MEN’S PREVIEW: MANLY UNITED v WANDERERS
Saturday’s meeting with Western Sydney Wanderers will be the final Manly United home game for Matt Sim and Bruno Mendes. Kickoff time has been moved to 2:30pm so that the game doesn’t clash with the Matildas World Cup quarter-final against France, so this is a great opportunity to farewell Matt and Bruno, and then watch the Matildas on the big screen at The Far Post!
Manly had their winning streak ended by Wollongong Wolves on the weekend, with Matt Sim’s second half headed goal not enough to prevent a 3-1 defeat on the south coast. On the other hand, Western Sydney Wanderers will head to the Northern Beaches full of confidence after recording a 2-1 triumph over arch-rivals Sydney FC in their last outing.
The Wanderers won’t be short of motivation on Saturday, as they are currently locked in a tense relegation battle with Mt Druitt Town Rangers. Mt Druitt are currently in second last place and could be headed for a two leg promotion / relegation playoff against the team that finishes second in FNSW League One Men’s, but the Wanderers are only three points ahead of the Rangers, meaning there is plenty to play for on Saturday afternoon.
It was great to see Levi Kaye rewarded for his recent performances by being named the NPL NSW Men’s Goalkeeper of the Month for July. Kaye was a big part of the reason Manly kept clean sheets in their last two home games (against APIA Leichhardt and Sutherland Sharks), and in defence he was helped by solid performances from the likes of Alen Aganovic and Hunter Elliot. In attack, Connor Rose has shown a lot of promise and the former Wanderers Academy winger will be keen to make an impact against his former club.
The Manly U20s come into the weekend in sixth place, but with only five points separating them from league leaders Central Coast Mariners, there is plenty of opportunity to move up the table in the remaining fixtures. Our last U20 home game was a success, with Manly defeating Sutherland Sharks 3-0 – Marcus Lal bagged his 15th goal of the campaign, while Lachlan Bishop and Stefano Rossello also found the back of the net.
If you can’t get to the ground for our Men’s 1st Grade clash, tune in on NPL.TV !
Manly United v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday 12 August, 2:30pm (U20s at 12:30pm)
Cromer Park
