Can anyone halt what appears to be an inexorable march towards the league title by Canberra Croatia? The latest to try and knock the red juggernaut off its course towards the League Championship crown will be old foes Canberra Olympic as the latest instalment of the ‘Canberra Classico’ takes place at O’Connor Enclosed.
The pair of matches that precede the newest chapter of one of Canberra’s biggest rivalries, have told a different tale, as Croatia may have won both but by an exceedingly different manner both times.
The 8-0 rout of Olympic at Deakin Stadium earlier in the campaign, an Olympic home match switched to their opponent’s fortress was followed by a much narrower, and arguably fortunate, 2-1 success in the second meeting.
The divergent paths taken by both sides in 2022 sees Croatia currently three points clear at the top of the league with Olympic, who surprisingly parted company with Head Coach Robbie Cattanach midweek, struggling to hold onto the coattails of a potential place in the top four, seven points adrift of O’Connor Knights and needing an upturn in fortune to make inroads. There could be few better places to start than on Saturday evening.
Waiting for any kind of slip-up from the leaders and continuing a fine run of form of their own, Gungahlin United will be aiming to continue their pursuit of Croatia when they undertake the curiosity of playing an away game, at home, as the battle for the Australian Institute of Sport sees them meet co-tenets Tigers FC.
The Gunners played their part in the full in a remarkable game at this venue in Round 14 as they overcame Olympic in a free-flowing epic, winning by the odd-goal in seven. Whilst it was great viewing for the neutral, the swathes of open space and less than tight defending will have given Marcial Munoz a head scratcher ahead of this fixture.
Does he persist with the free-flowing, goal-laden attack, or does he tighten the ship defensively? It’s a question that used to plague Tigers FC, and yet in 2022 the defending title holders have found goals rather harder to come by than in previous seasons. They have the quality to test Gunners, and with a place in then top four still in their grasp, should make this an entertaining watch.
Monaro Panthers, currently third on the league table, will prepare for the Australian Cup Round of 32 adventure away to Sydney United 58 on Wednesday 3 August, with a home clash against a Belconnen United team that have yet to dispel the lingering threat of relegation that still hovers like a doom-laden cloud over their heads.
A narrow loss to the O’Connor Knights last time out extended the points differential between the clubs to nine, leaving the Blue Devils staring anxiously over their shoulder rather than peering up towards a potential place in the finals mix. Whilst a spot in that four isn’t unachievable, points to stave off a drop into the Capital Premier League are the priority.
For the Panthers, a 1-1 draw with Tigers FC kept them in then hunt for the title, but the seven-point deficit to Canberra Croatia might just be too much for them to overhaul, even with seven matches left in the campaign.
Having a full squad back to select from, bar the suspended Zac McLaren, will be a bonus, but with potentially one eye on the national stage, could the Blue Devils take advantage?
Speaking of clubs desperate for points, West Canberra Wanderers, are staring down the barrel and in need of a run of form to keep their NPL place intact, and the visit of O’Connor Knights, their third trip to Melrose Synthetic in 2022, might be the place where they can begin that run.
Games between the pair have produced goals, and goals aplenty, this season. Seventeen of them in fact, across the trio of games that they have under their belt, and there is little to suggest that this Round 15 match-up will be any different.
The Wanderers rallied well after falling 4-0 behind to Canberra Croatia at Deakin Stadium last weekend, their two late goals from Angus Bailey adding some respectability to the scoreline, although in truth the home side had visibly declared by that stage, sure of the victory and the maximum haul.
The Knights needed a late winner to see off Belconnen United and are all too aware of how tough a nut the Wanderers are to crack. This could go either way and, whichever way the points do fall, will have a major bearing on both ends of the table.
FIXTURES
ROUND 15
Saturday 30 July
West Canberra Wanderers v O’Connor Knights (Melrose Synthetic, 14:15)
Tigers FC v Gungahlin United (AIS Grass, 15:00)
Canberra Olympic v Canberra Croatia (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Monaro Panthers v Belconnen United (Riverside Stadium, 17:45)
TABLE
P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
1 | Canberra Croatia | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | +24 | 33 |
2 | Gungahlin United | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | +15 | 30 |
3 | Monaro Panthers | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | +15 | 26 |
4 | O’Connor Knights | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | -6 | 20 |
6 | Tigers FC | 14 | 2 | 7 | 5 | -6 | 13 |
5 | Canberra Olympic | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | -13 | 13 |
7 | Belconnen United | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | -18 | 11 |
8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | -11 | 7 |