Battlewin Premier League Preview | Round Twelve

Kanwal FC vs Southern and Ettalong United FC – Wadalba Sports Complex

Wadalba Sports Complex hosts Kanwal and Southern and Ettalong United on Sunday afternoon as the Bulls look to upset the second placed Lions. After a solid performance against Berkeley Vale two weeks ago, of which earned them a point, the Bulls fell victim to late goals once again, conceding twice in the final few minutes of their clash with Wyoming to leave Alan Davidson Oval empty handed. It was a disappointing result for the Kanwal side who initially took the lead in the match, especially given the tough period of the fixture list that they have just entered, of which they don’t face a fellow bottom 6 side until the 7^th of July. A positive for the club heading into this weekend’s match with Southern is the form of their reserve grade side who currently sit fifth, with the points they have accumulated in the Club Championship playing a significant role in the club currently sitting 17 points clear of the relegation places.

Southern and Ettalong United head into this weekend’s clash full of confidence after stringing together back-to-back wins over recent weeks and extending their unbeaten run to three matches. It’s been a positive response from Dale Eggleton’s side since they were humbled 4-1 by Avoca at home in round eight, with the highlight being their big 6-2 victory over fellow title competitors Woongarrah two weeks ago. It’s not just their First-Grade side that are performing well this campaign, with both their Reserve Grade and Under 21’s contributing valuable club championship points, with the club currently best positioned to challenge Killarney for the 2019 BPL Club Championship. The next few weeks will go a long way to determining just how competitive this Southern side are, as they prepare to face Killarney and Terrigal United over the next few weeks.

Gosford City FC vs Terrigal United FC – Gavenlock Oval

Gosford City welcome Terrigal United to Gavenlock Oval as they face another tough match in what has been a largely tough season for the club. With only four points to their name after 11 matches, the side are beginning to get desperate for competition points as we enter the backend of the campaign and would have been disappointed to leave their match with Berkeley Vale last weekend empty handed after what was a promising performance. Unlike fellow First-Grade strugglers Kanwal and The Entrance, Gosford City have struggled across all three grades this season, currently 45 Club Championship points away from beating the drop. On a more positive note, captain Nathan Baker made his comeback in the U/21’s from a fractured leg that he suffered in the reverse of this fixture in round one, although coach Errol Baker has indicated that his first-grade return may still be a few weeks off. Baker will be looking for a more competitive display this weekend, after the reverse fixture ended in a 6-1 victory to Terrigal.

Unbeaten in four matches, Terrigal United head into the weekends fixture on the back of a run of results that have proved entertaining for the neutral if nothing else. An 89^th minute win over leaders Killarney some four weeks ago proved the start of their unbeaten run, a period that has included a 3-3 draw with Berkeley Vale, a 4-3 victory over Toukley, before last weekend’s wild 4-4 draw with Avoca, a match that saw them down 3-0 after just 7 minutes. The Terrigal side will be looking to maintain that run when they travel to Gavenlock Oval for Sundays match with Gosford City, a match they must be winning given how tight the race for the top five is.

The Entrance FC vs Toukley FC – Pat Morley Oval

The Entrance return home to Pat Morley Oval for the first time this season to face Toukley in a set of fixtures that could have big ramifications on the battle to avoid relegation at the end of the season. Although worse off in first-grade, The Entrance are currently enjoying more successful seasons than their opponents in both reserve grade and U/21’s, performances that have seen them open up a 14-point gap between themselves and the Gunners in 11^th place. However, defeat across the board this weekend would be enough to see The Entrance slip down into the relegation places, whilst wins would certainly go a long way to securing their status in the Premier League for another year. Securing their first point in five matches last weekend in first-grade will certainly give them the confidence to kick-on and secure their first victory since their 5-1 win over Gosford City in round five.

This weekend’s match marks the start of a crucial fortnight for the Toukley side, as they face the team above them in The Entrance on Sunday, before facing the side below them in the Club Championship table, Gosford City, next weekend. Similarly to The Entrance, this two week period presents an enormous opportunity for the Gunners to take a big leap towards safety, with wins in all three grades across both weeks certainly lifting them out of the bottom two. However, three losses in a row does not provide great viewing for the Gunners first grade side, suffering big losses to Wyoming and Southern, with a heart-breaking 4-3 defeat to Terrigal United sandwiched between the two. A match that both sides will be desperate to win should produce a great game of football for the neutral.

East Gosford FC vs Woongarrah FC – Hylton Moore Oval

A three-game unbeaten run sees the East Gosford Rams head into Sundays match with Woongarrah with their tails up as they continue to rise up the BPL table after a tough start to the season. The Rams unfortunately couldn’t find a goal in their match last weekend with The Entrance, restricted to a 0-0 draw, however coach Chris Powell expressed that he was happy with his sides performance. A 5-1 loss on the opening day of the season in the reverse of this fixture provided a disappointing start to the campaign as they surrendered a 1 goal lead at half time, suffering considerably from a lack of competitive match time. Expect Sundays match to provide a much more even contest.

Woongarrah come into Sundays match winless in their last three fixtures as they look to put an end to their first real period of turbulence in the Battlewin Premier League. After dropping just five points from the opening eight weeks of the season, the Wildcats have dropped eight in the last three weeks, albeit against probably the three form sides of the competition in Avoca, Southern, and most recently Killarney. They’ll be looking to return to the form that saw them sitting in second place just three weeks ago as they follow up this weekend’s trip to East Gosford with home matches against The Entrance and Kanwal.

Killarney District SC vs Avoca FC – EDSAAC North

Two of the form sides of the competition meet at EDSAAC North on Sunday afternoon as first placed Killarney welcome 7^th placed Avoca. The Terriers have responded well since dropping points in back-to-back matches four weeks ago, going on to record wins over likely finals competitors in Wyoming and Woongarrah. Last weekend’s win over Woongarrah was particularly impressive as they managed to control the match from the outset, resulting in a comfortable 3-0 victory. This weekend’s clash with Avoca should provide a very competitive affair, with the Terriers looking to extend their lead atop of the Battlewin Premier League before next weekend’s big clash with second placed Southern and Ettalong United.

The Sharks extended their unbeaten run to seven matches at Pluim Park last weekend as they played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Terrigal United. Finding themselves up 3-0 inside the opening seven minutes, Avoca then surrendered their lead to find themselves down 4-3 in stoppage time, before Oliver Twyford restored parity to see his side take a share of the points. The last time these sides met ended in a 4-2 win for Killarney back on the opening night of the season, in which the Sharks were certainly competitive, something they can take confidence from. Avoca look ahead to another big match next weekend, as they welcome Berkeley Vale to Pluim Park for a match that could see them break into the top five for the first time this season if results go their way over the coming fortnight.

Berkeley Vale SC vs Wyoming FC – Mingara Club Oval

Mingara Club Oval plays host to what is probably the Battlewin Premier League ‘Match of the Round’ from the round 12 fixture list. A 3-2 win over Gosford City last weekend saw the Wombats extend their unbeaten run to four matches as they find themselves back in the competitions top five on goal difference. Last time these sides met Berkeley Vale recorded a fairly routine 3-0 win on the opening night of the season, however that was of course Wyoming’s first match in their return to the Premier League, with the Tigers performances growing in stature as the season has progressed. Only one point separates the two sides on the Battlewin Premier League table, with Sundays match proving crucial for both sides as they look to retain their spots in the top five.

Wyoming managed to bounce back to winning ways last weekend after Killarney ended their four-match winning streak two weeks ago. The Tigers left it late but managed two goals in the final five minutes to see off an enthusiastic Kanwal side. Four wins in their last five has seen Wyoming climb to third place on the BPL table, four points adrift of second placed Southern. Expect a much more competitive match as these sides face off for the second time this season, with both aware of what is at stake as we enter the business end of the campaign.