Battlewin Premier League Preview | Round Six

Gosford City FC vs Killarney District SC – Pluim Park

Gosford City FC return to Pluim Park for their annual ‘Coast Shelter Cup’ event as the club looks to raise funds for, and awareness of, ‘Coast Shelter’ and the work they do within the Central Coast community. It is a great initiative held by the club, and if you want more information about the event such as ticketing information, follow the link HERE. On the pitch the Dragons will be looking for an upturn in form after struggling in the early stages of the season. Errol Bakers side are still searching for their first win of the season, and after suffering arguably their most disappointing defeat of the season last weekend against The Entrance, will be looking to bounce back against last season’s Champions Killarney. Although early in the season, Gosford City are beginning to get desperate for ‘Club Championship’ points as they find themselves 23 points from safety after five rounds, with tomorrows fixtures against Killarney looking like a big ask across all three grades.

The Terriers on the other hand are flying after their fifth win in as many matches to start the season after dispatching Berkeley Vale 2-0 last weekend at Mingara. They will be looking at tomorrow’s match with Gosford as an opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to 6 points, albeit potentially for only a day, a fantastic effort after only six matches. Looking ahead, Killarney face a trip to Hazelbrook to face the Hawks from the Nepean Football Association next Thursday night (2^nd May) in the FFA Cup, where they will look to advance to Round Six of the national cup competition. Their cup commitments may force coach Chris Ackerley into some changes for tomorrows match, however changes are probably more likely for next Sundays clash with East Gosford given the short turn-around.

Wyoming FC vs Woongarrah FC – Alan Davidson Oval 1

In what shapes as this weeks Match of the Round in the Battlewin Premier League, Wyoming face another tough test as they welcome Woongarrah to Alan Davidson Oval for their round six clash. After an 8-2 victory over Avoca in Round Four, the Tigers struggled to reproduce a similar performance last weekend, as they fell to an in-form Southern side who bagged their fourth win of the season. After finishing a distant second to Woongarrah in last seasons ‘Division One’ competition, it will be interesting to see how much ground the Tigers have made up on their promoted counterparts. A victory on Sunday could see the Tigers move as high as fifth on the BPL table pending other results, with an extra match up their sleeve against East Gosford to be played on the 8^th of May.

Woongarrah head into this weekend’s match after a hard-fought 2-2 draw with the in-form Terrigal United at Duffy’s Oval. Striker Kane Woolston proved the difference as his brace saw the Wildcats twice fight back from a deficit to take a share of the spoils. The point will certainly fill the ‘Cats side with confidence heading into this weekend’s matchup with Wyoming as they continue to keep pace with the top five sides in the competition. With no conflicting commitments for either side, the match shapes as a real thigh-rubber, with both sides expected to be fit and firing for Sunday’s contest.

The Entrance FC vs Southern & Ettalong United FC – James Browne Oval 1

James Browne Oval hosts this weekend’s round six clash between The Entrance and Southern and Ettalong United, as both sides look to build on big wins in Round Five. The Entrance broke free of their goal scoring woes last weekend as they ran riot against Gosford City, netting five goals in the process. They will face a much tougher task on Sunday as they run into a southern side on the back of three straight wins, however a win could take them to fifth on the BPL ladder, certainly a respectable position after suffering defeat in 3 of their first five matches.

Southern & Ettalong United head into this weekend’s fixture in great form having won their previous three matches, securing outright second place on the table in the process. This run of great form can be attributed to the return of prolific striker Keith Gumbs who, in his three matches this season, has managed to bag himself five goals, a great return for the 46-year-old. If nothing else, spectators can expect goals from this fixture with matches involving Southern averaging a total of five goals per game so far this season. Dale Eggleton’s side will be looking to confirm their status as title contenders with a fourth straight victory on Sunday, as they look to keep pace with Killarney at the top of the table.

Berkeley Vale SC vs Toukley FC – Mingara Club Oval 1

The Mingara facility hosts its second match in a week as Berkeley Vale welcome the Toukley Gorokan Gunners for their round six clash on Sunday afternoon. The Wombats head into the match on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Killarney in a repeat of last season’s grand-final. In a match of few chances, the Killarney side gave Berkeley Vale very little in front of goal, nullifying exciting attacking forwards Troy Mumford and Michael Tawyer. They will be looking to bounce back when they face the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, as they find themselves six points behind the Terriers after only six matches. Coach Mark Pratt will have to ensure that his sides focus is entirely on the task at hand this weekend, as many could be forgiven for getting excited at the prospect of an FFA Cup tie next Wednesday night against NPL heavyweights APIA Leichhardt Tigers FC. That matchup will be one of the two NPL x BPL clashes at Pluim Park on Wednesday the 1^st of May, as Terrigal United also host Blacktown City, with both matches kicking off at 7:30pm.

The Gunners will be looking to return to winning ways after a loss to strugglers Avoca FC at Harry Moore Oval last weekend. It’s been a strange start to the season for the Toukley side, having secured wins over The Entrance and East Gosford in rounds one and four, they dropped points to Gosford City before going down to Killarney to make it two wins, two losses and a draw from their opening five outings. Coach Ben Nicholls will be expecting a tough contest this weekend, as his side look to keep pace with the top five sides in the competition.

East Gosford FC vs Terrigal United FC – Hylton Moore Oval 1

Fresh from securing their first victory of the season last weekend against Kanwal, the Rams will be looking to make it two wins on the bounce when they face Terrigal United at Hylton Moore Oval on Sunday afternoon. After a tough start to the season, East Gosford appear to be coming up to speed fitness wise, however are still finding goals hard to come by, managing only three from their first four matches. On a positive note, 2017 and 2018 Golden Boot winner Robbie Walton notched his first of the season in the 2-1 victory over Kanwal as he looks to kickstart his bid for an unprecedented third straight Golden Boot title. The Rams total of three goals so far this season, the worst in the competition, doesn’t match up well to a Terrigal defensive unit who’ve only conceded 6 goals this campaign, the third best in the competition.

Terrigal United head into the match after a 2-2 all draw with Woongarrah at Duffy’s Oval last weekend, a match that they led twice before being pegged back for a share of the points. A 2-0 loss to Southern and Ettalong aside, Terrigal have started the season well, taking 10 points from a possible 15 to leave them in 3^rd place on the BPL ladder. On paper, the clash looks as if it could be a one-sided affair, however with a huge midweek FFA Cup match coming up against Blacktown City on Wednesday night, they could opt to rest players in order to save them for the cup clash. It’s the start of a busy period for Terrigal, as after matches against East Gosford and Blacktown City they look ahead to crunch BPL fixtures against Wyoming, Killarney, and Berkeley Vale.

Avoca FC vs Kanwal FC – Erina High School 1

Avoca FC face a sixth-round matchup with Kanwal at Erina High School in a match that will see both sides desperate for the three points. The Sharks bounced back well from the 8-2 pummelling they received from Wyoming two weeks ago, bagging their second win of the campaign against Toukley last weekend with substitute Darcy Brown scoring a spectacular bicycle kick with only minutes to play to secure the points. After a tough opening few weeks of the season Avoca look to be getting their season up and running, and a clash against winless Kanwal provides them a great opportunity to shoot up the competition table.

With four of their five losses by only a single goal, Kanwal must be wondering how they are yet to pick up a competition point so far this season. The Bulls first four matches were against front runners for the finals positions, with their Easter Monday match against East Gosford decided in the last 10 minutes. After such a tough start to the season, this weekend’s match with Avoca shapes as a vital one, with the Bulls desperate for points so early in the season. A win could really kick-start their stuttering campaign, whilst a loss would provide yet another blow to a side already low on confidence.