The Battle of the Big Cats Part 2 takes centre-stage this weekend as Round 8 of the National Premier League throws up four more intriguing, and unpredictable, contests across the National Capital.
Two meets three with an unusual twist on Saturday afternoon as Tigers FC ‘host’ Monaro Panthers at the latter’s very own Riverside Stadium in Queanbeyan, the Tigers switching the fixture due to the unavailability of their usual home venue at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Both clubs claimed wins last weekend, but in vastly different manners. Tigers secured a 3-0 win away at O’Connor Knights, albeit with one or two speed-bumps along the way against the always dangerous Knights, the trio of goals all coming after the usually impeccable Josh Gulevski missed from the spot.
Panthers meanwhile continued their remarkable win-loss sequence but left it late against Tuggeranong United as Roko Strika netted a 94th minute header for the second time this season to claim a maximum three points with a narrow, yet extremely important, 2-1 success.
When these two met in Round 1 there were fireworks, Panthers having Strika and Gabe Cole dismissed before half-time. The away side can’t afford a similar slumbering start this time out against a Tigers team that has danger throughout.
The affectionately coined ‘Cevapi Derby’ has rolled around for the second time this season with Canberra Croatia playing hosts this time, placing out the welcome mat to the O’Connor Knights for a fixture that is swiftly becoming one of the must-see engagements on the NPL fixture list.
The Knights currently sit in the fourth-spot in the division and have the potential to open up a six-point cushion on their derby neighbours should they claim what would be only a second win over Croatia in five attempts since their return to the top-flight.
The Knights have only visited Deakin Stadium once in the NPL era, losing their first visit here by the odd-goal in five via a stoppage time goal, a match that was an epic end-to-end blockbuster in front of a large crowd.
For Croatia, a victory ahead of their Australia Cup Qualifying Final clash with Canberra Olympic, is almost a must. They sit ten points off the summit of the table having lost to Olympic in Round 7, finishing the match with ten-men after Matt Grbesa was sent off, the skipper missing this encounter.
When these two meet predictions are notoriously difficult to right, and it would take a brave person to call this one correctly.
League leaders Canberra Olympic will be favourites to cement that spot when they clash with bottom-of-the-table West Canberra Wanderers at O’Connor Enclosed, but will no doubt be wary of a team that despite being last have in recent weeks began to discover some fight.
The Wanderers were hugely unlucky to come across a rampant and fired-up Josh Gaspari last weekend, the Gunners midfielder dragging his team off the canvas with a hat-trick in the last eight minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-3 win. Wanderers will take heart from the preceding 80 though.
At this point in time, Olympic look the goods. A solid defence, with a goalkeeper of some repute, a creative midfield, and a free-scoring front three that is arguably the envy of the division.
With Tigers, their nearest challengers, facing the Panthers, there’s an opportunity here for Olympic to strengthen their hold on top spot, A repeat of the opening day victory, when Olympic downed Wanderers 5-0 would do them very nicely indeed. Wanderers though might just be made of sterner stuff these days.
Gungahlin United might have got out of jail in Round 7 with that narrow win over West Canberra, but the points mean they are seven off top, with a game in hand ahead of a home clash with Tuggeranong United at the AIS on Sunday afternoon.
Tuggeranong were extremely unfortunate not to hang on to what would have been a precious point at the Riverside against the Panthers, defeated at the death, but can take great heart from the resilience they showed defensively to thwart a home team that struggled to make a breakthrough.
More of the same, allied to a greater fluency in attack, could make this an uncomfortable afternoon for the home side, who will not be taking anything for granted ahead of kick-off, despite a 4-1 victory at Tuggeranong earlier this year.
Gungahlin haven’t quite hit their straps yet in 2023 but remain very much in contention having only been defeated once in six matches. With the four clubs above them all playing each other, they could potentially make inroads into a title challenge with a victory.
FIXTURES
ROUND 8
Saturday 27 May
Tigers FC v Monaro Panthers (Riverside Stadium, 15:00)
Canberra Olympic v West Canberra Wanderers (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Sunday 28 May
Canberra Croatia v O’Connor Knights (Deakin Stadium, 15:00)
Gungahlin United v Tuggeranong United (AIS Grass, 15:00)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 18 |
| 2 | Tigers FC | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 9 | +12 | 15 |
| 3 | Monaro Panthers | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| 4 | O’Connor Knights | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 11 |
| 5 | Gungahlin United | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 14 | +4 | 11 |
| 6 | Canberra Croatia | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 8 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 25 | -16 | 3 |
| 8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 28 | -23 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
7 Josh GULEVSKI (Tigers FC), Nik POPOVICH (Canberra Olympic)
6 Own GOALS
5 Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), Maxx GREEN (Gungahlin United),
4 Josh GASPARI (Gungahlin United), Connor MYNOTT-SMITH (Monaro Panthers), Patrick O’ROURKE (O’Connor Knights), Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers)
3 Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Canberra Croatia), Stephen DOMENICI (Canberra Croatia), Thomas JAMES (Canberra Olympic), Micheal JOHN (Monaro Panthers), Clancy HISLOP (Tuggeranong United), Phakedi MANDA (O’Connor Knights), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Jason UGRINIC (Canberra Croatia), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United)
2 Riley ANGELOSANTE (O’Connor Knights), Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia), FERNANDO Jorquera (Gungahlin United), Jack GREEN (Gungahlin United), Amilio KISTA (Tigers FC), Ed MCCARTHY (Tigers FC), Kaz PATAFTA (Canberra Croatia), Luke STEVENS (Tuggeranong United)
1 Connor BILL (O’Connor Knights), Jake BISHOP (Tigers FC), Julian BORGNA (Tigers FC), Riley BROWN (West Canberra Wanderers), Kofi DANNING (Canberra Olympic), Elie DARWICH (Canberra Olympic), James DRISCOLL (O’Connor Knights), Dom GIAMPAOLO (Gungahlin United), Sam HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Nathen MEGIC (Canberra Olympic), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Lasse OLRIK (Canberra Olympic), Jackson PAESLER (Gungahlin United), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Jayden RIPPON (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicholas ROUFOGALIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Kyle SENIOR (Tigers FC), Callum SMITH (Canberra Olympic), Hristjan TANOSKI (Tigers FC), Antoni TIMOTHEOU (Gungahlin United), Liam VICKERS (West Canberra Wanderers)
