In potentially one of the biggest weekends of Men’s National Premier League action in recent years, every clash in the league could play a part in who finishes top of the pile, who plays finals football, and who gets relegated to the Capital Premier League.
The threat of relegation looms large at O’Connor Enclosed as Canberra Olympic play host to the travelling Yoogali SC, in a match that could potentially decide who plays in the CPL next year.
Both sides come into this clash in desperate need of maximum points. Both of Olympic’s wins this season have come against Yoogali, a 7-2 win at home in Round Two and a 4-3 win away in Round Nine. Since then, Olympic are winless in six games.
Yoogali are still yet to win a game in the top flight, despite picking up their first point of the season a fortnight ago, coming into this clash off the back of a three-goal loss to Canberra Croatia.
A win for Olympic would see them open up an eight-point gap on the team from Griffith, while a win for Yoogali seems them reduce the deficit to two points, heading into the final weeks of the season.
The action doesn’t stop there, as Monaro Panthers welcome O’Connor Knights to Riverside Stadium in a fourth vs third match-up.
The Panthers head into this clash full of confidence and having returned to form, easily dispatching Olympic by four goals to nil the previous round, whilst the Knights had the weekend off as their clash against Tigers FC was postponed due to an unplayable pitch.
While a win for the Panthers wouldn’t see them advance up the ladder, being four points behind their opponents this weekend, it would go a long way to solidifying their spot in the finals.
For the Knights, a win this weekend could see them keep pace with a top two spot, whilst also having a game in hand on those above them. Having won three in a row, O’Connor are hitting a strong run of form, ahead of their highly anticipated Australia Cup Round of 32 clash against A-League side Macarthur Bulls.
A top of the table clash awaits Deakin Stadium, as the second-placed Canberra Croatia host the first-placed Gungahlin United, in what is sure to be a highly entertaining encounter.
Since Dean Ugrinic re-took the helm, Croatia have been in inspired form, and are unbeaten in their last ten outings, having scored 29 goals and conceded seven in that time.
Gungahlin are in some fine form themselves, winning their last five games in a row, scoring 20 and conceding two.
With the two best attacks in the league going head-to-head this Sunday, it’s sure to be an eventful afternoon for both defences.
The final match of the round is just as crucial in terms of final standings in the league, as Tuggeranong United welcome Tigers FC to Kambah.
Three losses in a row, all against top four sides, have seen Tigers fall out of a coveted finals position. While still six-points clear of Tuggeranong and with a game in hand, Ali Efe’s squad will certainly wanting to get back into the winners circle and stake their claim for a spot in the post-season.
Tuggeranong come into this crucial game, with one win in their last three outings, with their hopes of playing finals football still hanging in the balance despite being seven points behind fourth place.
Frustratingly for Tuggies, they have been close to securing a valuable point against both O’Connor and Gungahlin, only to concede an injury time penalty in both matches. With six weeks to go, every point is crucial and a win against a Tigers outfit struggling for consistent form is perhaps the best time for the Southsiders to make a charge up the table.
FIXTURES
ROUND 16
Saturday 27 July
Canberra Olympic v Yoogali SC (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Monaro Panthers v O’Connor Knights (Riverside Stadium, 17:45)
Sunday 28 July
Tuggeranong United v Tigers FC (Kambah 2, 15:00)
Canberra Croatia v Gungahlin United (Deakin Stadium, 15:00)
All matches are streamed live on BarTV Sports.
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Gungahlin United* | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 15 | +26 | 34 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 32 |
| 3 | O’Connor Knights | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 29 |
| 4 | Monaro Panthers | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 14 | +11 | 25 |
| 5 | Tigers FC** | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 17 | +16 | 24 |
| 6 | Tuggeranong United | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 26 | -4 | 18 |
| 7 | Canberra Olympic | 15 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 20 | 46 | -26 | 6 |
| 8 | Yoogali SC | 15 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 56 | -49 | 1 |
TOP SCORERS
17: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
10: Atiya WARAGA (Canberra Croatia)
8: Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
7: Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers)
6: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia), 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), 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), Jack LEVERETT (Tuggeranong United), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Patrick MITCHELL (Monaro Panthers), 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
