KICKOFF 2020 18TH - 20TH ROUND 08 SEPTEMBER MEN’S FIXTURES - ROUND 08 7:00 PM • FRI 18 SEP • LAMBERT PARK Referee: H. Jomaa Assistant Referees: M. McOrist Fourth Official: J. Park 7:30 PM • FRI 18 SEP • CROMER PARK Referee: M. Riedy Assistant Referees: N. Wotton Fourth Official: A. Morris 7:00 PM • SAT 19 SEP • VALENTINE SPORTS PARK Referee: I. Libri Assistant Referees: K. Robinson Fourth Official: M. Allum 2:30 PM • SUN 20 SEP ALBERT BUTLER MEMORIAL PARK Referee: M. Bailey Assistant Referees: B. Wright Fourth Official: N. Ryan 3:00 PM • SUN 20 SEP SYDNEY UNITED SPORTS CENTRE ® Referee: K. Ams Assistant Referees: S. Edeling Fourth Official: H. Fenton-White 6:30 PM • SUN 20 SEP • ILINDEN SPORTS CENTRE Referee: B. Abraham Assistant Referees: A. Giev Fourth Official: M. Staples 2 #NPLNSW PLAY IT SAFE AND REDUCE THE RISK PREPARE AND WASH OR SANITISE YOUR DRESS FOR GAMES HANDS BEFORE AND AT HOME AFTER YOUR GAME SOCIAL DISTANCING TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT ALL TIMES DO NOT SHAKE HANDS, FILL AND BRING YOUR OWN HIGH FIVE OR HUG OTHER CLEARLY LABELLED DRINK PLAYERS, OFFICIALS, TEAM BOTTLE FROM HOME. OFFICIALS OR SPECTATORS DO NOT SHARE DRINK BOTTLES. DO NOT ATTEND IF YOU EXHIBIT ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS FEVER COUGH FATIGUE SORE THROAT SHORTNESS OF BREATH PREVIEWS It’s round 8 of the National Premier Leagues and finally Sydney FC going head to head with NSW Men’s competition and with only four Rockdale. games remaining the Premiership race is set to It’s another massive week of matches and you can go down to the wire. catch all the action live on NPL.TV Sydney Olympic sits on top of the ladder going into this week’s matches, their second-week holding first place, but have only a one-point APIA Leichhardt v Mt Druitt Town Rangers, 7 advantage ahead of Sydney United 58. pm Friday at Lambert Park Only three points separate first from sixth place APIA Leichhardt will be determined to claim their setting up an incredible run towards the finals. first win in over a month when they host Mt Druitt Town Rangers on Friday. The action gets underway on Friday night with two matches as APIA Leichhardt host Mt Druitt and A 4-2 loss to Sydney Olympic in Round 7 was Manly United take on Blacktown City. the fourth game in a row without a victory for the reigning champions as they remain slumped only On Saturday night, competition newcomers two points ahead of last place. Western Sydney Wanderers will face off against North Shore Mariners at Valentine Sports Park. Despite the defeat last weekend, there was plenty of improvement in the performance from APIA. Finally three matches on Sunday will wrap up the round including Wollongong against Sydney After weeks of toil, veteran midfielder Franco Olympic, Sydney United 58’s clash with Marconi Parisi was finally rewarded with a goal against 4 #NPLNSW Olympic and coach John Calleja will be hoping cellar dwellers Blacktown City. it inspires him to bring another big performance Coach Adam Griffiths will be stressing the against Mt Druitt. importance of a fast start and the pressure will APIA’s young players look up to Parisi and his be on his attackers Brendan Cholakian, Dejan leadership could be imperative to get the team Pandurevic and Marley Peterson to find an early performing at their best despite their morale- breakthrough. sapping run of poor results. Their opponents Blacktown City come into this The club is hoping they can welcome a couple of match after claiming their first points in over a its injured experienced stars as they look towards month with a dramatic late draw against Sydney bagging their second win of the competition. FC. Their opponents, Mt Druitt come into the game on It’s been a very difficult season for the Mark the back of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Marconi Crittenden coached team since the restart with Stallions and will also be looking for a return to the Blacktown slumped at the bottom of the table winner’s circle. Attacker Leroy Jennings will be full of confidence Jack Stewart has been in fine form this season and after scoring a late equaliser last week and can could be an influential player if the Rangers are to hopefully provide the firepower his Blacktown collect full points from the fixture. side has been lacking so far this season. Shot stopper Carlos Saliadarre is another key man Manly will be the favourites at home, however, for Mt Druitt and the experienced gloveman will Blacktown will be worthy opposition and will need to be at his best to stop the likes of Sean take any opportunity they can to snatch an upset Symons, Jeremy Cox and Chris Payne in the APIA – a club with a never say die attitude, expect club attack. skipper Matt Lewis and co to give the young Manly United side a huge test as they look towards This will be a tight match with no side standing out getting off the foot of the ladder. as favourites APIA will be hoping the home ground advantage helps them to Victory, but if they’re not careful the Western Sydney Wanderers v North Shore Rangers are more than capable of snatching an Mariners, 7 pm Sunday at Valentine Sports upset. Park The newcomers to the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition on Saturday as Western Manly United v Blacktown City, 7.30 pm Sydney Wanderers host North Shore Mariners at Friday at Cromer Park Valentine Sports Park. A bounce-back win will be the only thing on the While finals football may be out of reach for both menu for Manly United when they host Blacktown sides, there will be no taking it easy with the City on Friday night. Wanderers and Mariners both determined to finish the season on a high. Manly suffered a shock loss at the hands of North Shore Mariners last round and will be determined Western Sydney were unlucky in a 4-2 defeat for nothing less than victory against competition to United 58 last week, but will take plenty of NPLNSW.COM.AU 5 PREVIEWS positives from the match including their brilliant returning striker Thomas James finding the net start to the game which had their high profile against Rockdale with the hope the English born opponents on the back foot. marksman can rediscover his golden boot form for the run home. Rory Jordan and Tass Mourdoukoutas both found the back of the net last week and will be again They will be without defensive leader Nick Littler central to the Wanderers hopes against the who was sent off in Round seven and serves his Mariners. one-match suspension this week. The Mariners come into the match after a Standing in Wollongong’s way is a Sydney sensational 2-0 win against Manly in Round seven. Olympic team edging closer to the peak of their powers. It stretched the Joe Haywood coached team’s undefeated streak to three games with the A free-scoring performance in a 4-2 win against Northbridge based side showing plenty of APIA Leichhardt in Round seven showed what the improvement from their early-season struggles Ante Juric team is capable of when the make the playing some organised football that has made most of their chances. them one tough team to beat. Attacking stars Charles Lokolingoy and Adam Mitch Smith and Lawrence Frederick have led the Parkhouse both scored a brace against APIA scoring for the Mariners with two and three goals and are in incredible touch heading into the final respectively. weeks of the regular season. The pair will need to add to their tally if North Without Littler, Wollongong will have an almighty Shore make it back to back wins. task ahead of them if they are to stop Olympic’s star-studded front three. Both teams play an exciting brand of football and it is building up to be a thrilling contest between However, Wolves have plenty of big-name talent the league’s newest teams. of their own and with the home ground advantage will be ready for a fight, but beware, Olympic have been on fire in 2020. Wollongong Wolves v Sydney Olympic, 2.30 pm Sunday at Albert Butler Memorial Park Sydney United 58 v Marconi Stallions, 3 pm Wollongong Wolves will be determined to stay Sunday at Sydney United Sports Centre in the Premiership race with a win against Sydney A historic rivalry will be renewed on Sunday as Olympic at Albert Butler Memorial Park on Sunday. Sydney United 58 takes on Marconi Stallions at Defeat last week to Rockdale meant the Wolves Sydney United Sports Centre. dropped to sixth on the ladder, four points behind However, much more than just bragging rights Olympic at the top of the table. will be on the line with both United 58 and the Sunday’s match will give the reigning premiers a Stallions in a tight battle for the premiership with chance to cut the deficit to only one point. only four games remaining in the regular season. Wolves coach Luke Wilkshire will be buoyed by United 58 have found their stride in recent weeks 6 #NPLNSW and, after a 4-2 win against Western Sydney A loss and a draw in their last two matches have Wanderers last round, are only one point behind meant the one-time competition leading Young ladder leaders Sydney Olympic. Sky Blues are now in fifth place, three points behind Sydney Olympic at the top of the table.