Round 23 Preview – NPL 3 NSW Men’s
Some mouth-watering fixtures await us as we preview all the action coming our way ahead of round 23 of the National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s competition.
Finals hopefuls Dunbar Rovers FC and Bankstown United FC will meet at Hensley Athletic Field at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
There is still a glimmer of hope for Dunbar as they look to make a late push for finals football, however a crushing defeat last time out against Dulwich Hill has placed a large dent in those aspirations.
Bankstown United will also be keen to return to form, they have lost their last two fixtures and have not been on the right side of the score line since the beginning of July.
The corresponding tie ended 4-1 in favour of Dunbar, however given both sides recent run of results we can predict a tighter contest this weekend.
Western NSW Mariners will be playing at home for the first time in three weeks when they come up against Sydney University SFC at Proctor Park on Saturday at 5pm.
The men from the west will no doubt be looking forward to this fixture considering they ended up on top the last time they met in Sydney.
The Mariners thrilling victory over Sydney Uni was one of only two wins that they have enjoyed this season and they will no doubt be trying their best to complete the double over their opponents come Saturday.
The ‘students’ shock defeat to the Mariners back in round 10 sparked a torrid run of results which saw them collect just the solitary victory over the seven rounds that followed.
Hawkesbury City FC welcome Gladesville Ryde Magic to David Bertenshaw Field on Saturday night for the usual 5:30pm kick off.
A win over near rivals on the table, Parramatta FC last round has given Hawkesbury some breathing space from the teams below them as they look to pave the way for a top ten finish.
Gladesville will be high on confidence arriving into this fixture after they became only the second team to knock off league leaders Stanmore Hawks when the two heavyweights battled it out last Sunday.
They currently occupy 4th position on the ladder and seem to have hit form at the right time of the season and appear likely to complete the double over the Hawks this weekend given their 4-0 triumph the last time they met.
Dulwich Hill FC will be looking to make it three wins on the spin when they travel to Garside Park to face off against Granville Rage, the match scheduled for a 5:30pm kick off.
Dully have risen from 9th to 7th on the league table over the last fortnight thanks to important wins at home against Inter Lions and Dunbar.
Peter Crevani’s contribution throughout those two matches has been monumental, with the Dully attacker having weighed in with three goals for his side in those two victories.
Granville were unfortunate not to escape with a draw from their visit to Camden last Saturday – a goal late condemned them to their 14th defeat this campaign.
The two teams could not be split the last they met, with the final score 2-2 in their round 10 fixture at Arlington Oval.
Stanmore Hawks kick off the first of two massive home ties against SD Raiders FC on Saturday night with proceedings set to get underway from 7pm at Arlington Oval.
A disappointing defeat to Magic last time out has brought Stanmore crashing back down to earth as they aim to retain their position at the top of the NPL 3 ladder.
The alarm bells may not be ringing just yet but there has been caution thrown to the wind as they prepare for two mammoth clashes against the 3rd placed Raiders then 2nd placed Bankstown City next weekend.
Raiders could not have asked for a better run of form as they head into this tie, they have collected maximum points from their last three fixtures.
Keep an eye out for both sets of strikers as Hawks’ Jovan Blagojevic with 22 goals, goes head to head with the league’s leading goal scorer Anthony Proia who has netted 24 times.
The corresponding tie was a thrilling contest which swung 4-3 in favour of Stanmore, we are predicting it to be another cracking encounter this time around.
Another game at Ron Dine Stadium beckons for Camden Tigers FC this Saturday night, with Inter Lions FC the latest side to venture to the Tigers den with it all set to kick off at 7pm.
A last gasp winner against Rage last Saturday, coupled with other results falling in their favour has seen Camden rise to 8th on the ladder.
They will be eager to compile more misery on an Inter side who are coming off two straight losses.
Defeats to Dully and Raiders has not affected Inter’s league standing however as finals fever begins to hit, they will want to prove to their competitors that they are in the best possible form.
It was Inter Lions who came from behind to register a 3-1 win the last time these two sides met at FNSW headquarters in mid-May.
Two sides in contrasting form will meet at Jensen Park as Bankstown City FC host Parramatta FC in the lone Sunday fixture at 7pm.
Bankstown City are currently enjoying a 5-match winning streak and look odds on favourite to make it six this Sunday.
Conversely, Parramatta have endured three defeats on the bounce and appear down and out in 12th position as we approach the end of the season.
Bankstown enjoyed a close fought 1-0 win the last time they went head to head at Melita Stadium. All three points this Sunday could see them return to the summit of the ladder if Hawks fall to Raiders.
-By NPL 3 NSW Men’s Chief Writer Samuel Greco Schwartz (Twitter handle: @SamuelGS97)
