Fifteen points from stoppage time goals tells its own story for O’Connor Knights who head into their weekend fixture with Tuggeranong United at O’Connor Enclosed in buoyant mood in the National Premier League, potentially within touching distance of the top of the table.
Coming into the match off a fixture in the Australia Cup Round of 32 will make this an odd week for the Knights, a feeling Tuggeranong know all too well themselves as a club having been in the same position twice back in 2014.
Tuggeranong will feel like luck is against them. They have conceded a league high eleven penalties in 2024, never a week seems to go by when the Southsiders aren’t lining up to face a spot-kick at their goal, and they will feel that their luck will surely change at some stage.
The Knights are in a good position. With the game in hand, they have a chance of reclaiming their title won in such fine style in 2023. Tuggeranong have seen Knights pinch two late wins against them this season. Could lightning strike thrice?
Over in Griffith a resurgent Yoogali SC will fancy their chances of continuing their late-season improvement and kicking on their survival fight when they meet an out of sorts Monaro Panthers at Solar Mad Stadium, mere weeks after the pair played out a goalless draw at the Riverside Stadium.
Since then, Yoogali have given themselves a real boost, coming off the back of a 1-0 success over fellow strugglers Canberra Olympic at Hawker Football Centre to move to within touching distance of Olympic and, potentially, one win away from leapfrogging them on the table.
Panthers though need a result. Their injury-time capitulation to O’Connor Knights at the Riverside Stadium last weekend has left them playing catch-up to those above on the league table, a frustrating state of affairs considering they topped the table at one stage this season.
An afternoon in Griffith not to be missed. Both teams desperate for the points, and out to win them should prove to be an entertaining fixture. Can Yoogali kick-on and achieve what appeared to be improbable only three weeks ago? Or will the Panthers keep alive their top four credentials.
Canberra Olympic, meanwhile, need a bounce-back, but they might find that hard to come back as they make the trip to the Australian Institute of Sport to take on Gungahlin United, in the knowledge that they have won only one of the last dozen matches with the Gunners, the men in black and white having won nine and drawn two.
And it’s the Gunners who have the buoyancy in the sails as they moved five points clear of the chasing pack with their narrow win away at Deakin Stadium, secured deep into stoppage time via a penalty from Jermey Habtemariam. It’ll take some side to stymie the Gungahlin momentum.
Can Olympic be that team? At the moment, their destiny is in their own hands, and winning matches will suddenly shift all the tension away from those wearing the dark blue shirt as if it is made of lead right now. Often in the past the men from O’Connor have lifted when they have most needed it. Now is that time.
Tigers FC moved into the top four last weekend with a resolute showing against Tuggeranong United to earn a point that put them above Monaro but will need to find another level again if they are to do the same, or better, against Canberra Croatia at the Australian Institute of Sport.
In real terms that point at Kambah was the first that the Tigers have earned in their last four NPL outings, whilst Croatia suffered defeat for the first time in ten games. On that alone, Croatia would be deemed as the favourites for claiming the points, and yet Tigers always provide a tough opponent for the men in red.
It might be too soon to start talking in terms of must win matches, we are in Round 17 and there are five games to play after all but should either side drop points here their hopes for top spot, and in Tigers case even finals football, may well be on the line. That will make this a must-watch for many reasons.
FIXTURES
ROUND 17
Saturday 3 August
O’Connor Knights v Tuggeranong United (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Tigers FC v Canberra Croatia (AIS Grass field 1, 15:00)
Sunday 4 August
Yoogali SC v Monaro Panthers (Solar Mad Stadium, 13:15)
Gungahlin United v Canberra Olympic (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* | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 17 | +27 | 37 |
2 | Canberra Croatia | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 41 | 22 | +19 | 32 |
3 | O’Connor Knights | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 22 | +9 | 32 |
4 | Tigers FC** | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 19 | +16 | 25 |
5 | Monaro Panthers | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 17 | +10 | 25 |
6 | Tuggeranong United | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 19 |
7 | Canberra Olympic | 16 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 47 | -27 | 6 |
8 | Yoogali SC | 16 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 56 | -48 | 4 |
TOP SCORERS
17: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
11: Atiya WARAGA (Canberra Croatia)
9: Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers)
8: Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
7: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
6: Augustine BANGURA (Gungahlin United), Jeremy HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights), Own GOALS
5: Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), 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), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Davaadelger OKTYABRI (Tuggeranong United), Jackson PAESLER (O’Connor Knights), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Gungahlin United), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United)
3: Alen JAMES (Canberra Olympic/O’Connor Knights), Amilio KISTA (Tigers FC), Joshua MILICEVIC (Tigers FC), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), Daniel OLAOYE (Gungahlin United), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Sam WHITHEAR (Tigers FC),
2: Joshua DE ROSSI (Yoogali SC), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Michael JOHN (Canberra Olympic), Tyson LIVERMORE (Monaro Panthers), Santiago LUPINO (Monaro Panthers), Zac MCLAREN (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), Zac LAWRENCE (Tuggeranong United), Jack LEVERETT (Tuggeranong United), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Patrick MITCHELL (Monaro Panthers), Shinzaburo NAKAYAMA (Canberra Olympic), Alessandro PENA (Tigers FC), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Joe PREECE (Yoogali SC), 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), 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