Battlewin Premier League Preview | Round Nine

Wyoming FC vs Toukley FC – Alan Davidson Oval

Fifth placed Wyoming welcome eighth placed Toukley to Alan Davidson Oval on Sunday afternoon with both sides coming into the match on the back of wins in round eight of the Battlewin Premier League. Wyoming extended their winning run to three matches with a hard-fought victory over The Entrance thanks to goals from Jared McNee and Matt Hall, with Hall’s goal sending him to 4^th on the Golden Boot standings with seven for the season, one behind the three leaders on eight. Nine points in the space of seven days has really strengthened the Tigers position on the BPL table, as they head into this weekend’s match with Toukley only four points behind leaders Killarney and Woongarrah.

Toukley secured a 1-0 victory over Kanwal last weekend in what was at times a real ‘backs-to-the-wall’ performance. A late penalty converted by Troy Runge proved the difference between the two sides as the Gunners picked up a crucial three points, snapping out of a three-match losing run at the same time. The win saw them restore some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three sides (four points), however they still remain five points outside of the finals positions. This match signals the start of a tough run for the Toukley side who face matches with fourth placed Terrigal United and third placed Southern and Ettalong United in the coming weeks, indicating the importance of a win on Sunday afternoon.

Gosford City FC vs Kanwal FC – Gavenlock Oval

Gosford City’s search for their first win of the campaign is set to continue on Sunday afternoon when they face fellow strugglers Kanwal at Gavenlock Oval. In what shapes as a crucial game in the fight to avoid the drop this season, both sides will be desperate to pick up three points to see them move away from the relegation places. In what has been a tough season for the Gosford side, Jesse Parnell’s form in front of goal has been a shining light, siting equal first on the Golden Boot standings with eight for the campaign. Coach Errol Baker will certainly be looking to him for goals across the next two weeks, with another huge match with East Gosford to follow this weekends matchup with the Bulls.

On the back of another narrow defeat last weekend, Kanwal head into the match with Gosford City this weekend just as desperate for the three points as their counterparts. It could be argued that the Bulls deserved something from last weekend’s match with Toukley on the basis of chances alone, however they were ultimately left to rue another narrow loss, their fifth of the season by a single goal. Although already carrying considerable significance, a result against Gosford City on Sunday afternoon is made all the more important as the Bulls next six matches all feature an opponent from the BPL’s top six. If you’re out and about in the Gosford area on Sunday afternoon and want to catch a game of football, you’d be hard-pressed to find one with more at stake than this fixture.

The Entrance FC vs Killarney District SC – EDSAAC North

The Entrance and Killarney face-off on Sunday afternoon at EDSAAC North with both sides looking to return to winning ways after suffering defeat in round eight. The Entrance’s losing run was extended to three matches after their 2-0 defeat to Wyoming last weekend, leaving them precariously placed, just two points above the relegation positions. The Entrance have already managed to knock off one of the competition favourites in Berkeley Vale and may well fancy themselves to produce a result of similar stature this weekend, however they’ll be well aware that they will likely face a fired up Killarney side who have also dropped points in recent weeks. Looking ahead, The Entrance face matches with sides positioned within their vicinity on the BPL table in Avoca, East Gosford, and Toukley, a run of matches that could have significant ramifications on their final league position.

On the back of dropping four points in two weeks, Killarney will be looking for a strong response this weekend to sure up their position at the top of the Battlewin Premier League table. Last weekend’s loss to Terrigal United would have been a bitter pill to swallow for all involved with the club, especially given how hard the players worked to find an equaliser late in the second half. Southern and Ettalong United’s failure to take advantage of the Terriers slip meant that Killarney held onto top spot, thanks to a superior goal difference over Woongarrah in second place. You would expect the Terriers to look to put down a marker in Sunday’s fixture, especially considering they look ahead to tough matches with both Wyoming and Woongarrah over the coming fortnight.

Avoca FC vs Woongarrah FC – Pluim Park

Avoca return to Pluim Park this weekend for their round nine fixture with Woongarrah after dispatching one of the form sides in the competition, Southern, 4-1 at James Browne Oval last weekend. It was a great performance from Neal Hide’s Avoca side with the win seeing their unbeaten run stretch to four matches, leaving them in seventh position, five points outside the top five. The return of reigning player of the year Stu Adams is sure to give the side a boost, and they’ll need to be at their best when they face joint leaders Woongarrah on Sunday afternoon.

The Wildcats also head into the match on a four-match unbeaten run, stemming from their only loss of the season at the hands of Berkeley Vale in round four. Woongarrah have had no problems in front of goal this season with another four-goal performance against Gosford City last weekend taking their tally to 12 goals in their last 3 matches. Ben Runge and Kane Woolston are leading the charge for the ‘Cats with six and five goals respectively so far this campaign, with the former finding the net in last weekend’s win over Gosford City. A big win for Woongarrah could see them claim outright top spot on the BPL ladder, whilst a win for Avoca would likely see them close the gap between themselves and the top five positions to just a few points.

Berkeley Vale SC vs Terrigal United FC – Mingara Club Oval

Berkeley Vale welcome Terrigal United to Mingara on Sunday afternoon for what looks to be the Match of the Round from the BPL round nine fixture list. Both sides managed crucial wins last weekend, tightening the gap between first and 6^th to just four points. A double to Troy Mumford and one to Michael Tawyer saw the Wombats collect the three points in their contest with the Rams, the brace from Mumford sending him to five for the season so far. The match shapes as an intriguing matchup, with the two stingiest defences in the league set to go toe-to-toe.

Terrigal are coming into the match on the back of a huge victory over league leaders Killarney last Saturday night at Pluim Park. The win keeps them well and truly amongst the pack of six that are currently jostling for a top five spot and allows them the opportunity to string together back-to-back wins for the first time since the opening two weeks of the season. With FFA Cup commitments finished for the season, Terrigal will be looking to find some consistency in their results throughout the middle third of the season. Top-scorer Ben Flakus currently sits in equal sixth on the golden boot standings with five goals, three back from a share of the lead. Matches against opposition in the bottom of half of the table follow over the next few weeks for Terrigal United, as they look towards fixtures with Toukley, Avoca, Gosford City, and Kanwal over the coming weeks.

East Gosford FC vs Southern & Ettalong United FC – Hylton Moore Oval

The Rams and Lions are set to go head-to-head at Hylton Moore Oval on Sunday afternoon with both coming off losses in their round eight fixtures. The Rams have experienced a tough start to the year, struggling to pick up competition points despite appearing routinely competitive within their matches. A 4-0 loss to Wyoming was followed up by a 3-1 loss to Berkeley Vale seeing the Rams remain in the bottom two on goal difference. The match this weekend shapes as another significant test for the Rams as they face a Southern side looking to bounce back from last weekend’s shock loss. Looking ahead, East Gosford face a crucial match with city rivals Gosford City next weekend as both sides begin to get desperate for competition points.

Southern head into this weekend’s match on the back of a shock loss to Avoca on their own patch last weekend, going down 4-1. A stretch of five straight wins preceded last weekend’s loss, emphasising what was certainly a missed opportunity to take over top spot on the Battlewin Premier League table. Although the league table might suggest otherwise, Coach Dale Eggleton reinforced the difficulty that surrounds this fixture, reminding us all that his side had a loss and a draw in the corresponding fixture with the Rams last season. A win for Southern could see them back into first place, depending on other results, whilst an East Gosford victory would likely see them rise from the relegation places before next weekend’s crunch clash with Gosford City.