The O’Connor Knights meet Tigers FC for the second time in the space of ten days as the duo clash at O’Connor Enclosed on Round 15 of the National Premier League as the race for the top spots in the league table intensifies by the week.
The pair meet again for the second time in a fortnight having played out a thriller over at the Australian Institute of Sport during Kanga Cup week. On that occasion both teams netted in stoppage time, Tigers levelling the match at 2-2 in the 94th minute via a Michael Southam goal, only for ten-man Knights to win it moments later through James Driscoll.
Since then, the Tigers have suffered a third consecutive defeat as they were beaten 3-1 at Deakin Stadium by Canberra Croatia, having led 1-0, whilst the Knights won another one late on, a second Micheal Adams penalty defeating Tuggeranong United 2-1 in a game of three penalties at Kambah. This has the potential to be another enthralling afternoon.
Attention on Saturday evening will switch to the Riverside Stadium in Queanbeyan where Monaro Panthers host Canberra Olympic in what will be a critical match for the team chasing a top four placing.
Canberra Olympic have only won one of the last five matches played between the teams, taking four points from the fifteen that are available, and need a substantial turnaround in form are they to get the points here and disrupt the Panthers hopes of a top-four finish.
Goals appear to be a given when these two meet with, in the twenty-seven NPL matches played between the teams, 101 goals having been scored, 61 by Olympic and forty by the Panthers. Monaro have won three of the last four matches played in the NPL at the Riverside Stadium and will be favourites to continue that streak.
However, that was also the case in Round 14 when the Panthers were unable to break down a resolute Yoogali and were left scratching their head about how they were unable to fashion too many clear-cut openings against the bottom club. A return to form in front of goal is critical for the hosts.
Tuggeranong United have never picked up a single point on their travels to play Gungahlin United in the NPL and will ned to be in top form if they are to reverse that trend when they make the trip to the Australian Institute of Sport on Sunday afternoon,
Considering the Gunners have netted seventeen times in their last five home outings against Tuggeranong, the history in this clash is ominous for the visiting team, and with Gunners aiming to continue with their Championship challenge Tuggeranong will need to be at their sharp best.
Tuggeranong have not beaten Gungahlin the last seven meetings between the teams, losing six and drawing once, but did run the Gunners close in their last meeting, a 2-3 loss at Kambah in Round 8, however Gungahlin have been in exhilarating form in recent weeks racking up the points amidst a plethora of goals.
United were left gutted by the concession of a 97th minute penalty to O’Connor in Round 14, the successful spot-kick meaning Tuggeranong lost 1-2 despite a fifth goal of the season from teenage sensation Steve Nealon. They’ll need Nealon to be at his brilliant best if they are to upset the applecart here.
Yoogali SC were a tough nut to crack for Canberra Croatia when the two teams met at Deakin Stadium in Round 8, the home side on that occasion prevailing by three goals to one, to add to a Round 1 victory over in Griffith at the solar Mad Stadium, the scene of this meeting.
An early afternoon kick-off at Solar Mad will mean another overnight stop from Canberra Croatia and, should they come away with the points as anticipated, they will be more than handily placed in the title race.
Yoogali will enter the contest in buoyant mood following their first-even NPL point, garnered from the 0-0 draw with Monaro Panthers at the Riverside Stadium, one that could have been three with a little more fortune inside the final third, Josh De Rossi going close twice.
Croatia meanwhile are closing in on the top, just two points off the summit behind Gungahlin and looking more and more like proper title contenders by the week. A come from behind 3-1 success over Tigers confirmed their credentials, not that there was much doubt, and they will seek to keep up their excellent recent form here.
FIXTURES
ROUND 15
Saturday 20 July
O’Connor Knights v Tigers FC (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Monaro Panthers v Canberra Olympic (Riverside Stadium, 17:45)
Sunday 21 July
Yoogali SC v Canberra Croatia (Solar Mad Stadium, 13:15)
Gungahlin United v Tuggeranong United (AIS Grass Field 1, 15:00)
All matches are streamed live on BarTV Sports.
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Gungahlin United* | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 15 | +25 | 31 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 29 |
| 3 | O’Connor Knights | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 29 |
| 4 | Tigers FC** | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 17 | +16 | 24 |
| 5 | Monaro Panthers | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 22 |
| 6 | Tuggeranong United | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 25 | -3 | 18 |
| 7 | Canberra Olympic | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 42 | -22 | 6 |
| 8 | Yoogali SC | 14 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 53 | -46 | 1 |
TOP SCORERS
16: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
8: Atiya WARAGA (Canberra Croatia)
7: Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
6: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia), Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers), Own GOALS
5: Augustine BANGURA (Gungahlin United), Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights), Michael KATSOULIS (Gungahlin United), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Steve NEALON (Tuggeranong United), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia)
4: Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Jenno CERUTI (Monaro Panthers), Stephen DOMENICI (Canberra Olympic), Jeremy HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Davaadelger OKTYABRI (Tuggeranong United), Jackson PAESLER (O’Connor Knights), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Gungahlin United)
3: Alen JAMES (Canberra Olympic/O’Connor Knights), Amilio KISTA (Tigers FC), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Joshua MILICEVIC (Tigers FC), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Daniel OLAOYE (Gungahlin United), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United)
2: Joshua DE ROSSI (Yoogali SC), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Michael JOHN (Canberra Olympic), Tyson LIVERMORE (Monaro Panthers), Patrick O’ROURKE (O’Connor Knights), Joshua PEDERSEN (Tuggeranong United), Niko PERINOVIC (O’Connor Knights), Michael PICCOLO (Canberra Croatia), Jordan REZEK (Tuggeranong United), ROMEO (Gungahlin United), Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Harry TRUMAN (Canberra Olympic)
1: Angus BAILEY (Tigers FC), Jack BITANI (Tigers FC), Samson CARR (Tigers FC), Izach CLEMENTS (Canberra Olympic), Elie DARWICH (Canberra Olympic), Adam DE FRANCESCHI (Monaro Panthers), James DRISCOLL (O’Connor Knights), Lachlan FIELDS (O’Connor Knights), Bevan FOXALL (Tuggeranong United), Axel GARBIN (Yoogali SC), Jack GREEN (Gungahlin United), Marley JACKSON (Tigers FC), Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia), Christopher JOHN (Yoogali SC), Chirstian KRESKAS (Monaro Panthers), Jack LEVERETT (Tuggeranong United), Santiago LUPINO (Monaro Panthers), Zac MCLAREN (Monaro Panthers), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Shinzaburo NAKAYAMA (Canberra Olympic), Alessandro PENA (Tigers FC), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Canberra Olympic), David SESELJA (Canberra Croatia), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Olympic), Julian SMITH (Gungahlin United), Michael SOUTHAM (Tigers FC), Tony SPASESKI (Canberra Croatia), Luke STEVENS (Tuggeranong United), Antoni TIMOTHOEU (Gungahlin United), Kristian TOKIC (O’Connor Knights), Sam WHITHEAR (Tigers FC), Ryan ZANATTA (Yoogali SC)
*Gungahlin United deducted three points for field an ineligible player in the 3-0 win against Tigers FC
**Tigers FC awarded a 3-0 win, and three points, for Gungahlin United fielding an ineligible player
