Round 4 Preview – League One Men’s

Competitions aren’t won or lost in the first month but there are a few sides still searching for a win as we approach round four of the Football NSW League One Men’s competition.

Our match of the round could tell us a lot about two sides predicted to feature at the bottom half of the table while an early season blockbuster between two promotion favourites takes place at Jensen Park.

Match of the Round: Dulwich Hill v Prospect United

Saturday 28 February, 7:00pm – Arlington Oval

Continuing our tour of new teams to the division, Prospect United travel east to face Dulwich Hill in our fourth match of the round of the season at Arlington Oval.

We’ll start off with the hosts Dulwich Hill who, like their visitors, will be chasing their first win of the season this Saturday night. They have had a tough opening three rounds so far drawing with Hakoah in round one before losses to both Hills United and Central Coast Mariners on the road more recently.

In his first season in the role, Berhan Ackalamaz has a promising squad on his hands however a result is needed so confidence doesn’t drop. Marcus Lal will be their key man leading their attack alongside Mark Younes. But they will be without Micaiah Te Rata who received a red card last weekend.

It’s been a solid start to life in the second tier for Prospect United with two points in the opening three games. A round one draw with Central Coast Mariners was followed by a 3-0 defeat to Northern Tigers, last weekend taking another point from their home fixture against Newcastle Jets.

They’re a hard-working outfit with plenty of character shown in the two draws with A-League academy sides. Their focus likely to be on improving their attacking efficiency in front of goal. Pranet Singh and Marco Turpeinen (against his former side) are potential players who can make a difference here.

It’s early in the season but this game could well have permutations in the bottom half come August. You can catch this match on the Football NSW YouTube page under the live tab this Saturday night.

Elsewhere

Newcastle Jets v Canterbury Bankstown

Saturday 28 February, 5:00pm – Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility

Perhaps a story going under the radar given other teams’ struggles, Newcastle Jets are still searching for their first win of the season. Taking just two points away from home against the two promoted sides, last weekend felt like a loss conceding a 91st minute goal from the spot after Oliver Cockle gave them a lead. Could their return home help them to bounce back?

So far this season, Canterbury Bankstown games have included 16 goals across three rounds. Last weekend, they had plenty of possession but didn’t do enough in the final third and paid the price against a strong transitional side. Look out for a response in this one as they chase their second win of the season.

Hills United v Macarthur Rams

Saturday 28 February, 5:00pm – Valentine Sports Park

If we’re looking for contenders in season 2026, Hills United might just be in the mix. They won their second game in a row last weekend against a strong Bulls FC Academy side away from home. Instrumental in the comeback was Walid Moutaouakkil who was involved in all three goals coming off the bench. The overseas player was joined by Yuki Kanai and Julian Shalome on the scoresheet.

Macarthur Rams shared the points with Rydalmere Lions last weekend staging a late comeback in the process. An entertaining game of football, Chan Yelchan continued his scoring run with a brace joined by Olivier Beltran-Woodward who scored their second goal. Despite scoring three goals, they could well have won that game last week with more ruthlessness in front of goal.

Bankstown City v Blacktown Spartans

Saturday 28 February, 6:00pm – Jensen Park

An early season blockbuster awaits us at Jensen Park as Bankstown City look to pick up their first win of the season. Last weekend, there were positive signs from Fabian Micelli’s side from a defensive standpoint in a narrow defeat to Northern Tigers while also controlling territorially while a man down. However, the longer their wait for three points goes on, the more pressure mounts. How will they deal with it here?

Blacktown Spartans have had no such worries in their start to the season with seven points in their first three games. In round three, they shared the points with Hakoah FC at home playing with ten men throughout the second half. Positives to take from a squad character point of view, this game will feature two of the best number nines in the division in Aedon Kyra and Alec Urosevski.

Rydalmere Lions v Bulls FC Academy

Saturday 28 February, 6:30pm – Rydalmere Park

It’s almost a guarantee at the moment that a Rydalmere Lions game will include goals. However, that isn’t necessarily a good thing with defensive improvement necessary. Last weekend they once again found themselves in a winning position after three quickfire goals in the first half before they lost control of the fixture in the second half from a scoreboard perspective. Can they turn one point into three here?

With that in mind, Bulls FC Academy seem a big test for them this weekend. Nicolai Muller’s side are looking to bounce back from a round three defeat against Hills United at Sydney United Sports Centre. They took the lead in that game through a Luke Zuvela goal, Zuvela scoring in their two most recent games so he’s a player to keep an eye on here.

Inter Lions v Northern Tigers

Saturday 28 February, 7:00pm – Majors Bay Reserve

The simple fact regarding Inter Lions this weekend is that they need to do better. Last weekend, they went without troubling Hurstville Zagreb throughout their fixture. Now without a win in three games, they have scored just two goals so far this season while conceding eight.

There are no such worries for Northern Tigers who sit top of the competition after three rounds. Making use of an early season home stand, they have not conceded a goal in their last two fixtures against Prospect United and Bankstown City. Last weekend’s win over Bankstown City was a strong performance with a Jesse Spang goal the difference.

Western City Rangers v Hurstville Zagreb FC

Saturday 28 February, 7:00pm – Popondetta Park

Popondetta Park will play host to a meeting of two round three victors this Saturday night. Returning home are Western City Rangers after claiming their first win of the season against Canterbury Bankstown away from home. Still early in their rebuild project, it’s a result which will give them confidence that they’re on the right track.

This game will be a good indicator of how strong Hurstville Zagreb are this season. Currently unbeaten with a win and two draws to their name, it’s a game they will be looking forward to. In our round three streamed game, they controlled proceedings well against Inter Lions after a Mo Ahmed goal set them on their way.

Hakoah FC v Central Coast Mariners

Sunday 1 March, 4:30pm – Hensley Athletic Field

Hakoah FC return home this weekend with confidence that they can match it with the best teams in the division. A win against Bankstown City in round two and a draw against Blacktown Spartans in round three. On that occasion, Eli Sheard announced himself as a young player to watch going forward scoring a superb goal. After securing just 21 points at home last season, this stands as a good opportunity to lay down a marker.

In positive early signs for Central Coast Mariners this season, they are finding a way to win close games. One of which last weekend saw them take a 2-0 win over Dulwich Hill courtesy of goals to Harvey James and Arthur De Lima. It feels like it’s away from home where their season will be decided and there aren’t many more difficult venues to play football at than this.

By Justin Smith