PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues
Matchday 9 Preview

The PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues Canberra reaches Matchday 9 with plenty to play for as the race for the finals places begins in earnest. Having reached the halfway stage of the campaign most teams have found their level and with matches being closely fought across the board there is high anticipation that the latest group of fixtures will provide some entertaining contests.

We begin on Saturday evening with what promises to be an enthralling clash at McKellar Park as Belconnen United welcomes the FFA Centre of Excellence. Both teams have thrilled crowds this season with some high quality football and with the Blue Devils in with a genuine chance of taking the title this game should hit the heights. Indeed, the quality of play emanating from the Belconnen camp has seen their supporters filled with belief that they have a great chance of silverware in 2016.

On Sunday afternoon Canberra FC meets CU Academy at Deakin Stadium knowing that a win would keep up their challenge for the championship crown. It’s been a strange season for Canberra FC so far with the normally free-flowing side struggling for momentum and, strangely, finding goals hard to come by. In fact it took them nearly forty minutes to break down Capital League Narrabundah in the Westfield FFA Cup last week and, plagued as they are with injuries, the Academy may sense an upset.

An intriguing subplot will see the return of Canberra FC players Sam Brown, Niko Kresic, Daniel Subasic and Thomas Milicevic to their parent club with the quartet having made great strides through the FC youth ranks before moving to the Academy surroundings. How they fare may dictate the outcome of the match.

Gungahlin United host Woden-Weston FC at Gungahlin Enclosed with Mitch Stevens’ team aiming to keep in touch with the leading pack by taking another three points against a Woden-Weston team that has been struggling of late. The Gunners will be favourites for this one but the Wanderers will, no doubt, test them to the limit and will be hopeful of causing a surprise.

Over at Kambah 2 Tuggeranong United will be the latest team to try and halt the Tigers FC juggernaut with Gaby Wilk’s men full of goals and confidence as they look to reclaim the league title they won in 2014. With their defence becoming a much stronger unit week by week, and with the usual quality in the front third, the Tigers are a real handful and Tuggeranong will need to be at their best to get a positive result. The return of Greek midfielder Emilio Kista from injury will be a boon to their hopes.

Meanwhile, at O’Connor Enclosed, Canberra Olympic lock horns with the emerging Monaro Panthers. This will be another test of Graeme Plath’s youngsters who have bonded well as a unit and have a clutch of players who look to have taken to the PS4 NPL first grade scene very well. These include central defender Daniel Hearle who will be an important cog in this fixture as he attempts to deal with the Olympic goal threat led by Jordan Tsekenis and Philippe Bernabo-Madrid. 

FIXTURES

Saturday 28th May
Belconnen United v FFA COE (McKellar Park, 17:30)

Sunday 29th May
Canberra FC v CU Academy (Deakin Stadium, 15:00)
Gungahlin United v Woden-Weston FC (Gungahlin Enclosed, 15:00)
Tuggeranong United v Tigers FC (Kambah 2, 15:00)
Canberra Olympic v Monaro Panthers (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)

TABLE

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LEADING SCORERS 
9 Jason UGRINIC (Belconnen United), Stephen DOMENICI (Tigers FC)
6 Sam SMITH (Belconnen United), Thomas JAMES (Canberra FC), John ROBERTS (FFA COE)
5 Philippe BERNABO-MADRID, Jordan TSEKENIS (Canberra Olympic), Nicolas ABOT (Tigers FC)
4 Domenic GIAMPAOLO, Josip JADRIC (Canberra FC), Jaidon SELDON (FFA COE), Daniel BARAC (Tigers FC)
3 Tomas KRKLEC (CU Academy), Mitch STEENBERGEN (Gungahlin United), Ed MCCARTHY, Darian MCGARRY-WATSON, Mark SHIELDS (Monaro Panthers), Alex OLORIEGBE (Tigers FC), Marco GAYER, Andrew SLAVICH (Tuggeranong United), Own GOALS
2 Aisosa IHEGIE, Jonathan REIS, Dustin WELLS (Belconnen United)*, Nikola BARISIC (Canberra FC), Daniel COLBERTALDO, Jeremy HABETMARIAM, Nathen MEGIC (Canberra Olympic), Joshua GULEVSKI, Sam WHITHEAR (CU Academy), Bryce BAFFORD, Ben OBST (FFA COE), Alex MOSCARITOLO (Gungahlin United), Nahuel GUERRERO (Tigers FC), Domenic COLUCCIELLO, Nikolaos KALFAS (Tuggeranong United), Goran MILUTNOVIC (Woden-Weston FC)
1 Matt GRBESA, David KEMP, Goran MUKEVSKI, Cameron REINHART, Toby RICHTER (Belconnen United), Aidan BRUNSKILL, Robbie DEELEY, Ryan KEIR (Canberra FC), Tim BOBOLAS, Robbie CATTANACH, Angelo KONSTANTINOU, Michael REEVE (Canberra Olympic), Daniel FABRIZIO (CU Academy), Rahmat AKBARI, Lachlan BROOK, Louis D’ARRIGO, Mark MORIC, Mirza MURATOVIC, Marc TOKICH (FFA COE), Nathan DUCK, Jack GREEN, Marcial  MUNOZ, Jason O’DWYER, Liam WALSH (Gungahlin United), Julian BORGNA, Osman FOFANAH, Alan GASTON, Milan POPOVICH, Dejan SANTRAC (Tigers FC), Emilio KISTA, Sam SHADBOLT Tuggeranong United), Bensah AFIABO, Daniel DI-SALVATORE, Ben GRIEG, Tom HIRST, Matthew WATERS (Woden-Weston FC)

*1 goal for Tuggeranong United