Round 6 Preview – League One Men’s
Round six of the FNSW League One Men’s competition looks like our most exciting yet with plenty of enticing fixtures ahead of us.
Lot’s of fixtures between teams close by in the table, Rydalmere against Dulwich Hill is our match of the round while a big derby is set to take place at Jensen Park.
Match of the Round: Rydalmere Lions v Dulwich Hill; Saturday 15 March, 7pm, Rydalmere Park
Our match of the round takes us to Rydalmere Park as Rydalmere Lions host Dulwich Hill this Saturday evening.
The visitors come into this one in slightly better form than their hosts while the Lions are chasing just their second win of the season so far.
We’ll start with Rydalmere Lions after they drew with Mounties Wanderers last weekend at this same venue. They took the lead there but a goal in the final quarter hour saw them consigned to their second draw of the campaign.
Scoring hasn’t come easy for the Lions if you take out a 5-1 win over Hakoah FC a few weeks ago, with two goals in four games. As such, they will be looking to the likes of Robert Eremugo, Jihad Alsayed and Ahmad Taleb to find some scoring form here. While it looks like Ricardo Rizzo has established himself in goal in recent weeks.
It will be a tough ask though against Dulwich Hill who have recovered from their early season woes with six points in their last three games. Last weekend, they went down in an admirable loss to Newcastle Jets at Arlington Oval.
In that, it was their defensive workrate which impressed holding the Jets scoreless for the first hour. Further up the pitch, Daniel Fornito, Jamal Belkadi and Mark Younes look set to lead their attack while in team news, Harry Jones and Arthur Hugon could be in doubt after going off prematurely there.
You can catch this one on the FNSW YouTube page under the live tab.
Bankstown City v Bonnyrigg White Eagles; Saturday 15 March, 5pm, Jensen Park
It’s derby time! Bankstown City host Bonnyrigg White Eagles in a big game for both clubs at Jensen Park.
Both these sides come in after a round five victory last weekend with Bonnyrigg leaving it late to beat Macarthur Rams while Bankstown City were the first side to get the better of Northern Tigers this season.
For The hosts in this one, last weekends win over Northern Tigers was a pressure relieving one after another slow start to the season in 2025. With six points in their opening five games, they sit in 9th position heading into this one.
A fast start was crucial to their success last weekend with Henry Davies heading home from a early corner before Jonathan Grozdanovski also found the back of the net in the 23rd minute or thereabouts. Aside from those two, Shun Maeta is definitely a player to keep an eye on here.
If Bonnyrigg White Eagles are to win this one, you’d suggest they will be after a more assured performance across the ninety. Last weekend against the Rams, they did things the hard way coming from behind.
They will be without Tristan Vidic for this after a red card in the final ten minutes. While Charles Mendy and Sebastian Cerecedo found the target. Cerecedo making quite the impression off the bench with his finish coming from long range. Aside from those two, Brad Bartels was potentially their best on the field last weekend.
Quickfire Previews
Blacktown Spartans v Bulls FC Academy; Friday 14 March, 8:15pm, Blacktown Football Park
Blacktown Spartans secured their second victory in succession last weekend which has seen them move up the ladder. Sitting in 8th, they put in a controlled performance to overcome Canterbury Bankstown. Both Aedon Kyra and Franco Scarcella scored there, with Scarcella in particular impressing.
Like their hosts, Bulls FC Academy also picked up a win in round five action. They were involved in a shootout with Inter Lions exchanging goals before Harry Menham scored the winner to make it 3-2. After which, coach Nicolai Muller noted he was pleased with his sides effort on the night particularly in possession.
Macarthur Rams v Canterbury Bankstown; Saturday 15 March, 5pm, Valentine Sports Park 3
Macarthur Rams are not far off hitting their straps in 2025. They were perhaps a tad unfortunate to not walk away with something against Bonnyrigg White Eagles last weekend. Emmanuel Gonzalez game them a lead before their hosts though back. Playing some good football, will this be the game they breakthrough?
They face another side in need of a confidence boost in Canterbury Bankstown. Losing their last three games, they went down to a two goal defeat to Blacktown Spartans last weekend. Consistency across the 90 will be the focus for the Berries approaching this one as they look to break their three game losing streak.
SD Raiders v UNSW FC; Saturday 15 March, 5pm, Thomas Hassell Anglican College
Our pacesetters SD Raiders face potentially their biggest challenge of the season yet this weekend against UNSW. Last weekend, they picked up the three points with a 1-0 win over Hills United away from home. They have conceded just once since round one with three clean sheets in a row which has set them up nicely.
This could be a low-scoring affair as they face UNSW who have just conceded four goals in their opening five games. Last weekend, they kept a clean sheet whilst putting on a clinic at the other end. Kevin Lopes scored a brace there and they will be boosted by the return of Claudio Fabiano in forthcoming weeks from suspension.
Mounties Wanderers v Hakoah FC; Saturday 15 March, 7pm, Wanderers Football Park
Showing signs of adjusting to their new surroundings, Mounties Wanderers both secured their first point and scored their first goal last weekend. Taking a point from their first couple of fixtures under Brett Hewit against Rydalmere Lions and UNSW FC. Can they turn that into three here in a game where they potentially fancy their chances?
Inconsistency has been the bane to Hakoah’s start to the season. They couldn’t follow a 3-2 victory against Canterbury Bankstown with a performance against UNSW going down to a hefty defeat. As such, Craig Sharpley will be hoping for a response from his side here in what is now a pretty big game here.
Newcastle Jets v Northern Tigers; Saturday 15 March, 7pm, Lake Macquaries Regional Football Facility
Quietly going about their business, Newcastle Jets have risen into second position after four wins in their first five games. Last weekend, they looked assured overcoming Dulwich Hill with two goals in the last half hour. Ethan Debono and Xavier Bertoncello scoring their two goals. This stands as another good test for Damian Zane’s side.
Northern Tigers will be keen to bounce back from their first defeat in the new season here. Key to any sucess here will be a positive start after conceding twice in the first quarter of their match with Bankstown City. A late Kai Denton not enough on this occasion. Jesse Spang is a player to watch here, his performance last week only lacking the final finish.
Hills United v Inter Lions; Saturday 15 March, 7pm, Valentine Sports Park 2
You’d suggest this match is of more importance for Hills United who are coming in off three straight defeats. A tough run of games, they went down to a narrow defeat at the hands of SD Raiders last weekend. One goal in their last three games while scoring just the single goal, it’s up to their attack to change their fortunes.
Inter Lions sit a point ahead of them, so this does have that big game feel in regards to both sides fortunes in 2025. They went down narrowly to Bulls FC Academy last weekend in a physical contest. Both Owen Duke and Harry Rushton are in good form in recent weeks, both finding the back of the net last weekend.
-By Justin Smith
