Round 17 Preview – League One Men’s

There isn’t a lot to separate a lot of sides in the FNSW League One Men’s competition as we look ahead to round 17 this weekend.
A round which puts four of the top five against teams in the bottom six, could we see an upset or two across the grounds this weekend?

Match of the Round: Hurstville Zagreb v Rydalmere Lions; Saturday 30 May, 5pm, Penshurst Park
It’s an important game for Rydalmere Lions this weekend as they travel to face Hurstville Zagreb in our round 17 match of the round.
Only a few weeks on from the last time Hurstville Zagreb featured on camera, the narrative around the club has changed completely on the back of two wins on the bounce against Prospect United and Newcastle Jets Academy.
Against the Jets last weekend, they defended particularly well with Jacob Botic in net only called upon twice. While the ever present Alessandro Lacalandra picked up his eighth goal of the season to give them three points. A side who can put together an unbeaten run, a result here could be an ominous sign for the rest of the competition.
It’s a bit early to call this game a must-win for Rydalmere Lions but if they are to compete for a top two spot, they need a win in this one. Yes, their last win came back in round ten against Hakoah FC with three draws and two defeats coming since then including last weekend against Bankstown City.
They opened the scoring in that one through Isaac Cunningham before Nicholas Azzone later equalised on the brink of half time. A further boost coming in the return of Nikola Pintur after a month out with Luke Del Vecchio also made a rare appearance in goal.
Last Meeting: Rydalmere Lions 1-1 Hurstville Zagreb

Elsewhere
Blacktown Spartans v Western City Rangers; Friday 29 May, 8:15pm, Blacktown Football Park
It doesn’t get easier for Western City Rangers who are set to take on Blacktown Spartans to kick off the weekend.
Blacktown Spartans are in the middle of their trickiest run of games so far this season. With games against Hakoah away and Bankstown City at home on the horizon, they will want the three points in this game at home this weekend.
Last weekend, they shared the spoils with Hills United away from home in difficult conditions. A Suleyman Bangura goal on the brink of half time seeing them share the points. One player we haven’t mentioned so far this season too keep an eye who is crucial for the Spartans being Maksim Kasalovic.
Which brings us to the Western City Rangers who fell into last position with defeat to Macarthur Rams last weekend. With their last win coming back in round five, they need to find a way to take positives otherwise it could be a long second half of the campaign.
Last weekend against the Rams, they were perhaps the better side after half-time creating multiple chances. This game essentially a free-hit for the Rangers who will come in as underdogs.
Last Meeting: Western City Rangers 0-1 Blacktown Spartans

Macarthur Rams v Central Coast Mariners; Saturday 30 May, 4:30pm, Lynwood Stadium
Macarthur Rams will be chasing back-to-back wins when they host Central Coast Mariners in Sydney’s South-West.
Recapturing some form after a couple of results saw them slip down the table, Macarthur Rams put in an assured performance against Western City Rangers in round sixteen action to return to the top six.
In a positive sign for Dan Mijovic’s side, Olivier Beltran-Woodward and Chan Yelchan scored both goals while they also kept a clean sheet for the first time in three weeks. Can they find some consistency here?
It’s a top six battle however, with Central Coast Mariners looking to respond from their first defeat in a month. They were on the wrong side of perhaps the shock result of the season which saw them fall to a high-scoring defeat against Prospect United.
In that game, their recovery defence wasn’t quite at the usual level, only able to add some respectability to the scoreline late on. Will we see a bounce back here?
Last Meeting: Central Coast Mariners 2-1 Macarthur Rams

Hakoah FC v Bankstown City; Saturday 30 May, 4:30pm, Hensley Athletic Field
Hakoah FC continue their recent home stand hosting Bankstown City at Eastgardens this Saturday afternoon.
The question ahead of this one surely has to be in regards to which Hakoah FC side turns up. A rollercoaster run of form has seen them pick up wins against Newcastle Jets and last weekend Dulwich Hill with a loss to Inter Lions sandwiched in between.
Benjamin Cook’s debut the highlight against Dulwich Hill scoring a goal on starting debut while Nicholas Drummond also showed good form setting up two goals. They will be looking to improve their home record in the second half of the season.
Bankstown City couldn’t quite see the job through in their round 16 clash with Rydalmere Lions away from home. However results elsewhere meant they didn’t lose any ground in the top two race which is good news going forward.
Finding the back of the net on that occasion were Bai Antoniou and Jonathan Grozdanovski who have led the way on the goal scoring front lately. While Jamie Masson started his first game since round 11, the first of a few players set to return in forthcoming weeks.
Last Meeting:

Canterbury Bankstown v Inter Lions; Saturday 30 May, 5pm, Jensen Park
Canterbury Bankstown await the form side in the competition in Inter Lions at Jensen Park in another 5pm kick off.
That’s not too discount the chances of the hosts Canterbury Bankstown who themselves have won their past two games and have an opportunity to go on a run with a somewhat friendly draw. Last weekend securing a win over second-placed Northern Tigers at the same venue.
Once again, William Kounnas found the back of the net to take his season tally to 12 goals, this time joined by Finley Hayhurst on the score-sheet. They won the first meeting between the two back in February.
Inter Lions are a completely different proposition to the one they played that day mind you. Four wins on the bounce has seen them continue their climb up the table, last weekend prevailing 2-0 over Bulls FC Academy.
It’s their defence which has set the foundation with Zac Sfiligoi and Alessio Cencigh playing a key role whilst the bench is beginning to look that little bit stronger. They have conceded just one goal in 360+ minutes of football.

Dulwich Hill v Hills United; Saturday 30 May, 5pm, Arlington Oval
Another intriguing mid table battle comes as Dulwich Hill host Hills United at Arlington Oval.
After a long unbeaten run came to an end in round 14, it was always going to be a challenge for Dulwich Hill to go on another run. Still on 19 points after 16 games, you’d suggest they are on target to achieve their goals in season 2026.
Last weekend was tough however playing over a half of football down a man. One of the goalscorers there in Samuel Hovar shown a second yellow while Mark Younes gave them a lead early in the second half.
They’ll be facing a Hills United side coming in with a similar mentality having taken one point in their last two games. Sitting in seventh position, a win here could move them back into the top four mix though anything else could see them drop off.
Their draw with Blacktown Spartans a hard fought one with Yuki Kanai giving them a lead they couldn’t quite hold onto going into the break. They could be without Byron Ginn who picked up his 5th yellow last weekend.
Last Meeting: Hills United 2-1 Dulwich Hill

Bulls FC Academy v Newcastle Jets; Saturday 30 May, 7pm, Sydney United Sports Centre
Bragging rights are on offer between two A-League academies as Bulls FC Academy host Newcastle Jets.
Results-wise, Bulls FC Academy have dropped off in recent weeks with two defeats coming against Blacktown Spartans and Inter Lions. As such, facing an academy side could be just what the doctor ordered this weekend.
One area of improvement to look out for here is how they start each half after conceding two goals inside five minutes of the referee’s whistle last weekend. They won the first meeting 3-1 away from home back in February.
Newcastle Jets couldn’t quite match their performance levels from the week before when they hosted Hurstville Zagreb last Saturday. Suffering a disappointing home defeat, they’ll be looking to bounce back on the road.
Indeed maintaining a consistent level on the pitch will continue to be the challenge for this young Jets side during the second half of the season. That and learning to play through a set defence which could be the case here.
Last Meeting: Newcastle Jets 1-3 Bulls FC Academy.

Prospect United v Northern Tigers; Sunday 31 May, 8pm, Blacktown Football Park
Second placed Northern Tigers travel to face fifteenth placed Prospect United in a Sunday evening kick off at Blacktown Football Park.
Prospect United claimed their first victory since the 22nd of March overcoming Central Coast Mariners on the road last weekend. A win which moved them off the bottom, it will provide a much needed confidence boost heading into the second half of the campaign.
Back on the Mariners game, they had a game plan and executed it perfectly racing out to a 4-0 lead with Praneet Singh and Nicholas Boyd both scoring braces. Boyd doing so in his first start of the season. Can they secure another upset here?
It’s a pretty big couple of weeks for Northern Tigers as they continue to cling onto a spot in the top two. Two points in three games whilst averaging a goal a game across their last five, they know they need to step up.
Last weekend, it was defeat to Canterbury Bankstown with an Ally Brown goal in second half only consolation. While Matteo Scali made the most of a rare start in goal securing the club’s internal player of the match.
Last Meeting: Northern Tigers 3-0 Prospect United

-By Justin Smith