Local club round up

Less than a fortnight out from the start of the Westfield FFA Cup, just how are the 22 local clubs performing in their league competitions?

As history has shown, good or bad league form does not necessarily correlate to what happens in the knockout format of the Cup. Nonetheless, as each of the local clubs continue the lead up to their Round of 32 encounters, we take a look at how each of them are faring at league level.

Capital Football

Tuggeranong United @tufc_tuggies

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 5 August v South Hobart at KGV Park, Glenorchy (Tasmania)

Latest result: Lost 3-1 at home against Canberra FC on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Tuggeranong found themselves down 3-0 at half time and it proved a hurdle too high to come back from. Despite improving immeasurably after the break and pulling a goal back through a Daniel Colbertaldo volley, they could not salvage a point.

Ladder position: Tuggies currently sit in 5th place on the ladder with 15 points from ten games, ten points adrift of league leaders Belconnen United.

 

Football NSW

Blacktown City @BlacktownCityFC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 12 August v Bentleigh Greens at Lilys Football Centre, Seven Hills (NSW)

Latest result: Won 1-0 at home against Sutherland Sharks on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: Blacktown City took a monumental step towards the IGA NPL NSW Men’s 1 Premiership with a 1-0 victory over Sutherland Sharks at Lily's Football Centre. In a cagey encounter against a well-structured Sutherland outfit, the deciding moment came with 20 minutes remaining when Marco Travaglini scored from a corner.

Ladder position: The win over the Sharks, their 12th of the season, saw Blacktown City leapfrog neighbours Blacktown Spartans and go top of the ladder.

 

Hakoah Sydney City @hakoahfc

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 19 August v Palm Beach Sharks at Hensley Athletic Field, Pagewood (NSW)

Latest result: Won 4-1 at home against Hawkesbury City on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: Hakoah kept up their hot streak with a hard fought victory over Hawkesbury City. Goals to Justin Kosmina and Mark McAlpine put the home side in control at half time before Hawkesbury got themselves back into the match on the hour mark. But late goals to Kevin Lopes and Lloyd Owusu saw Hakoah convincingly seal the three points.

Ladder position: After 16 rounds of the Men’s State League 1 Division, Hakoah have amassed 14 wins to be eight points clear at the top with a goal difference of plus 40.

 

Manly United @ManlyUnited

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v Sydney Olympic at Cromer Park, Cromer (NSW)

Latest result: Won 3-0 at home against Blacktown Spartans on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: Manly recorded an impressive and comprehensive 3-0 victory over leading NPL club Blacktown Spartans. Scott Balderson opened the scoring inside three minutes from the penalty spot before late goals from Chris Payne and Brendan Cholakian ensured the result.

Ladder position: The result was a valuable and much needed one for Manly who move equal with Sydney United 58 FC on 15 points in 11th spot.

 

Parramatta FC @ParramattaFC1

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 5 August v St Albans Saints at Melita Stadium, Sefton (NSW)

Latest result: Won 1-0 away from home against Macarthur Rams on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Parramatta claimed a 1-0 win over fellow top three side Macarthur to extend their buffer at the top. It was anyone's game with scores locked at 0-0 at half-time before Daniel Rezo's strike, his ninth of 2014, handed the Eagles a hard fought away win to put them one step closer to finishing the regular season in first position.

Ladder position: Ten wins and 34 points, seven clear of their nearest rivals after 16 games, Parramatta FC sit atop of the IGA NPL NSW Men’s 2 ladder.

 

South Coast Wolves FC @scwolves

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Wednesday 20 August v Central Coast Mariners at WIN Stadium, Wollongong

Latest result: Won 1-0 at home against Sydney United 58 FC on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: After suffering a 5-0 defeat to Sydney United 58 FC earlier in the season, the South Coast Wolves evened up the season’s ledger, disposing of the visitors courtesy of a 50th minute Joseph Lavalle header. In a dour struggle that failed to reach any great heights, the Wolves did enough to take the three points on offer, with only the woodwork preventing them from adding another.

Ladder position: The win was the Wolves’ fifth of the season and sees them occupying 8th spot on the ladder with 20 points after 17 rounds.

 

Sydney Olympic @sydneyolympic

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 5 august v Manly United at Cromer Park, Cromer (NSW)

Latest result: Won 6-1 at home against APIA Leichhardt on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: Go Shirai was the chief destroyer for the Blues as he scored a hat-trick, while Evan Kostopoulos finished with a brace and Harris Gaitatzis scored the other in the six goal rout against an APIA team who have now conceded ten goals in their last 120 minutes of football.

Ladder position: Sydney Olympic jumped up to 5th spot and within touching distance of the top four, equal on 26 points with Sutherland Sharks but ahead on goal difference.

 

Sydney United 58 FC @SydUtd58FC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture:

Latest result: Lost 1-0 away against South Coast Wolves on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: Sydney United 58 FC started well enough, piling on the pressure in the early stages but the Wolves handled the onslaught. With a sprinkling of talent at their disposal with the likes of Luka Glavas, Alec Urosevski and Robbie Mileski, the Reds were not without their chances but it was the Wolves who would bag the game’s only goal.

Ladder position: Sydney United 58 FC missed the chance to close the gap to the Wolves two spots above them, as they sit in 10th position with four wins for the season ahead of Manly United on goal difference.

 

Northern NSW Football

Broadmeadow Magic @BMagicFC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v Brisbane Strikers at Wanderers Park, Broadmeadow (NSW)

Latest result: Drew 1-1 away from home with South Cardiff on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: Northern NSW Football’s two Westfield FFA Cup entrants met in the final match of Round 14 just three days before they will face off again in the State Cup Final.

Magic opened the scoring in the 27th minute thanks to Chris Berlin after an assist from Matt Hoole. But the lead lasted barely five minutes as the Gunners were back on level terms, Daniel Johnson slotting home from the penalty spot. Dean Kelley had the best chance for a late winner for the home side but could not capitalise as the points were shared. Both sides face must win matches in Round 15 if they are a chance of salvaging a finals spot.

Ladder position: Currently sit in 7th spot with five wins, although there are only six points separating 3rd from 8th after 14 rounds.

 

South Cardiff

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v South Springvale at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, Cheltenham (Vic)

Latest result: Drew 1-1 at home with South Cardiff on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: See match summary above.

Ladder position: South Cardiff find themselves in 8th spot, three points behind their fellow entrants from Northern NSW in the Westfield FFA Cup.

 

Football Federation Queensland

Olympic FC @Olympic_FC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v Melbourne Knights at Goodwin Park, Yeronga (Qld)

Latest result: Won 4-3 at home against FNQ Heat on Thursday 10 July

Match summary: Olympic faced a red hot FNQ Heat in a rescheduled Round 12 fixture, the match producing seven goals in an enthralling contest. Trailing 3-1 at the break against a FNQ Heat side that was unbeaten in ten NPL matches, three second half goals from Kazuya Ito, Terry Hughes and Reuben Way secured a come from behind 4-3 win.

Ladder position: Olympic FC currently sit 3rd in a log jam that sees five teams from 2nd to 7th all on nine wins and separated by just two points.

 

Brisbane Strikers @BneStrikers

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v Broadmeadow Magic at Wanderers Park, Broadmeadow (NSW)

Latest result: Lost 2-1 away from home against Brisbane City on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Brisbane Strikers could not halt their local rivals’ recent charge despite Keenan Duimpies’ penalty giving them a first half lead. In the end, Strikers would succumb to a pair of stunning strikes from Luca Perico and Koh Satake, while they could not make the most of an added player advantage after Perico was sent off with 15 minutes remaining.

Ladder position: Strikers sit in 6th as one of four teams on 29 points, although they have played a game extra.

 

Palm Beach Sharks @PalmBeachSC1

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture:

Latest result: Won 7-0 away from home against SWQ Thunder on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Palm Beach Sharks returned to winning ways on Saturday night with a resounding 7-0 win over the winless South West Queensland Thunder at Clive Berghofer Stadium in Toowoomba. Jarrod Kyle, Chris Lucas and Kristian Rees all netted doubles for the visitors, with Troy Ruthven adding to the tally as the league-leaders bounced back from their first loss of the campaign last weekend.

Ladder position: Despite the hiccup against Brisbane City in their previous outing, it’s a case of catch us if you can for the Sharks who are clear out on top with a nine point gap back to their closest challenger, whom they have two games in hand over.

 

FNQ Heat @FNQHeat

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture:

Latest result: Lost 4-0 away from home against Redlands United on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: FNQ missed a great chance to consolidate a spot in the top four as they went down 4-0 to fellow finals aspirants Redlands United at Cleveland Showgrounds. Elliot Ronto scored a first half double for the hosts in a dominant display for the bayside club.

Ladder position: Consecutive losses has FNQ Heat in among the scrap from 2nd to 8th, currently sitting in 5th spot although they do have a game in hand on Redlands directly above them.

 

Football Federation South Australia

Adelaide City @AdelaideCityFC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 12 August v Western Sydney Wanderers (venue TBC)

Latest result: Lost 2-0 at home against MetroStars on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Adelaide City could not prevent league leaders MetroStars from recording a tenth successive victory in Round 21 of the SA Premier League at Adelaide City Park. Anthony Solagna opened the scoring just prior to the hour mark before Perry Mitris converted a late penalty that saw Matthew Mullen sent off.

Ladder position: The loss to MetroStars leaves Adelaide City in 6th spot with a six point gap up to 5th after 21 rounds.

 

Football Federation Tasmania

South Hobart @SouthHobartFC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 5 August v Tuggeranong United at KGV Park, Glenorchy

Latest result: Won 8-0 away from home against Launceston City on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: South Hobart continued their explosive run, rocketing eight past bottom placed Launceston City. The hosts held out for 24 minutes before Andy Brennan netted the first, finishing off from a Brayden Mann header. Mann then slotted the visitors’ second on the half hour mark before Hugh Undy made it 3-0 at the break. A second half spree saw South Hobart mark new Scottish signing Scott Lamont’s first game in style, smashing home five more to make it a landslide victory.

Ladder position: 12 wins and two losses from 14 games has South Hobart six points clear of the Victory League ladder.

 

Football Federation Victoria

Bentleigh Greens @BentleighGreens

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 12 August v Blacktown City at Lilys Football Centre, Seven Hills (NSW)

Latest result: Won 4-0 at home against Werribee City on Friday 11 July

Match summary: Bentleigh Greens returned to the winners’ circle with a comprehensive 4-0 win over a ten-man Werribee City. Wayne Wallace inspired the rout with a commanding midfield performance, supported by a David Stirton hat-trick including two penalties. After Brent McGrath’s impressive form saw the ten-goal man depart for a lucrative offer in Thailand, the Greens had retained the services of flying winger Ryan De Vries. Looking to bounce back from a 0-0 draw against Pascoe Vale, the Greens were gifted the upper hand when Daniel Petrov saw red for impeding Liam McCormick’s progress as the midfielder broke through on goal.

Ladder position: Five points clear of the chasing pack in 4th spot but ten points away from 2nd, Bentleigh have notched up nine wins from 16 games so far this season.

 

Melbourne Knights @MelbKnights

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v Olympic FC at Goodwin Park, Yeronga (Qld)

Latest result: Won 4-1 away from home against Dandenong Thunder on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Melbourne Knights defeated a struggling Dandenong Thunder 4-1 in wintery conditions at George Andrews Reserve. The clash pitted the ninth-placed Dandenong Thunder against the 10th-placed Knights, but those rankings counted for little as the in-form Knights played like a top-four side on its way to capping off a brilliant month of football. An early onslaught from Stipo Andrijasevic, Daniel Visevic and Ivan Grgic saw the Knights earn itself a three-goal cushion in the first half-hour before slotting home a fourth to replicate their four-goal haul last round.

Ladder position: One of three teams on 22 points, the Knights are in 7th spot due to a positive goal difference.

 

South Springvale

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 29 July v South Cardiff at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, Cheltenham (Vic)

Latest result: Won 3-0 away from home against Doncaster Rovers on Friday 11 July

Match summary: Ali Hameed’s sixth goal of the season plus goals from Thomas Brooks and Konstantinos Daskalakis saw South Springvale overcome struggling Doncaster Rovers at Anderson Park. Two goals before the break and another after the interval consolidated their spot in the top four.

Ladder position: Sit equal on points with Noble Park United but enjoy a superior goal difference to have them currently sitting in 3rd spot in the State League 1 South-East, eight points behind league leaders Eastern Lions.

 

St Albans @albans_st

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 5 August v Parramatta FC at Melita Stadium, Sefton (NSW)

Latest result: Drew 1-1 at home against Kingston City on Sunday 13 July

Match summary: St Albans Saints and Kingston City split the points in an eventful 1-1 draw at Churchill Reserve. City opened the scoring in the 22nd minute but eight minutes later St Albans were back on level terms courtesy of an own goal by Kingston defender George Stavridis. Sean McIlroy almost became the hero for St Albans in stoppage time but his curling, goal-bound effort was magnificently saved by Kingston keeper Sermin Sadikovski.

Ladder position: The Saints currently occupy 6th place with 24 points from 16 games, finding themselves in a mid-table log jam with a host of other teams.

 

Football West

Bayswater City @BayswaterCitySC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Wednesday 20 July v Melbourne Victory

Latest result: Won 1-0 at home against Stirling Lions on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: Bayswater City retained their five-point lead at the top and left Stirling Lions’ top four hopes hanging in the balance after a hard fought 1-0 win over their Westfield FFA counterparts at Frank Drago Reserve in a precursor to next weekend’s Cool Ridge Cup Final. For Bayswater, the loss of skipper Trent Kay meant Steve Burton took over the captains arm band and it was his goal after only 56 seconds that separated the sides, but the result was hard on Stirling, who dominated the second half without converting their opportunities. Bayswater were indebted to Jamie Coyne for clearing off the line in stoppage time to deny the Lions a share of the spoils.

Ladder position: After 17 rounds, Bayswater sit five points clear on top of the ladder, having lost just twice this season.

 

Stirling Lions @StirlingLionsSC

Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture: Tuesday 19 August v Brisbane Roar

Latest result: Lost 1-0 away from home against Stirling Lions on Saturday 12 July

Match summary: See match summary above.

Ladder position: The Lions currently sit in 5th spot, five points outside the top four.