Round 18 Preview

31 May , 2023 By Football NSW

We’re set for another blockbuster round of fixtures in round 18 of the National Premier Leagues NSW Men's.

Here's what's coming up.

Sutherland Sharks FC v Central Coast Mariners FC

7:45 pm, Friday 2 June, Seymour Shaw

Sutherland Sharks host Central Coast Mariners at Seymour Shaw needing to rectify a disappointing defeat last weekend.

The side went down 2-0 to Wollongong Wolves continuing a worrying run of scoreless fixtures recently.

Sutherland have scored just three times in their last five matches which includes only two narrow wins.

It leaves the Sharks in eighth place and only clear of the bottom four by four points making a win this weekend a must.

The Mariners continued their flying form in the competition out-scoring Bulls FC Academy 4-2.

Abbas Saad's team came from two goals to blow the Bulls away with Aydan Hammond notching a brace, while Jordan Segreto and Lachlan Bayliss also scored.

It's moved Central Coast up to tenth on the table and are now just two points behind the Sharks.

It was an exciting match when these teams met in round three playing out a 2-2 draw with Sutherland snatching a stoppage-time equaliser.

At that time both these teams were fighting it out in the relegation places, but 15 rounds later, they’re challenging in the middle of the table highlighting their respective stark improvements.

Marconi Stallions FC v Wollongong Wolves FC

5:00 pm, Saturday 3 June, Marconi Stadium

Marconi Stallions take on Wollongong Wolves on Saturday at Marconi Stadium aiming to make it three wins in a row.

The side edged past Sydney FC 2-1 in round 17 with Jordan Swibel and Kyle Cimenti scoring the goals.

Peter Tsekenis’ men moved up to second on the table sitting six points behind APIA Leichhardt who they’ll face in round 20.

Last time the Stallions faced the Wolves they scored four goals in the space of 15 second-half minutes to claim a commanding 4-0 victory.

However, Wollongong's defensive record has improved significantly since then and they’re coming into this one off the back of a superb win over Sutherland Sharks.

David Carney's team turned out a strong display against the Sharks to get up 2-0 and end a four-game winless run.

Nav Darjani opened the scoring and his account for 2023 before Jake Trew scored his sixth of the campaign.

With the side now just five points away from sixth, they’ll be keen to keep the momentum going with another three points this weekend.

This is a match to keep an eye on, with plenty to be gained from a victory for these teams.

NWS Spirit FC v Blacktown City FC

5:30 pm, Saturday 3 June, Christie Park

Blacktown City travel to Christie Park to face NWS Spirit with the pressure on to stay in touching distance of the chasing back.

A 0-0 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers in round 17 has left City nine points away from second and dragged back into the middle of the table.

Spirit couldn't make it three wins on the bounce going down 3-0 to St George City last weekend.

The side are now just seven points away from the relegation places and face a tough run of fixtures in the coming weeks.

David Perkovic's team managed to stun Blacktown City earlier in the season with a 2-1 win at Landen Stadium.

Spirit's home form has been the main source of success for the team in 2023 with four of their six victories coming at Christie Park giving them confidence heading into this one.

Both teams will be desperate to claim the points on Saturday to each end difficult patches of form in the NPL NSW Men's.

Mount Druitt Town Rangers FC v Bulls FC Academy

7:00 pm, Saturday 3 June, Popondetta Park

Popondetta Park plays host to a crucial tussle in the battle to avoid relegation with Mount Druitt Town Rangers and Bulls FC Academy going head-to-head.

The Rangers continued their recent better form edging past Sydney United 58 1-0 last weekend.

Nikola Djordjevic scored the winner for the side in the second half which was the defender's fourth of 2023.

Just one defeat in their last five games has elevated the side to four points clear of the relegation zone.

A win against the last-place Bulls would be another big step towards safety in the competition.

The Academy suffered defeat at the weekend going down 4-2 to Central Coast Mariners.

Jesper Webber and Ali Auglah had the team 2-0 up by the 37th minute but a disappointing collapse saw three points slip away.

It means Zeljko Kalac's team have lost their last six matches seeing them now eight points behind Mount Druitt.

The Bulls also lost to the Rangers in round three of this season despite finding themselves 1-0 up at halftime.

The pressure on the Bulls is mounting and another defeat this weekend would see them fall 11 points away from guaranteed safety.

Western Sydney Wanderers FC v St George City

7:00 pm, Saturday 3 June, Wanderers Football Park

Western Sydney Wanderers play St George City at Wanderers Football Park on Saturday night desperate to snap a four-game winless run.

The Wanderers couldn't take advantage of a man advantage for the final half hour of their game against Blacktown City in round 17 drawing 0-0.

Mount Druitt's recent good form has seen Andrew Christiansen's team slip further away from safety, now four points away.

St George City got back into the winner's circle with a commanding 3-0 victory against NWS Spirit last weekend.

Pedro Ferrari sent the team into an early lead before Presley Ortiz and Maki Petratos added further gloss to the performance.

It was an important goal for Petratos having not scored since round 12 offering an opportunity for the exciting attacker to get back to his early-season form.

The result has pushed the team into fourth and are now seven points away from Rockdale in the place above.

St George beat the Wanderers back in round three 4-2 with Petratos on the scoresheet in that one as well.

After ending a winless run of three matches last weekend, the side will be keen to continue building with another set of three points this weekend.

Manly United FC v Rockdale Ilinden FC

7:15 pm, Saturday 3 June, Cromer Park

Manly United face Rockdale Ilinden on Saturday night at Cromer Park with the side still battling to get away from the relegation places.

A big win in midweek against Central Coast Mariners followed by a 2-2 draw with Sydney Olympic last weekend, has pushed the side six points away fifteenth.

Additionally, Patrick Zwaanswijk's team have been scoring freely with seven goals in their last four matches which gives them an edge over the other teams fighting at the bottom.

A win for United could take them into ninth on the table which would be another big step towards avoiding the drop.

Rockdale suffered their first defeat since round 12 going down 2-1 to APIA Leichhardt last Sunday.

Despite the defeat, it represents a much more competitive showing from their 6-0 drubbing against APIA in round two.

Ilinden have dropped to third on the table and are six points away from the summit now placing increased importance on winning this one.

Paul Dee's men had a good win over Manly in round three, getting up 2-0 – the first of a seven-game winning streak.

Sydney Olympic FC v Sydney FC

4:00 pm, Sunday 4 June, Belmore Sports Ground

Sydney Olympic and Sydney FC do battle at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon, with a win a must for both teams.

Olympic shared the points with Manly United in a 2-2 draw last Saturday with Darcy Burgess and Jakob Cresnar scoring.

It leaves Labinot Haliti's team with just a solitary win in their last five games and only two points away from thirteenth.

Last weekend's match was another iteration in a series of worrying defensive performances for the reigning premiers having now conceded the equal third most goals in the competition.

However, a win in round 18 would take them to a point away from their opponents in fifth.

Sydney FC lost their seventh game of the season, following a 2-1 defeat to Marconi Stallions.

Two goals early on in both halves did the damage to the young Sky Blues leaving them fourteen points away from first place.

Adrian Segecic managed to score in that game in what was the first time he's featured for the academy outfit since round 12.

These teams played out an exciting fixture the last time they met with Olympic taking the points 3-2.

APIA Leichhardt FC v Sydney United 58 FC

4:30 pm, Sunday 4 June, Lambert Park

League leaders APIA Leichhardt host Sydney United 58 at Lambert Park on Sunday hoping to extend their winning run in the NPL NSW Men's to five matches.

The side earned a vital 2-1 victory over fellow title challengers Rockdale Ilinden last weekend with goals from Anthony Sparacino and Jack Armson securing the points.

Armson is in fantastic form at the moment scoring five goals in his last four NPL NSW Men's matches taking his total for 2023 to ten.

With a six-point lead at the top, APIA have put themselves as the frontrunners to take out the competition.

Sydney United extended their losing streak in the competition to three matches after 1-0 defeat to Mount Druitt Town Rangers in round 17.

There was further bad news for Miro Vlastelica's team with Yianni Perkatis sent off late on meaning he's unavailable for selection this weekend.

United are now 16 points away from the top of the competition while they are also at risk of dropping into the middle of the table if they lose again on Sunday.

Preview by Timothy Gibson, on Twitter @Timg123_

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