Battlewin Premier League Preview | Round Thirteen

Saturday 15/6: U/21s 1:00pm, RES 3:00pm, 1^st 5:00pm

Avoca FC vs Berkeley Vale SC – Pluim Park

Pluim Park is the venue for the opening match of the round 13 fixture list as both Avoca and Berkeley Vale look to bounce back from losses last weekend. Avoca turned in a respectable performance last weekend against defending premiers Killarney considering they went into the match without James Monie and Ben Green, before losing key attacking players Shane Knight and Stuart Adams to injury within the opening 45 minutes. A 2-0 loss brought to an end their impressive unbeaten run, however one loss in their last seven still provides impressive reading. Tomorrow night’s match is poised nicely, with a win for Avoca lifting them above the Wombats and possibly into the top five if other results fall their way.

Similarly to the Sharks, Berkeley Vale also suffered a defeat in their fixture last weekend, going down to Wyoming 2-1. After conceding the second goal midway through the second half, the Wombats pushed hard for an equaliser but were denied on more than one occasion by some desperate last ditch defending from the Wyoming side. Last week’s loss aside, Berkeley Vale also enter tomorrows match on the back of a decent run of form, losing just one of their last five. The Wombats will be looking for a similar result to the last time they faced Avoca, also at Pluim, where they ran out 3-1 winners back in round two thanks to a brace from their top scorer Troy Mumford (7 goals for the season).

Sunday 16/6: U/21s 10:45am, RES 12:45pm, 1^st 2:45pm

Toukley FC vs Gosford City FC – Harry Moore Oval

Toukley face another huge match in the context of their premier league survival hopes this weekend as they host Gosford City at Harry Moore Oval on Sunday afternoon. Fresh off last weekends missed opportunity against The Entrance, the Gunners will be looking to take maximum Club Championship points from Sundays matches with the Dragons. The Gunners found themselves up 2-0 with a numerical advantage in the second half of last weekend’s clash with one of their nearest rivals on the Club Championship table, before allowing The Entrance back into the contest to steal a 2-2 draw, and extend the gap between the two sides on the Club Championship table to 17 points. Sundays match with Gosford City is as close to a must win fixture as you’ll find for both sides across all three grades.

Gosford City head into this weekend’s match knowing that they are beginning to run out of time to escape relegation to the division one competition next season. Four points from their opening twelve matches has left them anchored to the bottom of the Battlewin Premier League for the best part of the 2019 season. It’s not just their first-grade side that is struggling, with both their Reserve Grade and Under 21’s also struggling to pick up vital Club Championship points this season. The Dragons currently find themselves 48 points from safety on the club championship table, showing just how vital this weekend’s set of matches could be to their season. Positively, the Dragons took 6 CC points the last time these sides met back in round two, with their U/21’s winning and the first grade side fighting back from 3-0 down to secure a 4-4 draw, they’ll be hoping for a similar effort come Sunday afternoon.

Southern and Ettalong United FC vs Killarney District SC – James Browne Oval

In what is undoubtedly the match of the round from the Battlewin Premier League round 13 fixture list, Southern and Ettalong United face off with Killarney at James Browne Oval on Sunday afternoon. Separated by just three points on the competition table, second placed Southern will be looking for a win to move themselves level on points with leaders Killarney as we enter the run into the finals. The Lions are unbeaten in their last four matches, winning their last three including last weekend’s 3-1 victory at Wadalba over Kanwal, in which striker Keith Gumbs strengthened his grip on the Golden Boot title with another brace, taking him to 14 for the season. They’ll be hungry to continue this form into the weekend as they look for a better result than the last time the sides met back in round two where the Terriers won 6-0.

Killarney also head into Sunday’s match in a rich vein of form. The Terriers have won their last four matches, keeping a clean sheet in each meaning they haven’t conceded a goal in over a month in the Battlewin Premier League. More impressive, three of those four wins were against sides vying for a finals position. It’s been another impressive season to date from the Killarney side who have only dropped 5 points all season as they look to secure a fourth straight BPL title. Round two’s big 6-0 win over Southern was described by coach Chris Ackerley as his sides best all-round performance in three years, a performance they’ll be looking to re-produce on Sunday afternoon.

Wyoming FC vs East Gosford FC – Alan Davidson Oval

Wyoming welcome the East Gosford Rams to Alan Davidson Oval on Sunday afternoon as they look to continue their great run of form in their first season back in the Battlewin Premier League. Currently in third position ahead of the weekends match, the Tigers sit just four points back from second place, representative of what has been a phenomenal return to the top flight. Last weekend’s 2-1 win over Berkeley Vale was particularly impressive, a match in which they showed their maturity to weather a late Wombats onslaught to emerge with the three competition points. The reverse fixture was washed out in round two, with the sides making up the match midweek at Pluim Park in early May, with Wyoming running out comfortable 4-0 winners on that occasion. Expect a more competitive game this time around however, as the Rams enter the weekend unbeaten in their last four.

Last weekend’s last-gasp draw with Woongarrah kept that unbeaten run alive for East Gosford, with the side slowly climbing the first-grade ladder after a disappointing start to the campaign. After losing five of their opening seven matches, the Rams have begun to turn their season around as they eye a run at an unlikely finals birth this season. Matches against Avoca, Toukley, and Kanwal follow this weekend’s clash with Wyoming, a run of fixtures that could see the Rams add themselves into the mix of what looks to be seven sides fighting for the five finals positions.

Woongarrah FC vs The Entrance FC – Hamlyn Terrace

Woongarrah return home to Hamlyn Terrace for what is the start of a five-week run of home fixtures when they face The Entrance on Sunday afternoon. After dropping two points at the death last weekend at Hylton Moore against East Gosford, they’ll be looking to bounce back to winning ways this weekend when they face an Entrance side without a win in seven matches. Similarly to Wyoming, Woongarrah have experienced a seamless transition to the top flight, especially given this is the first year the club has been involved in the Mens Premier League in its history. After winning 6 of their opening 8 matches, the cats have hit a rough patch of form over recent weeks, failing to pick up three points from any of their last four matches. Positively, they still remain inside the competitions top five, and sit just three points off third place heading into this weekend’s matches. The side will be looking to get back to the goal scoring form that had them score three or more goals on five occasions throughout that successful opening 8-week period of the season, especially given their match with local rivals Kanwal looms large next Saturday night.

The Entrance’s search for their third win of the season continues after last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Toukley, although given the circumstances, the result probably felt like a victory. After finding themselves down 2-0 and down to 10 men early in the second half, the side showed plenty of character to drag themselves back into the contest, securing a crucial point in what was their first game back at Pat Morley this season. Back-to-back draws suggest the side are heading in the right direction however they face a string of tough matches in the near future, with games against Berkeley Vale and Terrigal United to follow Sunday’s clash with Woongarrah.

Kanwal FC vs Terrigal United FC – Wadalba Sports Complex

Kanwal return to Wadalba Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon to face Terrigal United as they look to snap out of a recent five match winless run. The Bulls have picked up just the one point from their last five outings, however, still sit 12 points clear of the relegation places on the Club Championship table. This weekend’s match with Terrigal is just another of what is a tough run of fixtures for the side, having lost back-to-back matches against Wyoming and Southern before they face Woongarrah and Killarney in the coming few weeks. The performances of both their U/21s and Reserve Grade sides has ultimately kept them out of the drop zone so far this season, so they’ll be looking for big performances across all three grades over the coming weeks to ensure they continue to stave off both Toukley and Gosford City below them in the relegation places.

Terrigal United extended their unbeaten run to five matches last weekend after a routine 4-0 victory over Gosford City, as the side continue to jostle with Wyoming for third position on the Battlewin Premier League table. Three wins and two draws make up their last five results, in which they have been involved in some of the most exciting games so far this campaign. Since their last defeat, games involving Terrigal United have averaged over 5.5 goals per game, so given recent form we could be due for an entertaining match on Sunday afternoon at Wadalba. The reverse fixture that was played back in round two furthers this notion, with Terrigal running out 4-1 winners on that occasion. Similarly to Kanwal, Terrigal also look ahead to another big match next weekend as they head to James Browne Oval to face high-flying Southern and Ettalong United.