RAA NPLSA & State League Preview | Round 15

Match of the Round
Adelaide Comets vs Adelaide City
3:00 pm | Saturday 18 June | State Centre for Football
Last Meeting:
(12/3/22) Round Four | Adelaide City 1 v Adelaide Comets 1

Adelaide Comets
Facebook: Adelaide Comets FC

It's the 2021 RAA NPLSA Grand Final rematch. It’s first vs second. Adelaide City is set to face Adelaide Comets at the State Centre for Football this afternoon.

Adelaide Comets has continuously put pressure on league leaders Adelaide City throughout the season as they have attempted to close the four-point gap, however, Adelaide Comets' perfect couple of weeks has been matched by the current league leaders, with both clubs winning each of their last four matches. During Adelaide Comets' run they have recorded big wins over Croydon FC, WT Birkalla, Cumberland United and most recently Sturt Lions. Their Round 14 win over Sturt Lions saw them secure a 4-1 result as Thomas Giannakopoulos and Scott Nagel both grabbed goals, while Thomas Briscoe continued his great run of form as he scored twice, acquiring his third and fourth in the last three matches.

Adelaide Comets continues to impress going forward this season which has seen them score 31 goals in 14 appearances, currently only nine goals off their tally from the entirety of their premiership-winning season last year. The team has also improved in the defensive department this season, which has seen only them concede 13 goals in 14 games while holding the second-best tally in the competition, which is an upgrade from their 18 conceded at this point last season.

Over the last couple of seasons, Adelaide Comets have held a strong record against Adelaide City, only losing twice and drawing three times out of their last fourteen competitive matches which pans back to 2017. However, have failed to capitalise on this over the last year which has seen Adelaide City secure two wins and a draw in their last three meetings, including a penalties win in last year’s Grand Final. This is a must-win encounter for Adelaide Comets, as a loss against Adelaide City will see their opponents hold a seven-point gap at the top of the RAA NPLSA ladder, setting them up perfectly for Premiership success in the final seven games of the season.

When both teams met in Round Four action, they played out an evenly contested 1-1 draw which saw Kur Kur score early in the sixth minute to secure his fourth goal of the season at that point, while early highflyer Augustus Williams secured his third goal in four matches with minutes remaining in the first half.

Since that fixture, Adelaide City has only dropped points on only two further occasions, both ending in draws. Adelaide City has been unstoppable to start the season, remaining undefeated in their opening 14 games, which has seen them secure ten wins and only four draws as they now sit four points clear at the top of the RAA NPLSA ladder. Last week’s matchup against Cumberland United saw the league leaders experience an early scare as their opponents went into the break with a 1-0 lead while being down to ten men. However, the quality of Adelaide City’s squad prevailed which saw them score three in the second half, including a Kur Kur double and Thomas Brown’s fourth goal of the season.

Kur Kur has been a shining light for Adelaide City in season 2022, with the young winger already proving vital on numerous occasions this season. After the attackers double on the weekend, Kur Kur now sits as the league's top goal scorer as of Round 14 with eleven goals already scored. Kur has not been alone in the scoring department, with Aladin Irabona securing numerous victories for Adelaide City with his seven goals thus far this season.

Adelaide City is eager to continue their unbeaten run this season as they search to further distance themselves at the summit of the RAA NPLSA ladder as they look to beat their closest adversary this weekend. A win over Adelaide Comets and a seven-point gap between the two teams could set Adelaide City up perfectly for a strong end to the season as they search for their first Premiership win since the 2016 season.

Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan, 3. Ross Hatzi, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Boris Glushkov, 7. Dylan Smith, 8. Ryan Yates, 9. Ryan Cook, 10. Anthony Mavrolambados, 11. Thomas Briscoe, 12. Lukas Ikonomopoulos, 14. Nathan Andijanto, 16. Stelios Zacharakis, 18. Thomas Giannakopoulos, 19. Jaiden Diamantis, 21. Nikolas Ikonomopoulos, 22. Allan Welsh (C), 23. Scott Nagel, 24. Lachlan Stead, 31. Daniel Vaughan (GK), 77. Augustus Williams
Coaches: Barney Smith, John Falidis, Peter Eleftherakis
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Andrew Furner, Emma Gericke, Andreas Wiens, Ilias Tsakiris

Adelaide City line-up: 4. Matthew Halliday (C), 5. Zakariah Waters, 6. Bradley Corbo, 7. Daniel Bressan, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 11. Kur Kur, 17. Thomas Brown, 19. Vianne Kurikwimana, 20. Charlie Devereux, 22. JUAN GUTIERREZ, 25. Mohammad Mekawir, 33. Dakota Ochsenham (GK), 99. Ayom Ayom Majok
Coaches: Paul Pezos, George Tsonis, Lewis Vallelonga
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio, Nik Hagicostas, Luis Fernandez Astudillo

 

WT Birkalla vs Adelaide Olympic
3:00 pm | Saturday 18 June | Jack Smith Park
Last Meeting:
(12/3/22) Round Four | Adelaide Olympic 2 v WT Birkalla 2

WT Birkalla
Facebook: West Torrens Birkalla SC

From a top-two clash to a matchup that could shape the bottom two race in the RAA NPLSA, as current eleventh-placed Adelaide Olympic travels to Jack Smith Park to take on tenth-placed WT Birkalla.

WT Birkalla secured only their third win of the season last week as they recorded a tremendous 5-2 win over South Adelaide which marked their highest-scoring performance of the season, demonstrating their resurgence in attack over the last month. Stefan Simic was the star of the match as the attacker scored his first hattrick of the season which has taken his tally to four goals this season, while Austin Ayoubi and Nathan Munro both secured their second goals for the season to assist in the win. This win marked the first time since Round Eight that WT Birkalla has removed themselves from the bottom two. A win for WT Birkalla over Adelaide Olympic will see the side go four points clear from the current bottom two, with a loss for Cumberland United meaning that the side will be five points clear from the bottom spot. However, a loss for WT Birkalla could potentially be detrimental with Adelaide Olympic holding a game in hand, while currently only being one point behind.

Both teams shared points earlier in the season when they met in Round Four as they played out a 2-2 draw. WT Birkalla will be searching for revenge over Adelaide Olympic in Round 15 as their opposition produced an incredible comeback to rescue a point and deny them the opportunity of securing their second win of the season. Yasmin Sudic and Stefan Simic both opened the scoring which saw WT Birkalla hold a 2-0 lead in the 55th minute with the lead continuing until the 85th minute as Adelaide Olympic midfield Kristin Konstandopoulos scored to make the game 2-1. After Paul Wilson was shown a red card two minutes later, any hope of a late Adelaide Olympic comeback looked extremely unlikely, however, a 94th-minute Christos Pounendis volley silenced the doubters earning his side a valuable point.

After a week off Adelaide Olympic is now set to return to action as they search to remove themselves from the bottom two. Adelaide Olympic are currently in poor form, with the team having only recorded four points in their last seven games, securing only one win, one draw and five losses. During this time, Adelaide Olympic have struggled to score goals, which saw them score only four goals, which is a massive drop off compared to their 16 goals in their opening six matches. In their last fixture, they produced their first point after three games as they drew 1-1 with FK Beograd. Michael Cittadini opened the scoring in the second minute as he gave his team great hope of securing only their fourth win of the season, however a goal for FK Beograd before half-time denied them the three points meaning they had to settle for a single point. A win for Adelaide Olympic will see them go two points on top of WT Birkalla in tenth with a game in hand, however, a loss will see them sit four points away from removing themselves from the bottom two.

WT Birkalla line-up: 4. Christopher Ashwood (C), 5. Lucas Tsaconas, 7. Stefan Simic, 8. Jake Monaco, 9. Calvin Mbarga, 10. Austin Ayoubi, 13. Ethan Stevenson, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. David Makridis, 19. Nathan Munro, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 21. Nicholas Harpas, 24. Noah Benouzekri, 80. Zac Becker, 91. Yasmin Sudic
Coaches: Jason Trimboli, George Katsaneris, Carmine Lauriello
Team Staff: Carol Goddard, Roger Williamson

Adelaide Olympic line-up: 1. Lewis Moss, 3. Paul Wilson, 5. Adam Leombruno, 7. Jason Konstandopoulos, 8. Damian Ljujic, 9. Christos Pounendis, 10. Dylan D'Agostino, 11. Tito Bontor, 12. Jacob Jones, 13. Rastko Ljujic, 15. Michael Cittadini, 20. Clifford Maina, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, George Konstandopoulos, Bill Nastou, Pal Prengaj
Team Staff: Robert Muscio, Marcus Gentile, Sumin Kim

 

FK Beograd vs Croydon FC
3:00 pm | Saturday 18 June | Frank Mitchell Park
Last Meeting:
(12/3/22) Round Four, Croydon FC 1 v FK Beograd 2

Croydon FC
Facebook: Croydon FC

Two clubs who are desperate for a win face off this afternoon as FK Beograd host Croydon FC at Frank Mitchell Park.

FK Beograd will be devasted with their current form which has seen them win only one out of their last seven games, with their last win coming against WT Birkalla in Round 10 in the form of a last-minute double to steal a win. This form has seen the side constantly enter and exit the top six, with the team now sitting in eighth, two points off the top six, however, are only five points off the bottom two. Although this drop in form, FK Beograd went on a run of four games without a defeat with the team losing their first game since Round Nine as Campbelltown City beat them 2-1. Joshua Mori’s first-half finish gave FK Beograd the lead in the 29th minute over Campbelltown City, with the team leading the game into half-time. However, a slow start in the second half for FK Beograd saw Campbelltown City capitalise and score twice in the opening four minutes to secure the win. A win for FK Beograd against Croydon FC this weekend will see them overtake their opponents who currently sit in fifth, and almost guarantee a return to the top six.

Both teams played out a closely contested encounter earlier in the season when they met in Round Four, which saw FK Beograd record a 2-1 win which was the team’s first win of the season and Croydon FC’s first defeat of the season. It took until the 70th minute to see the first goal of the game as FK Beograd captain Jordan Pudler scored from the penalty spot before Paul Radice capitalise to make the score 2-0 only five minutes later. Croydon FC’s young attacker Sebastian Goode finished off a well-worked run to score his first goal of the season, however, it was not enough to spark any comeback on the day.

Croydon FC has been in similar form in recent times, with the squad winning only one of their last seven games, during this period the team has faced five defeats and recorded only one draw. However, Croydon FC hasn’t exited the top six once this season which has seen them vary between various positions amongst the six, now seeing them sit in fifth. In what was an incredible night last Friday in this year’s Indigenous Round, was a game to forget for Croydon FC as they faced their sixth defeat of the season as they lost 4-0 to MetroStars. That loss marked their biggest defeat of the season while being only the second time this season that they have conceded more than three goals. Croydon FC has struggled in front of goals over this poor run of form, which has seen them remain goalless in four out of their last six games while scoring more than once on only one of those two occasions that they scored in. Although the eight-point gap between themselves and fourth-placed Campbelltown City, a win is vital for Croydon FC in Round 15 as there are currently only three points now separating themselves and ninth-placed, meaning a loss could see them potentially drop out of the top six.

FK Beograd line-up: 6. Paul Radice, 7. Yusuf Ahmed, 9. Joshua Mori, 10. Thomas Love, 11. Evan Kounavelis, 12. Antonios Natsiopoulos, 13. Deale Chamberlain (GK), 15. Massimo Falco, 16. Ninko Beric, 17. Chahine Noujaim, 18. Stanisa Velinov, 19. Filimon Asefa, 20. Jordan Pudler, 22. Akok Arok, 23. Cooper Nunn
Coaches: Damian Mori, Joshua Smith, Scott Parr
Team Staff: Constantinos Tsaconas, Sachin Prakash Kumar

Croydon FC line-up: Inthavanh Thongsisavat, 1. Gianni Tramontin, 2. John Panagaris, 4. Lawand Hasan, 5. Luke Klimek (C), 7. Sebastian Goode, 8. Adam Martinello, 9. Dion Kirk, 10. Antoni Trimboli, 11. Luis Benedetti, 14. Peter Mercurio, 15. Froribert Niyonkuru, 16. Kristos Stefanopoulos, 17. Giuseppe Macheda, 18. Jarrod Brazzale, 19. Benson Nsegetse, 20. Jared Clark, 21. John Hall (GK), 23. Patrick Caraccia
Coaches: Travis Dodd, Latham Byfield, Adam Vizzari
Team Staff: Giuseppe Catalano, Joshua Avery

 

Sturt Lions vs South Adelaide
3:00 pm | Saturday 18 June | Karinya Reserve
Last Meeting:
(12/3/22) Round Four, South Adelaide 2 v Sturt Lions 3

Sturt Lions look to cement their place amongst the top six as they face a currently struggling South Adelaide side at Karinya Reserve.

After spending three weeks without a defeat, Sturt Lions faced their first loss at Karinya Reserve as Adelaide Comets beat them 4-1. After conceding an early goal from Adelaide Comets last week, Sturt Lions attacker Tyreece Conway helped restore the margin as his goal in the 29th minute momentarily brought the score level, however, a quick reply by Adelaide Comets restored their lead just before the half-time break. A strong second-half performance from their opponents which saw them score two further goals was too much for Sturt Lions on the day as they were unable to spark any further comeback. Although regaining some form in recent weeks that has seen the team re-enter the top six, their defensive worries have arisen again as their 4-1 loss last week marked their sixth match this season that the team had conceded more than three goals, with the side now having conceded the fourth-most in the competition. A win will see Sturt Lions remain in the top six for the next upcoming round, however, a loss could be costly as their opponents South Adelaide are currently only three points behind in ninth place.

Sturt Lions provided South Adelaide with their first defeat of the season as a Tyreece Conway masterclass sunk the then league leaders and mark their second win of the season. South Adelaide took an early lead with a Jonathan Rideout finish just before half-time, with Sturt Lions Jacob Atkinson scoring from a free kick on the other side of half-time, however, the score didn't remain level for long as Alex Rideout scored directly from a corner to give his side the lead. Conway was then instrumental in the team victory as the pacey attacker secured two goals in the 69th and 75th minute to win the game 3-2.

South Adelaide would like to quickly forget their last two fixtures which have seen them record back-to-back losses to Adelaide United FC and most recently to then bottom side WT Birkalla. In the last two matches, South Adelaide faced big defeats, with the side conceding 13 goals during this period while only scoring two goals. After facing an 8-0 defeat the week before, South Adelaide had looked to overcome this and move forward as Donovan Pollock gave them an earlier 1-0 lead in the 12th minute, however, five unanswered goals later saw WT Birkalla take a 5-1 lead before Jonathan Rideout secured his ninth goal of the season in the 90th minute to finish the game 5-2. The team has now only won once in their last eleven games with the team's last win coming in Round Eleven against MetroStars. However, this bad run of form has seen the side drop to ninth on the ladder, with only four points separating themselves and the bottom two, though the team remain only three points off the top six, demonstrating how opponent this fixture is for South Adelaide.

Sturt Lions line-up: 1. James Klappers (GK), 2. Michael Marrone, 3. Daniel Guastella, 4. Jacob Atkinson, 5. Lachlan Duffy, 6. Jack Dawson, 7. Ben Woollard, 8. Caden Yates, 9. Gonzalo Rodriguez, 10. Alexander Sortini, 11. Samed Altundag, 12. Tyreece Conway, 13. William Plush, 14. Zack Gomez, 15. Akira Kobaishi, 16. Samuel Voigt, 17. Jonathan Fusco (C), 18. Toby Nelson, 19. Luke Fusco, 20. Mitchell Keens, 21. Jed Gauci, 22. Jack Locke, 23. Isaac Jordaan
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Logan Stevens, Matthew Flounders

South Adelaide line-up: 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 2. Michael Goode, 6. Liam Wooding, 7. Melad Ahmad, 8. Brett Rayner, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 14. Donovan Pollock, 15. Jackson Stephens, 16. Declan Finney, 18. Jack Rudge, 24. Daniel Evans, 26. Divan Verdoorn, 40. Taine Muscroft, 41. Thomas Sills
Coaches: Anthony Rideout, Daniel Milovanovic, Ronnie Sills, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Christopher Reed, Jacqueline Wingate

 

MetroStars vs Cumberland United
3:00 pm | Saturday 18 June | TK Shutter Reserve
Last Meeting:
(12/3/22) Round Four, Cumberland United 0 v MetroStars 2

MetroStars
Facebook: MetroStars

MetroStars look to continue their spectacular run of form as they face Cumberland United at TK Shutter Reserve as their opponents search to remove themselves from the bottom of the table.

MetroStars are currently experiencing one of the best runs in the league with the team winning six of their last seven as they now sit in third only six points away from first. After facing a defeat in Round 11 to South Adelaide, MetroStars have bounced back in perfect fashion with the team recording wins against Adelaide Olympic and top-six rivals Campbelltown City and most recently Croydon FC in which they did not concede a single goal while securing ten goals of their own. MetroStars secured their biggest win of the season as they beat Croydon FC 4-0 in the Indigenous Round last Friday night. In this match, Christian Esposito secured his second and third goals of the season as his long-range freekick in the 20th minute passed all other players to hit the back of the net, then securing his second just before half-time. Young attacker Ariath Piol then showed why he’s one to watch in the league as he secured a quick double in the 56th and 60th to score his fifth and sixth goals of the season to confirm the victory. With Adelaide City and Adelaide Comets set to face each other, a win for MetroStars could prove massive in the season, as we could see the team jump into second or close the six-point gap with league leaders by the end of the round.

MetroStars secured a 2-0 win over Cumberland United when they met in Round Four this season as Jackson Walls continued his great start to the season as his 20th-minute goal marked his third goal in his first four games, while Hamish Gow secured the victory from the penalty spot in the 90th minute.

After getting their season back on track with three wins in four games, Cumberland United couldn’t make that run last, with the team now having lost their last four games against four of the current top five. Now set to face the last member of the current top five, Cumberland United will be eager to secure their first three points since Round 10 as they look to remove themselves from the bottom two. In their last fixture, Cumberland United showed great confidence and ability to take a 1-0 lead through Harry Thannhauser against the league leaders Adelaide City just before half-time with the team already down to 10 men and having already saved a penalty. However, the class of Adelaide City proved too much for the squad in the second half, as their opponents scored three times. Their loss to Adelaide City took them to the bottom of the RAA NPLSA ladder for the first time since Round Eight. A win will be vital in their attempts to remove themselves from the bottom two, with only two points separating them and WT Birkalla in tenth. The team will be without the experienced Stavros Bakopanos in their clash with MetroStars in Round 15 after he received a red card last week against Adelaide City.

MetroStars line-up: 1. Isaac Carmody, 4. Justin Davis, 5. Timothy Henderson, 6. Paul Blefari, 7. Hamish Gow, 8. Rocky Callisto, 10. Anthony Solagna (C), 11. Ariath Piol, 12. Alessio Melisi, 14. Philip Cash, 16. Francesco Schimizzi, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 19. Cooper O'donnell, 20. Luke Ostbye (GK), 21. Cameron Woodfin, 22. Jackson Walls, 23. Christian Esposito, 26. Ren Nagamatsu, 27. Jackson Fortunatow
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Giorgio Capoccia, Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris

Cumberland United line-up: Charlie Ince, 4. Tom Dittmar, 7. Rocco Visconte, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. Yuya Taguchi, 16. Brayden Micallef, 22. Minsung Park, 24. Amir Ibrahim, 27. Harry Thomas, 29. Sam Styles, 35. Thomas Visser, 40. Peter Tsitsinaris

 

Adelaide United FC vs Campbelltown City
2:30 pm | Sunday 19 June | State Centre for Football
Last Meeting:
(12/3/22) Round Four, Campbelltown City 5 v Adelaide United FC 2

Campbelltown City Soccer & Social Club
Facebook: Campbelltown City Soccer & Social Club

The standalone Sunday afternoon match will see a returning Adelaide United FC take on Campbelltown City at the State Centre for Football.

After a week off, Adelaide United FC is now back in action as they look to enter the top six for the first time this season after spending the first fourteen rounds without entering it once. Before their break, Adelaide United FC was experiencing an impressive run of form which saw them win three and draw one of their last five games, including one of the performances of the season as they beat South Adelaide 8-0 in their last fixture. Adelaide United FC took the lead against South Adelaide in the seventh minute through their inform striker Asad Kasumovic, which was topped off by a goal by Nestor Irankunda just before the half-time break, giving them a 2-0 lead. Panashe Madanha was the star of the second half as he secured a hattrick within ten minutes to increase the margin, while Kasumovic add his second with Giuseppe Bovalina and Musa Toure both securing goals each. This match marked the biggest defeat in the RAA NPLSA this season and has set Adelaide United FC up perfectly to jump into the top six. Currently, two points off the top six with a game in hand, three points this weekend could almost guarantee a place amongst the top six heading into the final seven games of the season.

Campbelltown City was victorious last time both teams met a Steve Woodcock Sports Centre in Round Four in a 5-2 victory. Marc Marino was the star of the show, with last year’s Golden Boot winner getting his season up and running with four goals to himself as he capitalised on the numerous Adelaide United FC defensive mistakes, while the talented striker contributed to an assist as his well waited cross landed on Alex Mullen’s head to increase their lead. Adelaide United FC showed good glimpses throughout the game, which saw Ethan Alagich open the scoring for the side in the opening twelve minutes, while Luka Jovanovic scored from the penalty spot just before half-time.

Campbelltown City will be eager to replicate this as they look to build upon their 2-1 win over FK Beograd last week. The team started off slow against FK Beograd as their opposition took the lead in the first half, however, Campbelltown City came out strong and firing in the second half as Josh Barresi and Adam Piscioneri both scored within the first four minutes of the restart to give them a 2-1 lead. Having dropped points in back-to-back defeats against Adelaide City and MetroStars, last week’s win was valuable for Campbelltown City as they now remain only four points off second place and two off third. After the return of numerous first-team players, Campbelltown City looks to have regained the form that saw them go ten rounds unbeaten at the start of the season. With Adelaide City and Adelaide Comets set to play each other, a win could definitely see Campbelltown City close the gap between the current top two as they search for a big end to the season.

Adelaide United FC line-up: Calum Campbell, 37. Jonny Yull, 40. Ethan Cox (GK), 44. Arbi Mollas, 51. Panashe Madanha, 52. Giuseppe Bovalina, 53. Kane Vidmar, 54. Panagiotis Kikianis, 55. Ethan Alagich, 58. Musa Toure, 62. Fabian Talladira, 63. Patrick Mcgregor, 66. Nestor Irankunda, 77. Asad Kasumovic, 97. Luka Jovanovic
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Jonathan Norodom, Katrina Smith

Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 3. Mario Orrico, 5. James Boffa, 6. Adam D'Agostino, 7. Joel Allwright, 8. Alexander Mullen, 9. Marc Marino, 10. Luigi Ditroia, 12. Nicholas Francese, 14. Adam Piscioneri, 15. Antony Piscioneri, 16. Daniel Mullen, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 19. Joshua Barresi, 20. Matthew Centofanti, 21. Jordan Maricic, 23. Jake Halliday, 35. Luca Meggetto
Coaches: Michael Matricciani, Adrian DAloia, brenton hiern, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Liam Oates, Corey Artone

 

State League One

State League One

It’s first vs third in State League One action this weekend as league leaders Modbury Jets travel to The Paddocks to take on Para Hills Knights. After experiencing a drop in form which saw them spend three weeks without a win, Para Hills Knights have now regained their winning form edging out back-to-back 3-2 wins against Adelaide Hills and most recently Port Adelaide. Adam Savetta secured his first two goals of the season after his finish in the 8th minute beat the keeper, while he grabbed his second on the other side of the second half to give his side a 3-1 lead. Keshav Shrestha was able to score his seventh goal of the season as his 29th-minute strike went in. Currently, eight points off their opponents Modbury Jets, Para Hills Knights will be hoping to secure the three points as they search to close the gap and jump into second. However, Modbury Jets will be looking to build great momentum as they head into their Australia Cup SA Qualifying Final matchup against Vipers FC next week. Currently sitting seven points clear at the top of State League One, Modbury Jets are heading into the clash with great confidence, especially after knocking off Para Hills Knights 2-0 in Round Four. Modbury Jets secured a win in their last match over Adelaide University as the Mccabe twins ran the show, with Liam scoring twice and Hamish scoring once to help their side to a 3-0 victory. A win for Modbury Jets will see them remain seven points clear in the automatic promotion spot heading into the final seven games of the season, while would hold an eleven-point gap between them and third place.

Eastern United search to close their four-point gap with sixth-placed Playford City as they face off tonight at the State Centre for Football. Eastern United have had a mixed run over the last two months, continuously trading wins and losses over this period winning three and losing four of their last seven games. Missing numerous players, Eastern United faced a 2-0 defeat to Fulham United FC on Monday afternoon which saw defender Aleksander Markaj receive a red card, meaning that he will miss this important clash. With their showdown with Adelaide City in the Australia Cup SA Preliminary Qualifying Final coming up next week, Eastern United will hope to build some much-needed momentum as they head into that all-important clash. Playford City will be looking to increase their four-point lead to seven this weekend, as they face off against the current seventh-placed Eastern United. Similar to Eastern United, Playford City has continuously traded wins and losses over the last couple of months, which see the team sit on four wins and four losses in their last eight games. The team earned a much-needed win against top-four side Adelaide Blue Eagles as Daniel Ryan and Joshua Donk both scored either side of half-time to secure the 2-1 win after conceding early in the encounter. Tatenda Nyaruwe will miss this upcoming encounter after receiving a red card in their last match against Adelaide Blue Eagles. Eastern United secured a well-earned 3-2 win over Playford City when they met earlier in the season in Round Four.

State League One football continues as Port Adelaide faces Adelaide Croatia Raiders at Croatian Sports Centre, while Fulham United FC travels to Rushworth Reserve to face Adelaide Victory, West Adelaide takes on Adelaide Hills and Adelaide University SC battle Adelaide Blue Eagles at APEX Football Centre.

 

State League Two

State League Two

Adelaide Cobras looks to increase their five-point lead at the top of State League Two, however, must overcome a Western Strikers squad that hasn’t lost in their last six matches. Western Strikers has taken State League Two by storm over the last two months, with the team's unbeaten run continuously improving with only four points separating themselves and second. They felt a minor slip up last week as Kieron Carlton’s first-half goal was cancelled out by a late Noarlunga United goal to end the match at 1-1. Western Strikers are eager to make their return to State League Two a short stay as they look to get promoted back to State League One on their first go. When Western Strikers met Adelaide Cobras in Round Four the team was unable to capitalise on a 3-0 lead as their opponents fought back and scored three goals in the last 15 minutes which saw Aaron Acton score a double and star defender Daniel Scorsonelli secure the equaliser in the second minute of extra time. Adelaide Cobras' never say die attitude has seen them dominate the league this season, earning them a place at the top of State League Two, while currently experiencing a run of seven games without defeat. Jordan Watson’s 25th-minute goal was the decisive moment of the games, with Adelaide Cobras winning their last fixture 1-0 over Pontian Eagles SC. A win is vital for Adelaide Cobras as it will see them remain five points clear at the summit of State League Two.

In other State League Two action sees Gawler Eagles FC battle Seaford Rangers, Pontian Eagles host Salisbury United at Smith Partners Stadium, Mount Barker United SC travels to St Clair Oval to face Vipers FC, while Northern Demons will face Modbury Vista and Cove FC host Noarlunga United tonight.