James Murphy
APOLLO v MILLICENT
SOCCER action returns to the region this weekend after a two-week hiatus and it looks like the top three men’s teams will further their grasp on the 2023 season.
Apollo hosts Millicent and will be in the box seat for victory.
They sit in second place by goal difference alone, having bested both ladder leader International and reigning premier Gambier Centrals this campaign.
Meanwhile, Millicent enters the round with just one success and a draw to its name and it currently sits two wins out of finals contention.
The club sports a new-look playing strip this season, in addition to some handy player pickups and are certainly more competitive than previous years.
However, they still lack the polish to match it with the top teams and will be pleased to simply limit the damage against Apollo.
Apollo has faced a few personnel changes this season also but have settled into a good rhythm under new coach Robbie Nagy.
Gay Nay Say Ler leads the side for goal kicking and he has nine so far, with the team relying on a more even spread in attack compared to some other clubs.
Down the other end Adam Walker is as sturdy as ever in defence, while goal keeper Jesse Widdison has put his skills on show over recent rounds.
Jack Donehue and Tobbei Kennett are others to watch, with another good team performance expected to push Apollo over the line in a comfortable fashion.
BLUE LAKE v GAMBIER CENTRALS
The Limestone Coast men’s soccer match of the round will be played at Malseed Park between Blue Lake and Gambier Centrals.
Last time the teams met the latter claimed a 7-4 victory, but the closeness only came due to a three-goal purple patch from the Rangers late in the game.
Centrals will hope to control the contest for its majority again as the reigning premiers chase down a top-two position.
However, their opponent will not bow down easily and Blue Lake’s most recent encounters with top-three teams were only decided by one goal.
They put International to the test in Round 7 when losing 7-6 after a 92nd minute goal, then in Round 9 they lost to Apollo 3-2 in another good performance.
Shar Nay Than has been the main culprit in front of goals and he sits equal top in the league goal kicking with 17 so far this season.
Also on 17 goals is Centrals’ Sam Shoemark, who is having an impressive year at the Lions’ den.
He will be one to watch again, while Cam Saint and Jake Blackwell are other key pieces of the puzzle when it comes to Centrals’ success.
The Rangers will push their opponent, especially on their home deck, but the Lions will enter as favourites.
NARACOORTE v INTERNATIONAL
One thing is for certain when Naracoorte hosts International for Round 10 of Limestone Coast men’s soccer – there will be goals scored.
The quantity is yet to be decided, but for context the last meeting between the clubs had Inter win in a 21-0 drubbing.
As such it is near impossible to mount a case for the home team this Sunday, with the guests sure to extend their goal difference even further.
Naracoorte will likely have set the goal of simply lessening the damage this time around, with a key focus on defence.
That fateful day had Sam Bueti bag six goals, while Dan Allwright and Matt Bueti had four each.
The trio are somewhat of a three-pronged attack for Inter, assisted by the likes of Tom Weedon and Caleb Casey who are also more than capable of slotting a goal.
Down back Nick Morony and Ricky McRobert provide a challenge for any opposition forward line and as a result it is hard to see Naracoorte coming away from the match without experiencing another thrashing.
