-season transfer window, Nepean will hope the retention of a large part of their squad from last season will be the bond they will need to come together to take on Mounties to avoid relegation.
Nepean have split their home matches between Cook Park in St Marys and Jamison Park in South Penrith but will hope their home, competition-wise, remains the League One Men’s competition for 2025.
With a squad who has been there and conquered on the playoff stage before, they will hope to use that as extra motivation ahead of this match.
If Nepean can get off to a strong start, especially on the defensive end, they will hope to gain confidence from there as they hunt back-to-back seasons in the League One Men’s competition.
An air of familiarity surrounds this fixture given the history between these sides last season, which sets up an even more intriguing two-legged affair ahead, with both sides hoping to take the upper hand following the first match.
Expect both teams to play to their strengths from the beginning as they look to set themselves up for success across the two matches.
In what will be an intense 180 minutes ahead, the first 90 will be crucial with, as once noted before in a case of Deja vu, both the tensions and stakes extremely high.
Mounties Wanderers v Nepean FC
Saturday 31st August
7pm – Cook Park (Mt Pritchard)
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa (@_dylancosta)
