Tigers FC v Riverina Rhinos | Saturday, 9^th May – 3pm @ Nijong Oval

Continuing a perfect start will be the aim for Tigers FC when they host the winless Riverina Rhinos at Nijong on Saturday afternoon. Gaby Wilk’s side triumphed against UC Pumas after going behind early in their quarter-final on Wednesday night, and he will be keen for his side to start better in this outing. They did respond well to going behind though and Tony Madaffari added two goals with a number of players getting in on the act with one and they will be hard to stop this weekend. Their perfect start has included three wins from three matches at Nijong and extending that this weekend before a bye next week and a huge clash at Deakin the week after would be massive.

For the Rhinos they have had a disappointing start to the season and need to begin putting it together if they are to stave off the threat of relegation. They have scored just one goal, in the first-round loss to Monaro, and have conceded nine across their three outings. Gabriel Abdala’s side sit rooted to the base of the table as the only team without a win, but one would expect they will begin putting performances together soon as they are a better team than what their record demonstrates so far. This will be a tough outing, but it doesn’t get much easier from here for the Rhinos as they welcome Canberra FC to Griffith next weekend and face Gungahlin a week after.

 

Gungahlin United v Belconnen United | Sunday, 9^th May – 3pm @ AIS Grass Field 2

Two wins in a row has brought Gungahlin right back into the dogfight for a top four spot, and they will chase a third as they welcome Belconnen to the AIS on Sunday afternoon. A first-half blitz last weekend set them up for a strong win against Monaro but they are facing a Belconnen side who saw off Canberra FC at Deakin last weekend. Michael John continues to be hugely important for this side, and has excelled when picking up the ball deep in midfield and driving forward to create opportunities for his side. Expect more of that this weekend, while at the back Lachie Griffiths and Jack Green have marshalled a defense that hasn’t conceded in their last 180 minutes of Football.

Belconnen saw off Canberra FC last weekend but were beaten by ANU in the cup in midweek and Steve Forshaw will be keen to see his team bounce back from that outing. They weathered some early chances from Canberra FC before putting their foot down, and even had a goal disallowed that may have made the end a little less nervy if it had stood. Their scoring so far has shown that they have a number of threats rather than one go-to man up front, and they’ll prove a difficult beast for Gungahlin to counter in this outing.

 

Canberra FC v Woden-Weston | Sunday, 9^th May – 3pm @ Deakin Stadium

A loss against Belconnen United was far from ideal last Sunday for Canberra FC, but their response, a 1-0 win over rivals Canberra Olympic in the cup on Wednesday could prove to be the spark their season needs. It was arguably the first time Luka Ujdur’s men have put together a 90-minute performance this season and Mat Grbesa marshalled the backline to the first clean sheet of the campaign as well. The team played with good energy and Ujdur will be hoping the team can bring that same vigour into their home outing on Sunday and begin making ground on the top sides. They’ve had two league outings at Deakin this season and lost both, and it is high time they shore up their home record to avoid needing points on the road as the season progresses.

Woden-Weston struggled against Tuggeranong in their cup game on Wednesday night, eventually falling to a 2-0 loss after their defeat at the hands of Tigers FC on the weekend. They still sit in fourth spot in the league though thanks to wins against the Rhinos and Belconnen United, but will face a challenge against a surging Canberra FC side. They have been stingy at the back so far only conceding three goals but have hardly set the world on fire going forward with just four goals to their name, the least of all teams bar the Rhinos. Their eight-second goal from the restart last weekend showed they are a potent team particularly if they can catch the opposition out, so we may see them sit deeper against Canberra FC, particularly at Deakin before looking to get out on the break. This game could help entrench Woden-Weston in the top four or serve to drag Canberra FC back into the fight for it.

 

Canberra Olympic v Monaro Panthers | Sunday, 9^th May – 3pm @ O’Connor Enclosed

Canberra Olympic will be undermanned when they host Monaro on Sunday afternoon following a host of injuries and suspensions to key players. Stephen Domenici and Lasse Olrik will both be serving suspensions from last weekend’s loss to Tuggeranong while Kofi Danning’s hamstring went during Wednesday’s cup loss to Canberra FC and Tim Bobolas injured himself in the warm up, so their status remains to be seen. Frank Cachia has a strong squad though and will need to rely on other players to step up and fill the gaps now left in his side. They are three from three in the league so far and face a Monaro side who haven’t tasted success since round one but have proved to be a testing opponent. On home turf here they will be looking to grab all three points ahead of a stretch featuring games against Belconnen United and Woden-Weston.

The Panthers looked world beaters as they flew out of the gates in round one against the Rhinos but have slowed down since, conceding seven goals and scoring none in the second half of their game against Canberra FC and the first half against Gungahlin last week. Stefan Todoroski may be in doubt after he was stretchered from the pitch last week, and this side has been impacted by injuries the last few weeks. They will have the benefit of a full week off against opponents who played mid-week, and may look to take advantage of that, particularly early. The Panthers showed their ability to get out of the blocks quickly when Josh Gulevski fired them into an early lead against Canberra FC two weeks ago, and some more of that pressure wouldn’t go astray here.