The winner goes straight to the grand final when Blacktown City FC host Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC in the major semi final tomorrow (Sunday, August 30) at Lily’s Football Centre. Kick off is scheduled for 3.45pm.
Blacktown City FC should be fresh and raring to go after a week off to recharge the batteries after claiming the 2015 Premiership on the final day of the home-and-away season two weeks ago.
But freshness is no substitute for sharpness in a Major Semi Final and Mark Crittenden will have to ensure his side is more than sharp for the challenge for Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC on Sunday.
Brian Brown’s men were very impressive in the way they controlled and physically dominated the contest against APIA last week.
No doubt some of the White Eagles will be more than sore after such a bruising encounter, and moreover, Brown will be sweating on the fitness of David Vrankovic who was a late scratching from his line up last week with a back complaint.
Robbie Younis should be fresh after sitting out most of the game, only coming on late in the second half to convert a penalty and his partners in crime up top Yuta Kokado and Aaron Peterson showed no ill-effects at full-time.
While the White Eagles were impressive, they will know they face an entirely different challenge in Blacktown on Sunday.
On form, it would be hard to mount an argument against Blacktown, with steel in defence through Matt Lewis and Zach Cairncross, class in the middle from Patrick Antelmi and plenty of quality up front in Joey Gibbs, Danny Choi and Travis Major.
The latter two notched a brace each in their last outing against Sutherland Sharks, while Gibbs himself has just come back from injury and with some precious game time under his belt before the end of the home-and-away season, could be back to his lethal best on Sunday.
The two teams have reached stalemates on the last two occasions they have played, drawing 2-2 at Bonnyrigg and 1-1 at Lily’s in rounds four and 15, but one of them will have to win on Sunday with a spot in the Men’s 1 Grand Final on the line.
