Round 18 Preview – League One Men’s
As the cold weather truly sets in, the FNSW League One Men’s action continues to heat up with round 18 action taking place this weekend.
Match of the Round: UNSW FC v Newcastle Jets; Saturday 7 June, 5:15pm, The Village Green
This weeks match of the round takes us to a developing rivalry as UNSW FC host Newcastle Jets at the Village Green.
The hosts have gone from strength to strength in recent times unbeaten in ten games, while Newcastle Jets are struggling comparatively with seven points in their last five.
Round 17 saw UNSW FC come away with a dramatic win over Dulwich Hill away from home. Reduced to ten men midway through the second half, they responded well and found a winner in the games latter stages through Jordan Morfitis.
Considering where they are in the table, it’s quite remarkable that that game saw them keep their first clean sheet since mid April. Though we have to go back further for the last time they conceded two goals in a League One game. Jack Fulton is their focal point in attack with ten goals followed by the likes of Kevin Lopes and Sean Woods with six goals.
Their opponents Newcastle Jets just couldn’t quite get the job done against Blacktown Spartans last weekend. It’s been a true up and down period of form since round eleven with two wins, two draws and three defeats in that period.
UNSW are a side that they have some history against however, so that could well bring out their best. They will need to put together a full ninety though, something they didn’t quite manage last time out. Oliver Cockie and Ethan Debono will lead their attack and there’s plenty of quality around them to spark their attack.
You can catch this one on the FNSW Youtube page under the live tab.
Elsewhere:
Blacktown Spartans v Dulwich Hill; Friday 6 June, 8:15pm, Blacktown Football Park
A point away against Newcastle Jets last week seems pretty good going for Blacktown Spartans. Indeed that statement could really apply to the last month as they find themselves in a top six spot.
Last weekend was a test of character against the Newcastle Jets in which they came from behind on two occasions. They will want to improve their start to a fixture after a slow start, playing at home could set them on their way there.
Six straight defeats is a concerning trend for Dulwich Hill who sit dangerously close to the bottom two after 17 rounds. Conceding 34 goals across the season puts last weeks defeat to UNSW FC in a better light though.
However, they do need to find more goals averaging just a goal a game so far this campaign. A tough fixture on paper, they can take confidence from the first meeting between the two sides which they won back in round three.
Hakoah FC v Rydalmere Lions; Saturday 7 June, 2:30pm, Hensley Athletic Field
One side to completely turn their form around in recent weeks are Hakoah FC. Back-to-back wins for the second time this season has seen them enter the mid-table portion of the ladder hence becoming a tricky prospect to face.
Last weekend, they secured a come from behind victory over SD Raiders. A game of two halves, Nicholas Tooley levelled things before a Samuel Young played a key role in the go ahead goal. They will have revenge on the mind after going down 5-1 in the first round.
Returning to winning ways last weekend, Rydalmere Lions will be hoping to build on their match of the round win over Inter Lions last time out. In eighth position, they themselves aren’t an opposition you want to come up against in upcoming weeks.
Last weekend, it was the combination of Ahmed Taleb and Robert Eremugo who found the back of the net once again. However just as noteworthy was their fourth clean sheet of the season shutting out a Inter Lions side who have made a habit of scoring goals.
Bankstown City v Bulls FC Academy; Saturday 7 June, 5pm, Jensen Park
Bankstown City came down back to earth with a loss against Macarthur Rams last weekend. It’s been the tale of their season so far just unable to gather momentum when they’ve needed it as they sit towards the lower end of the mid-table.
It’s in attack where they haven’t quite being performing to the level they would like with just 23 goals scored this season.
Bulls FC Academy on the other hand returned to winning ways with a single goal win over Canterbury Bankstown last weekend. Now within a point of the top two, they seem destined to be a big contender in this second half of the season.
Last weekend against the Berries, it was their midfield who stepped up in particular against a low block. While in further news, Dean Bosnjak will join fellow academy prospect Frans Deli in the upcoming young socceroos camp.
Mounties Wanderers v Bonnyrigg White Eagles; Saturday 7 June, 7pm, Wanderers Football Park
Another week, another similar story for Mounties Wanderers who tasted another defeat despite performing relatively well against Northern Tigers. Coming up against Bonnyrigg this week, this is an important game for Brett Hewit’s side.
If they are to get a result, you’d imagine a clean sheet is important given they have only scored ten goals in their seventeen games so far this season. They will need to be much better than the last time these two met which saw Bonnyrigg take out a 4-0 win.
After a turbulent week, Bonnyrigg White Eagles face another big game this weekend. A coaching change prior to their game with Hills United means they are now under the tenure of Stewart Montgomery and Frank Cosentino.
It didn’t see an immediate result however going down to Hills United 2-1 last Sunday at home. Charles Mendy equalised in the first half but they conceded a penalty on the brink of half time which proved decisive. Can this be the week where they break their winless run?
Hills United v Northern Tigers; Saturday 7 June, 7pm, Valentine Sports Park
Returning to winning ways, Hills United were able to give themselves some breathing room over the bottom two last weekend. A much needed win given their upcoming schedule which sees them face four top six sides in a row.
Against Bonnyrigg away from home, they took the lead through Marcus Lal before Walid Moutaouakkil scored a crucial penalty in the dying stages of the first half. Pressure off them, will that see them pick up a result here?
Last week was a good one for Northern Tigers who both qualified for the national stage of the Australia Cup with a win over Hills United and took three points from their league match on the weekend.
Leading that charge was Lachie Lloyd who scored a hat-trick in the cup and also played his 150th game for the club against Mounties Wanderers. A Connor Rose free-kick enough for them to take the three points in a physical contest. They have won their last three matches against Hills.
Inter Lions v Canterbury Bankstown; Saturday 7 June, 7pm, Majors Bay Reserve
How do Inter Lions pick themselves up after their first defeat in a while? It’s a fair question after going down to a surprise defeat to Rydalmere Lions last weekend in our match of the round.
Sitting in fifth position, not picking a result up here could make their chase of the top two that little bit harder. A return home should benefit them however where they have only lost one game this season winning two of their last three. They have a great record against Canterbury Bankstown winning four of their last five since 2023.
It’s probably not a bad time to come up against Canterbury Bankstown either who have lost two of their last three games. Last weekend, they tasted defeat against Bulls FC Academy in a tight contest at Jensen Park.
They also have a pretty extensive injury list currently which is also hampering their efforts. Coach Wally Savor largely pleased with his sides disciplined effort last weekend.
SD Raiders v Macarthur Rams; Saturday 7 June, 7pm, Ernie Smith Reserve
Back-to-back defeats has seen the chasing pack catch up to SD Raiders at the top of the table with their lead down to a point. Heading into last weekend on the back of a defeat to Bankstown City, they were perhaps unlucky to lose to Hakoah FC in round 17 action.
In that one, they took the lead in the first half through a Oliver Velnic goal but paid the price for not taking further advantage with Hakoah staging a comeback. They also have a big game in the cup this evening against Blacktown CIty.
It’s not an easy task this weekend either facing a Macarthur Rams side who have found some form in recent weeks. Two wins has seen them move into 12th position, two points above the bottom two.
Last weekend, they scored three goals for the first time this season against Bankstown City. A quality performance across the board, Jay Tram and John Roberts displayed a good combination in attack, can they pull off an upset here?
By Justin Smith
