Battlewin Premier League Preview | Round Eight

Terrigal United FC vs Killarney District SC – Pluim Park

Pluim Park is all geared up to host the ‘Match of the Round’ in the Battlewin Premier League on Saturday afternoon as Terrigal United and Killarney District face off in a blockbuster clash at the top end of the table. Heading into the fixture, Killarney sit one point clear at the summit of the BPL ladder on 19 points, whilst Terrigal sit in fourth place, six points back on 13 points. Both sides are coming off the back of disappointing results last weekend, with Terrigal going down 1-0 to Wyoming and Killarney sharing the points with struggling East Gosford, however given the hectic playing schedules over the previous fortnight due to both FFA Cup and Premier League commitments, there is certainly no need for panic.

A win for Terrigal United would see them significantly tighten up the top five positions on the BPL table, whilst a win for the Terriers would see them open up a four point lead at the top, albeit only for a day with Southern and Ettalong United playing their Round Eight fixture on Sunday afternoon.

Looking ahead, things don’t get any easier for Terrigal as they face a trip to Mingara to face Berkeley Vale next weekend, whilst Killarney face The Entrance at EDSAAC North. A break from mid-week football for both sides should see the players rested and raring to go come Saturday afternoon, hopefully translating into a high-octane match of premier league football.

Southern and Ettalong United FC vs Avoca FC – James Browne Oval

Southern and Ettalong United welcome Avoca to James Browne Oval on Sunday afternoon in a match that sees two of the competitions in-form sides face-off. The visitors Avoca are currently unbeaten in three matches following victories over Toukley and Gosford City and a draw with Kanwal, whilst the Lions are unbeaten in five, following five straight victories. It’s been a great start to the season from Southern, with the side sitting just one point off the lead after seven matches. The side will once again look to top scorers Keith Gumbs and James Caban for goals, with both managing to find the net in last weekend’s win over Berkeley Vale, their 7^th and 5^th goals of the season respectively. With a string of winnable fixtures on the horizon, coach Dale Eggleton will be looking to keep his side focussed as they aim to mount a significant title challenge this year.

Avoca’s 3 match unbeaten run has come at the perfect time, with the streak propelling them up the Battlewin Premier League table as they head into the match occupying 7^th spot, only two points outside the final’s positions. The Sharks side were made to work hard for their win over Gosford City last weekend, however a goal in each half saw them collect the three points. Sundays match looms as a big test for the Avoca side however they can take confidence from the fact that they’ve only conceded three goals in their previous three matches, a defensive discipline that they will need to build from if they’re to get a positive result from the match. Looking ahead, Avoca face another tough test as they head to Pluim Park to take on Woongarrah next weekend.

Berkeley Vale SC vs East Gosford FC – Mingara Club Oval

Berkeley Vale welcome East Gosford to Mingara Club Oval on Sunday afternoon as they look for three points that would see them break back into the top five. The Wombats suffered defeat at the hands of Southern last weekend after a short turn around following midweek FFA Cup commitments, with the side forced to play 70 minutes with only 10 men due to a red card to Tyler Burnes. It was a great effort from the Berkeley Vale side who remained competitive throughout the match, threatening to take a share of the points on more than one occasion. The side have struggled for consistency so far this campaign, failing to string back-to-back wins together since the opening two rounds, however they remain well and truly in the hunt, only 7 points back from leaders Killarney. The match on Sunday afternoon is sure to provide them with a great opportunity to get back to winning ways, with matches against Terrigal United and Kanwal to close out the month.

East Gosford head into the match on the back of a short turn around after being dispatched 4-0 midweek by Wyoming in their deferred Round Two fixture. The side looked to have turned a corner after their morale boosting 1-1 draw with front-runners Killarney at EDSAAC north last weekend, with Steve Harpur netting the goal (his fourth of the season), however they couldn’t back up that performance three days later at Pluim Park. The Rams can take confidence from the fact that they have certainly been competitive in most of their games this season, with three of their losses coming by the single goal this campaign. Sunday’s match will certainly provide a tough challenge for Chris Powell’s side, however the fixture list doesn’t get any easier for the Rams, who face a match with in-form Southern and Ettalong United next weekend before what looms as a crucial match with Gosford City in two weeks’ time.

Wyoming FC vs The Entrance FC – Alan Davidson Oval

The Wyoming Tigers return to Alan Davidson Oval after their successful trips to both Duffys Oval and Pluim Park where they look to make it three wins in a week as they face The Entrance on Sunday afternoon. It’s been quite the week for the Tigers, dispatching Terrigal United last Sunday afternoon thanks to a goal from Golden Boot leader Pat Mills, before an emphatic performance on Wednesday night saw them make light work of East Gosford to break into the top five of the Battlewin Premier League. The Tigers have had no problems finding the net in their return to the Premier League, currently the second highest scorers with 21, thanks to Pat Mills’ eight goals, and Matt Hall’s five. Fixtures against Toukley and Killarney follow this weekend’s match for Wyoming who could realistically enter June well and truly entrenched in the top five.

The Entrance head into the weekends match after back-to-back losses, going down to Southern and Kanwal over the previous two weeks. It was a frustrating outing last weekend for The Entrance as they were undone by a Ryan Walker hat-trick that saw Kanwal breakthrough for their first victory of the season. Their struggles in front of goal have continued, with only East Gosford finding the net on fewer occasions than them so far this campaign, however they have scored in each of their last three matches, a positive as they look to pick up some competition points to put some distance between themselves and the relegation positions. Tough fixtures with Killarney and Avoca follow Sundays match, indicating the importance of a positive result of some sort from the weekends fixture.

Woongarrah FC vs Gosford City FC – Hamlyn Terrace

 The Woongarrah Wildcats and Gosford City are set to face off at Hamlyn Terrace on Sunday afternoon in a match of significance importance for both sides for drastically different reasons. Woongarrah head into the fixture after another 4-3 victory, their second in a row, as they continue to keep the pressure on both Southern and Killarney above them, whilst Gosford City are still in search of their first win of the new campaign, falling 2-1 to Avoca last weekend. The Wildcats have adapted brilliantly to life in the top flight, currently three matches unbeaten with their only loss of the campaign coming at the hands of Berkeley Vale in Round Four. They’ve certainly been the entertainers of the competition to date, with matches involving Woongarrah this season averaging 4.7 goals per game. They’ll look to keep that record up as they face a Gosford City side who have conceded 30 goals in their 7 matches so far this campaign.

After a respectable showing in the ‘Coast Shelter Cup’ two weeks ago against Killarney, Gosford City struggled to back it up eight days later when they faced Avoca at Pluim Park. In what was a frustrating afternoon for the Dragons, they struggled to find the cutting-edge required to break through for their first win of the campaign. Things are beginning to get desperate for Gosford City as they continue to struggle to pick up points, however you can’t fault the effort of their players who continue to give 100% week after week. You would imagine that goals will almost certainly be on the cards, and an open, attacking match could lend itself well to the Gosford City side as the clubs go toe-to-toe on Sunday afternoon.

Toukley FC vs Kanwal FC – Harry Moore Oval

 Toukley and Kanwal meet at Harry Moore Oval on Sunday afternoon, both desperate for points to keep pace with the sides above them on the competition table. The Gunners enter the weekend on the back of three successive losses, after taking seven points from their first four fixtures. After such a great start to the season the previous three results have been disappointing for Toukley who looked to be building towards a very positive season – of course there is still time, however their run of upcoming fixtures appears tough, with fixtures against Wyoming, Terrigal, and Southern to come. Kanwal also appear to have turned a corner after their slow start to the season, suggesting Toukley will have to work incredibly hard for a victory on Sunday afternoon.

Kanwal finally appear to be getting the results their early season performances deserved in recent weeks, with a draw two weeks ago before breaking through for their first victory of the season against The Entrance last weekend. A Ryan Walker hat-trick secured the points for the Bulls and will see them head into Sundays match full of confidence, with a win potentially giving them some breathing room as they move further away from the relegation places. The match at Harry Moore should be a cracker, as two sides in desperate need of a win battle it out to keep their seasons alive so early on in the year.