With crucial fixtures awaiting in both grades at a windswept Christie Park tonight and the Top 4 facing off on Saturday, lets consider the run home over the last four weeks in first grade:
KEN (34pts) WPH, RAV, HWK, WRR While their position atop the table seems unassailable on the surface of it, the Bushboys wont be popping the champagne corks just yet. Heres why. Fascinatingly, over the next three weeks they face a stern premiership test in the form of teams 2, 3 and 4 on the table at present, beginning with their first round conquerors West Penno on Saturday. The Lions up-tempo style clearly troubles the more steady Kenthurst approach. Lose again here, and with tough away fixtures against the Ravens and Hawks in the weeks to follow, the competition may just get a sniff!
Saturday Prediction: 2-all
HWK (29pts) RAV, STA, KEN, WPH The Hawks face a stiff challenge to arrest their alarming drop of form in recent weeks. From bossing the competition table for a few weeks there and dreams of a maiden title it is now conceivable that they could freefall and miss the finals altogether! With the toughest run home of any side, including fixtures against all the other Top 4 sides and away to a surging Woodies outfit, the Hawks could be in a spot of bother. On Saturday, they face a motivated Ravens mob still smarting from a last up loss to the Lions. How will the once high flying Hawks respond to such adversity?
Saturday Prediction: RAV 2-1
WPH (25pts) KEN, PEN, GLH, HWK The Lions snagged an important win away at Gladesville in their last-up fixture. Add to that result a first round win over the Bushies and they will be travelling out to KP2 in their P-plate laiden $70K mummies cars choc-full of confidence this Saturday. Looking ahead, they should have enough acumen and motivation to account for Penno in the derby and then Glenhaven the week after, while their final round fixture with the Hawks looms as one to shape the finals make-up. All told they should be safely playing finals football come mid-August but stranger things have happened.
Saturday Prediction: 2-all
RAV (24pts) HWK, KEN, PEN, STA The Ravens form of late has been topsy-turvy. Their results since the midway point of the season have gone LLWWL. In those five matches they have kept just one clean sheet defensively, which was a feature of their form in the first half of the season. They will know they need to get their house in order to hold off Top 4 challenges from finals suitors Epping and Eastwood. With fixtures against the top 2 sides these next two weeks their 4th position looks precarious. Their season could ride on that last match away to the Woodies. Saturdays fixture away to a slumping Hawks shapes as a must-win!
Saturday Prediction: RAV 2-1
EEW (21pts) GLH, NOR, STA, PEN The Tigers have the easiest run home of any team with fixtures against sides all sitting below them on the bottom half of the table at present. Their opponent in the penultimate round, St Andrews, may change this by leapfrogging them with a result tonight. But with the Top 4 sides all likely to drop points facing off against one another in coming weeks the Tigers will believe they can still scrape into the four. They should account for the bottom three sides starting with Glenhaven on Saturday, so their penultimate round derby away to Eastwood is shaping as the season defining game for them.
Saturday Prediction: EEW 3-1
STA (20pts)* WRR, NOR, HWK, EEW, RAV The Woodies form is irresistible at present as they seemingly making an unstoppable march towards finals football. Win tonight (as they should) and they will sit just a point outside the four. Add to that a win on Saturday (as they should) and they will more than likely make their first entry into the Top 4 a remarkable feat given their start to the season! Then its a case of holding on for dear life with tough home fixtures against the Hawks, Tigers and Ravens to round out the season. The only problem with runs like these is the emotional energy expended; every match seems like a final. Theres bound to be a letdown at some point. Will the bubble burst tonight, or on Saturday perhaps?
Wednesday Prediction: STA 2-0
Saturday Prediction: 1-all
WRR (16pts)* STA, PEN, GLH, NOR, KEN With a spot in the Top 4 on offer in a pivotal early game tonight, the Rovers might be forgiven for putting all their eggs in the reserve grade basket with five matches to go. But if theyve given up on first grade then they shouldnt. Heres a hypothetical for you Jag a win against the Woodies in the wind chill tonight, take down the bottom 3 sides in the next 3 matches, sit on 28 points heading into the final round with the wind in your sails and a home game against a Bushboys outfit who may have the premiership sewn up and be resting key players for the finals. Will 31 points make the finals this year? It just may do! Cmon Rovers boys, thats what fairy tales are made of make us believe!
Wednesday Prediction: STA 2-0
Saturday Prediction: PEN 3-2
PEN (14pts) WRR, WPH, RAV, EEW With last up wins over Normo and Glenhaven in their relegation-deciding fixtures the Penno boys should live to fight another day in the PL. And with that, the rest of the competition breathes a sigh of relief as the novel away fixture on synthetic remains a feature to look forward to again in season 2017. But, mathematically, Penno are not out of the woods just yet, and with three tough fixtures against top half of the table sides to round out the year they will be targeting this Saturdays fixture against a Wednesday-wearied Rovers. Can they give themselves the breathing space theyre after?
Saturday Prediction: PEN 3-2
NOR (11pts) STA, EEW, WRR, GLH Combine the goals against tally for both grades and youll discover the Eagles are the second best defensive club in the league behind only Kenthurst. Do the same thing with the goals for tally, however, and remarkably Normo are bottom of the pile. Yep, theyve hit the back of the net as a squad less times than even the abysmal Glenhaven (26 goals vs. 28 goals). And herein lies the problem! Some may suggest, tongue-in-cheek, a 2-hour training session this week consisting only of shooting drills. But they may just need such sessions to avoid a possible final day relegation shootout against Glenhaven. Ill back them in to prick the Eastwood bubble with one more goal this Saturday.
Saturday Prediction: 1-all
GLH (6pts) EEW, WRR, WPH, NOR Going, going not quite yet gone. It looks like a swift return to the SL for Glenhaven and their purportedly potty-mouthed supporters unless they can produce something out of the ordinary. But with Normos goal-scoring deficiencies outlined above all hope is not yet lost for the green and reds. Theyll give themselves half a chance this Saturday against the Tigers, who only accounted for them 2-1 in the first round. The aim of the game over the next 3 weeks is to get to within 2 points of the Eagles by the final week. Do this and itll be a case of win your last game and stay up. Unlikely, yes. Impossible, no!
Mr EUS
wrote on 13-Jul-16 10:01With crucial fixtures awaiting in both grades at a windswept Christie Park tonight and the Top 4 facing off on Saturday, lets consider the run home over the last four weeks in first grade:
KEN (34pts) WPH, RAV, HWK, WRR
While their position atop the table seems unassailable on the surface of it, the Bushboys wont be popping the champagne corks just yet. Heres why. Fascinatingly, over the next three weeks they face a stern premiership test in the form of teams 2, 3 and 4 on the table at present, beginning with their first round conquerors West Penno on Saturday. The Lions up-tempo style clearly troubles the more steady Kenthurst approach. Lose again here, and with tough away fixtures against the Ravens and Hawks in the weeks to follow, the competition may just get a sniff!
Saturday Prediction: 2-all
HWK (29pts) RAV, STA, KEN, WPH
The Hawks face a stiff challenge to arrest their alarming drop of form in recent weeks. From bossing the competition table for a few weeks there and dreams of a maiden title it is now conceivable that they could freefall and miss the finals altogether! With the toughest run home of any side, including fixtures against all the other Top 4 sides and away to a surging Woodies outfit, the Hawks could be in a spot of bother. On Saturday, they face a motivated Ravens mob still smarting from a last up loss to the Lions. How will the once high flying Hawks respond to such adversity?
Saturday Prediction: RAV 2-1
WPH (25pts) KEN, PEN, GLH, HWK
The Lions snagged an important win away at Gladesville in their last-up fixture. Add to that result a first round win over the Bushies and they will be travelling out to KP2 in their P-plate laiden $70K mummies cars choc-full of confidence this Saturday. Looking ahead, they should have enough acumen and motivation to account for Penno in the derby and then Glenhaven the week after, while their final round fixture with the Hawks looms as one to shape the finals make-up. All told they should be safely playing finals football come mid-August but stranger things have happened.
Saturday Prediction: 2-all
RAV (24pts) HWK, KEN, PEN, STA
The Ravens form of late has been topsy-turvy. Their results since the midway point of the season have gone LLWWL. In those five matches they have kept just one clean sheet defensively, which was a feature of their form in the first half of the season. They will know they need to get their house in order to hold off Top 4 challenges from finals suitors Epping and Eastwood. With fixtures against the top 2 sides these next two weeks their 4th position looks precarious. Their season could ride on that last match away to the Woodies. Saturdays fixture away to a slumping Hawks shapes as a must-win!
Saturday Prediction: RAV 2-1
EEW (21pts) GLH, NOR, STA, PEN
The Tigers have the easiest run home of any team with fixtures against sides all sitting below them on the bottom half of the table at present. Their opponent in the penultimate round, St Andrews, may change this by leapfrogging them with a result tonight. But with the Top 4 sides all likely to drop points facing off against one another in coming weeks the Tigers will believe they can still scrape into the four. They should account for the bottom three sides starting with Glenhaven on Saturday, so their penultimate round derby away to Eastwood is shaping as the season defining game for them.
Saturday Prediction: EEW 3-1
STA (20pts)* WRR, NOR, HWK, EEW, RAV
The Woodies form is irresistible at present as they seemingly making an unstoppable march towards finals football. Win tonight (as they should) and they will sit just a point outside the four. Add to that a win on Saturday (as they should) and they will more than likely make their first entry into the Top 4 a remarkable feat given their start to the season! Then its a case of holding on for dear life with tough home fixtures against the Hawks, Tigers and Ravens to round out the season. The only problem with runs like these is the emotional energy expended; every match seems like a final. Theres bound to be a letdown at some point. Will the bubble burst tonight, or on Saturday perhaps?
Wednesday Prediction: STA 2-0
Saturday Prediction: 1-all
WRR (16pts)* STA, PEN, GLH, NOR, KEN
With a spot in the Top 4 on offer in a pivotal early game tonight, the Rovers might be forgiven for putting all their eggs in the reserve grade basket with five matches to go. But if theyve given up on first grade then they shouldnt. Heres a hypothetical for you Jag a win against the Woodies in the wind chill tonight, take down the bottom 3 sides in the next 3 matches, sit on 28 points heading into the final round with the wind in your sails and a home game against a Bushboys outfit who may have the premiership sewn up and be resting key players for the finals. Will 31 points make the finals this year? It just may do! Cmon Rovers boys, thats what fairy tales are made of make us believe!
Wednesday Prediction: STA 2-0
Saturday Prediction: PEN 3-2
PEN (14pts) WRR, WPH, RAV, EEW
With last up wins over Normo and Glenhaven in their relegation-deciding fixtures the Penno boys should live to fight another day in the PL. And with that, the rest of the competition breathes a sigh of relief as the novel away fixture on synthetic remains a feature to look forward to again in season 2017. But, mathematically, Penno are not out of the woods just yet, and with three tough fixtures against top half of the table sides to round out the year they will be targeting this Saturdays fixture against a Wednesday-wearied Rovers. Can they give themselves the breathing space theyre after?
Saturday Prediction: PEN 3-2
NOR (11pts) STA, EEW, WRR, GLH
Combine the goals against tally for both grades and youll discover the Eagles are the second best defensive club in the league behind only Kenthurst. Do the same thing with the goals for tally, however, and remarkably Normo are bottom of the pile. Yep, theyve hit the back of the net as a squad less times than even the abysmal Glenhaven (26 goals vs. 28 goals). And herein lies the problem! Some may suggest, tongue-in-cheek, a 2-hour training session this week consisting only of shooting drills. But they may just need such sessions to avoid a possible final day relegation shootout against Glenhaven. Ill back them in to prick the Eastwood bubble with one more goal this Saturday.
Saturday Prediction: 1-all
GLH (6pts) EEW, WRR, WPH, NOR
Going, going not quite yet gone. It looks like a swift return to the SL for Glenhaven and their purportedly potty-mouthed supporters unless they can produce something out of the ordinary. But with Normos goal-scoring deficiencies outlined above all hope is not yet lost for the green and reds. Theyll give themselves half a chance this Saturday against the Tigers, who only accounted for them 2-1 in the first round. The aim of the game over the next 3 weeks is to get to within 2 points of the Eagles by the final week. Do this and itll be a case of win your last game and stay up. Unlikely, yes. Impossible, no!
Saturday Prediction: EEW 3-1
Good luck for the run home, gents!