There’s a lot at stake in this Sunday’s round 20 A-League clash at Campbelltown Stadium between Macarthur FC and Central Coast Mariners.
The Mariners are currently second on the ladder with 37 points, while the Bulls are third, with 32 points.
Macarthur win and get three points will mean closing the gap to just two points.
On the other hand, a Mariners victory will create a gap of eight points, which will make the job of finishing second almost impossible for Macarthur.
There are just seven home and away rounds left, so we are definitely at the business end of the season.
It’s interesting to note that the Bulls (4) have lost one match less than the Mariners (5).
The problem for Macarthur is too many draws, eight in all from 20 games played so far, while their opponents have just half, which pretty much explains their respective positions on the ladder.
If the Bulls had converted just half of those draws, they would be in second spot instead of the Central Coasters.
Be that as it may, Macarthur are in a great position to launch a push for a top two spot in the last seven rounds of the 2023-24 premiership.
But they also need to keep an eye behind them because teams in fourth, fifth and sixth spot are all within striking distance if the Bulls fail to get any points.
Macarthur need to ruthlessly aim for three point returns in their remaining games, and it all starts with a win over the Mariners this Sunday at Campbelltown Stadium.
The weather forecast is for a dry, warm and sunny late summer’s day, and with a 5pm kick off it should perfect for a game of top level soccer.
