PS4NPL Round 9 Preview

Round 9 of the Playstation 4 National Premier Leagues will contain only three matches this weekend, with two matches to be rescheduled due to FFA Cup commitments.

 

Woden-Weston FC v Tigers FC - Saturday – Woden Park Enclosed – 3pm

Woden-Weston will look to build off their big result last weekend as they welcome Tigers FC to Woden Park this Saturday. The Wanderers picked up their first win of the season in a 5-0 thumping of Monaro last weekend, which was also their first clean sheet of the campaign. That improved performance will have lifted confidence, and they also started strongly against Canberra Olympic in the FFA Cup during the week, but early missed chances cost them as they went down. This week they face a tough challenge, coming up against a Tigers team who are building momentum.

A confident 3-0 win over a surging Belconnen United pulled Tigers back within arms reach of the top four, and was a good rebound from a loss to Canberra FC the week before. They were brought down by FC once more in the FFA Cup on Wednesday though, and this game will be a good barometer of how they can respond to a mixed run of results. They have however won only twice since Round Two, struggling heavily against the teams that they will need to beat come the pointy end of the season. Having registered wins up until last week over Tuggeranong, Monaro and Riverina but lost to those above them, they will expect to win here but must be wary of a team arguably better than their record suggests.

 

Riverina Rhinos v Canberra Olympic | To be rescheduled

 

Belconnen United v FFA COE - Saturday – McKellar Park 5:30pm

After a good run of form was ended by Tigers FC last weekend, Belconnen United will be aiming to bounce back against a confident Centre of Excellence side on Saturday evening at McKellar Park. United were looking for their fourth win in a row before they were brought back to earth in Cooma, and will know that a win here keeps them at least within striking distance of the top two. A loss risks setting them seven points back behind first if Canberra FC are victorious in their matchup. This should be a good matchup for United though, with the faster paced-plan of the youngsters suiting Belconnen’s own forward-thinking style.

Tony Vidmar’s side came back from a two-goal deficit in last weekend’s game, and are sure to carry some momentum into this clash. The COE’s first 45 hardly set the world alight in that match, and Vidmar will be hoping for a longer display of what his team showed in the second half instead. Mirza Muratovic got on the scoresheet again and is proving to be a genuine forward threat in this league, and United best be wary of the danger provided not only by him but the attacking line as a whole. With two games still in hand on the sides around them, the visitors are within striking distance of 1^st place, and a positive result here for them would have big ramifications for both sides.

 

Tuggeranong United v Monaro Panthers | To be rescheduled

 

Canberra FC v Gungahlin United – Sunday – Deakin Stadium – 4pm

Canberra FC can put themselves back on top of the Playstation 4 National Premier Leagues Capital Football this weekend with a win against Gungahlin United. The home side faltered last weekend when they gave up a two-goal lead against the Centre of Excellence, but rebounded strongly with a 3-1 win over Tigers FC in the FFA Cup midweek. Thomas James’ brace in the draw last weekend put him into double digits for the season, and keeping him contained needs to be a priority for Gungahlin this weekend. However, the home side’s attacking threats extend well past James, and any minor defensive lapse is likely to be punished by one of the best attacks in the league.

For Gungahlin, a 3-0 win over Riverina in the league was offset by Tuesday’s upset loss to Monaro in the FFA Cup, but they now sit in the NPL top four as a result. United are however the odd one out in the four, with a goal difference of zero compared to the other team’s 18 each. A robust backline has helped them into this position despite scoring only fifteen goals on the season, but will need to find greater attacking output against the league’s best defence in this matchup. Misko Naumoski will be key to that, having scored well in recent weeks, but how he fares against the top backline will have to be seen and will have a major impact on the outcome.