Round 15 Preview – League One Men’s

Just eight games remain in the first half of the FNSW League One Men’s competition and, as such, they’re beginning to mean a little more with Round 15 to take place this weekend.

Our Match of the Round takes us to Eastgardens while there’s a big Friday night of action on the cards across Sydney.

Match of the Round: Hakoah FC v Inter Lions; Saturday 16 May, 4:30pm, Hensley Athletic Field
Hakoah FC will back up from their midweek Australia Cup exploits when they host a resurgent Inter Lions outfit in our R15 Match of the Round this Saturday afternoon.

Since our camera last caught them back in Round 6, Hakoah FC have had a mixed run of form. In tenth position, they have won two of their last five games, including a win over Newcastle Jets Academy last weekend.

That game was a high-scoring thriller after they responded from conceding two goals in the opening five minutes. The star of the show was Nicholas Tooley, who scored a hat-trick, with their attack looking more like its complete form after suffering injuries earlier in the season. They will be backing up from a midweek cup tie against Rockdale Ilinden.

They face an Inter Lions side who have picked up their first two wins of the season in back-to-back weekends, narrowing the gap to safety to just one point. They were able to win their Round 14 meeting with Dulwich Hill 2-0.

Crucial to their recent wins has been an improvement in defence, keeping two clean sheets. A player to keep an eye on here is Malcolm Ward, though the whole back line has stepped up. In attack, James Khoury has scored in their two most recent matches.

You can catch this one on the Football NSW YouTube page under the live tab this Saturday afternoon.

Elsewhere

Bankstown City v Newcastle Jets; Friday 15 May, 8pm, Jensen Park
If results go their way, Bankstown City have an opportunity to enter the top two when they meet Newcastle Jets at Jensen Park on Friday night.

Last weekend, Fabian Miceli’s side managed to scrape through with three points against Prospect. Jason Cakovski scored the decisive goal while Bai Antoniou and Braydon Sorge also impressed in their ninth win in eleven games.

Newcastle Jets came off second best in a high-scoring thriller against Hakoah. They did well to bring themselves back into the game but conceded some sloppy goals. Expect them to want to prove a point here.

Hurstville Zagreb v Prospect United; Friday 15 May, 8pm, Penshurst Park
A mid-season six-pointer also takes place Friday night as Hurstville Zagreb host Prospect United in Sydney’s south.

Hurstville Zagreb once again felt that last weekend’s fixture with Blacktown Spartans was theirs for the taking. They held a half-time lead but couldn’t complete the job, with a red card for Michael Neil costing them dearly. A big game in the context of their season.

Prospect United themselves weren’t too far away from getting something against Bankstown City. Coach Darren Camilleri labelled it their best performance of the season so far. A familiar foe — can they get their second win of the campaign?

Blacktown Spartans v Bulls FC Academy; Friday 15 May, 8:15pm, Blacktown Football Park
Rounding out a blockbuster Friday night of action, competition leaders Blacktown Spartans host Bulls FC Academy at home this weekend.

Round 15 marks the first time this season that Blacktown Spartans haven’t got a result in two straight games. Last weekend they got dragged into a wrestle against Hurstville Zagreb. Darcy Ellem and Dion Carle were key in that one, though they are desperate for the return of Aedon Kyra.

Their opponents Bulls FC Academy put in a composed performance to beat Canterbury Bankstown away from home. Performance-wise, they are doing well at the halfway point of the season — it’s just about getting the results to match it.

Macarthur Rams v Canterbury Bankstown; Saturday 16 May, 4:30pm, Lynwood Stadium
After slipping down the table with a draw last weekend, Macarthur Rams take on Canterbury Bankstown to complete their first half of the season this Saturday.

The Rams were denied a valuable three points against Northern Tigers in heartbreaking circumstances. Stefano Di Marino and Chan Yelchan were two standouts in a great performance which went unrewarded.

Canterbury Bankstown weren’t far away from taking something from their fixture against Bulls Academy last weekend. A costly red card early in the second half for Taketo Ochiai ultimately cost them in a tight game which they probably edged until that point.

Northern Tigers v Western City Rangers; Saturday 16 May, 4:30pm, North Turramurra Recreation Area
It doesn’t get any easier for Western City Rangers and their new coach Tim Aitken as they travel to take on Northern Tigers this weekend.

Northern Tigers only picked up a point last weekend, but it was a character-building point with the odds stacked against them against Macarthur Rams. Coming from behind twice, Jake Da Silva scored a crucial late equaliser after Jesse Spang opened their account. A congested area of the table — anything but a win could see them drop out of the top two.

This will be the second game in which Tim Aitken leads the Rangers after a 4-0 defeat to Mariners Academy last weekend. With a winless run stretching back to Round 5, they have another few difficult fixtures in their next three. Can they upset one of the stronger sides in the league here?

Dulwich Hill v Rydalmere Lions; Saturday 16 May, 5pm, Arlington Oval
Two sides looking to bounce back from a Round 14 defeat face off as Dulwich Hill welcome Rydalmere Lions to Arlington Oval.

Dulwich Hill’s unbeaten run stretching back to Round 7 was brought to an end last weekend against Inter Lions. Though they tasted defeat, there were pleasing aspects on the night, most notable of which being how they stuck to their principles, though taking their chances in front of goal will be their focus here.

They face a Rydalmere Lions side whose form has recently dropped off, taking two points from a possible nine. Last weekend, an Adil Toska first-half strike wasn’t enough to take something against Hills United. Not getting a win here could see them drop off top-two pace.

Central Coast Mariners v Hills United; Sunday 17 May, 3pm, Pluim Park
Seventh-placed Central Coast Mariners host fifth-placed Hills United in what looks to be an entertaining clash this Sunday afternoon.

This is a good test of where the Central Coast Mariners lie at the halfway point of the season. Recently, they have secured wins over sides they would be expected to beat in Hurstville and Western City Rangers. Michael Paragalli is an in-form player in this Mariners lineup.

If we are looking at solely the last three weeks, Hills United are in the best form across the competition. Last weekend, they got the better of Rydalmere Lions, which is their biggest scalp of the season. Zen Gigliotti is a big reason for their recent form in central midfield. They could enter the top four with a win.