MATCH OF THE ROUND
Kariong v Killarney
All eyes will be on Killarney this weekend as the Terriers just need one point to be crowned league champions but have the difficult task of facing Kariong away for this week’s match of the round.
Looking to spoil their historic day, Kariong will be determined to overturn a string of disappointing results and hand the league leaders their first loss of the season. Kariong Oval has served the Cougars well this year as Ryan Finch’s squad has picked up two of their three wins at their home ground. One of those wins included an empathic 4-0 win over finalist-bound Berkeley Vale which also marked their biggest win of the season. Now Kariong will be hoping they can put together a similar performance as the Cougars are in desperate need of club championship points to lift them out of the relegation zone they are currently in. Kariong has a catch-up game against The Entrance this week who will also be desperate for points. Kariong will be hoping they can pick up a win this Thursday and carry that momentum into Sunday when they welcome unbeaten Killarney.
Ryan Finch voiced how his squad will be treating every game for the rest of the season as a final as Kariong look to remain in the BPL competition next season. “As always we will be expecting a tough game, especially considering they have the opportunity to tie up the league title so early. Regardless of that we will treat them like any other team and we will go into the game looking to win and play our own game. Given our position on the table we will need to treat every game like it’s a cup final and will continually be at our best.”
With four rounds to go, Killarney has the opportunity to be crowned league champions for the sixth straight season if they can pick up a result this weekend. Currently 12 points clear of second-place Kanwal, Killarney could lose every single game for the rest of the year and even then, they could still be crowned league champions on goal difference which goes to show how dominant this side has been this year. After a close encounter last weekend, Killarney was able to record a 1-0 win over Southern which marked their ninth clean sheet of the season. This squad could go down in BPL history as the most dominant season from a team, certainty in recent years but the job is not done yet and Chris Ackerley will be making sure his side remains focused on the task ahead this Sunday.
Chris Ackerley knows this weekend will be no easy feat as they come against a desperate opposition fighting for their spot in BPL next season. “After a very tough first-round encounter we are expecting the same this weekend as they are fighting for survival. Hopefully, we will get some players back from injury as we try to clinch the league title. If we can claim a victory and our sixth consecutive league title it will be an amazing effort with the changes that have been made to our squad this year.”
Ackerley also went on to add, “the season to date has surpassed all expectations, but I know that the boys are super keen to try and continue our winning run. All we can do is make sure we turn up with the right attitude for the rest of the season and hopefully results will go our way.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – David Richardson
Avoca v Wyoming
Wyoming will be looking for their third straight result as the Tigers look to further distance themselves from the relegation zone and claim maximum points from Erina High School against Avoca.
After securing their first win in four weeks, Avoca failed to back that result up last weekend and record back-to-back wins for the first time this season as the Sharks fell 3-0 to Berkeley Vale. This was only the second time this season, with the first being all the way back in round 5, that Avoca failed to find the back of the net in a single game. Luckily for Avoca’s Tyler Wade he still remains the current golden boot leader with eight goals to his name.
One of Avoca’s four wins this season was against their opposition for this weekend, on that day Neal Hide’s side was able to edge out Wyoming to record a 2-1 win in a very close encounter. Now Avoca has the luxury of attempting to repeat that result, this time at their home ground Erina High School where they are yet to play this season. Avoca will take plenty of euphoria out of being back at their home ground as the players will be determined to overcome last weekend’s disappointing loss.
In just a matter of weeks, it seems like Wyoming has turned their whole season around as the Tigers find themselves out of the relegation zone and clear by 23 points. Wyoming was able to get their season back on track after claiming wins in all three grades over Kariong in round 17. Wyoming’s first grade then followed this up last week splitting the points with the Entrance in a 2-2 draw.
Currently enjoying their longest unbeaten streak of the season, Wyoming will have the difficult task of facing Southern Ettalong Thursday night for a catch-up fixture and then back it up again on Sunday when they face Avoca. Two wins from these two games could almost guarantee their safety from relegation and having beat Southern already this year at Pluim Park, Ian McAndrew’s side will be full of confidence they can repeat that result and look to get off the bottom of the BPL ladder for the first time this season.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Miles Allen-Scott
Woongarrah v Berkeley Vale
Looking to overturn their recent slump of form, Woongarrah will welcome finalist prospect Berkeley Vale who will be desperate for another win this weekend.
Woongarrah will be determined to shake their disappointing 4-0 loss to local rivals Kanwal when they welcome Berkeley Vale to Hamlyn Terrace this Sunday. Last weekend marked the third straight game that Luke Rogers’s side has conceded four goals in a fixture, not to mention, that last weekend’s opponents were reduced to 10 men in the first half. As a result of last weekend’s loss, Woongarrah now finds themselves in the relegation zone on the club championship ladder.
As a squad, Woongarrah has failed to pick up a single club championship point in their last three weekends as they have faced very tough opposition in Kanwal, Killarney, and Terrigal. Having faced the top three that the BPL has to offer it does not get any easier this weekend when they will battle fourth-placed Berkeley Vale. The Wildcats must get back to their season-best form from under a month ago when they enjoyed a three-game unbeaten streak and were challenging for a finals spot.
Last weekend the Wombats laced up the boots at their home ground Mingara Oval for the very first time this season. Thrilled to be back home, Mark Pratt’s side portrayed this on the pitch when they were able to put on a clinic and walk away with a 3-0 win over Avoca. This was Berkeley Vale’s fourth clean sheet of the season as the Wombats will be hoping they can find some consistency to finish the season and carry maximum momentum into the finals if they make it.
In the reverse fixture from earlier in the season, Berkeley Vale gave up their home ground advantage to travel to enemy territory where they beat Woongarrah 3-1. On that day Bailey Garland found himself on the scoresheet three times to record a hat trick and steer his side to victory. With the striker returning from injury last weekend, Garland will be determined to get his name on the scoresheet again this Sunday and help his side claim a crucial three points.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Damien Bury
The Entrance v Terrigal
In the reverse fixture between these two clubs, the Entrance saw their biggest defeat of the season as the Reddies will be hoping to turn things around at their home ground when they welcome the O’lads
Before the Entrance set their sights on Terrigal, the Reddies will be looking to claim their third win of the season when they meet Kariong this Thursday night at Pluim Park. The Entrance was able to record a 2-2 draw against Wyoming last weekend which saw them go above Woongarrah on the club championship ladder and out of the relegation zone, but little separates the bottom three sides and if Kariong can claim a in all three grades, the Reddies will fall right back into the relegation zone.
Heading into the weekend their full focus will be on Terrigal and overturning their biggest loss of the season. In that 7-1 loss, The Entrance was far from their best on that occasion but will be hopeful they can improve when playing on their home soil. If the Reddies fail to pick up club championship points against Kariong, there will be even more pressure on this young Entrance side to avoid relegation. The Entrance maintains quite a healthy home record which they will be looking to extend against Terrigal.
Terrigal enters this weekend coming off a convincing 3-1 win over a valiant Kariong side. Terrigal’s Daniel Bird had his eye for goal in that fixture as he was able to grab the opening two goals for his side to take his total goals of the year to six. On the other hand, Stuart Adams who was electric in front of goals at the start of the season has not been able to carry that form into the second half of the season
Adams is now goalless in Terrigal’s last six fixtures, but the two-time BPL player of the year still records six goals to his name as he will look to get back on the scoresheet and try to claim the golden boot award that has eluded him in his career. After bouncing back from their biggest loss of the season, Terrigal will look to build on their form as they look destined to make the finals once again in 2022.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Sean Lacy
Kanwal v Southern
With their finals chances on the line, a win this weekend is a must for Southern Ettalong who look to become only the second team to defeat this bulls outfit in 2022.
Kanwal will still be feeling the highs of their triumphant 4-0 win over their local rivals Woongarrah in last weekend’s derby. Despite having to play on enemy territory, this did not seem to faze Ryan Walker’s side who claimed victory in all three grades. Unfortunately for Kanwal, they will enter their fixture against Southern without instrumental midfielder James Scott who was shown a red card last weekend. That win solidified their spot in the BPL 2022 Finals Series, but Kanwal will be determined to hold their spot in second place and enjoy the luxury that brings in the finals.
Besides Killarney, Southern Ettalong is the only team this season the Bulls haven’t been able to claim a win over. The last time these two sides met the score remained locked at 0-0 after a thrilling 90 minutes of football. Kanwal will anticipate another close battle with the Lions this weekend, but this time round will enjoy the luxury of playing on their home ground which has served as a fortress for this squad this season and they will look to keep it that way come Sunday.
Although they weren’t able to pick up the victory against undefeated league leaders Killarney last weekend, Southern would have walked away from that fixture with their heads held high after a brilliant display of football. Despite losing key players Matt Page and Sam Webb in that fixture, the Lions were almost the first team to pick up a result over the unbeaten side. Unfortunately, they did leave Edsaac Oval with zero points to their name and now their finals hopes have quite a severe hit.
Before their important clash with Kanwal, Southern are scheduled to battle Wyoming in a catch-up game at Pluim Park on Thursday night. Although Wyoming did get the best of the Lions earlier in the year, another slip-up against the Tigers could rule out finals football for Dale Eggleton’s side. Southern will need a near flawless run for the rest of the season as they hope Berkeley Vale can slip up which will allow the Lions to pounce into the top four.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Anthony Kabbout
