Marconi Stallions FC v Blacktown City FC
7:00 pm, Saturday 11 March, Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions play Blacktown City on Saturday at Marconi Stadium in what will be a hotly-contested affair.
The Stallions were held to the first 0-0 draw of the 2023 NPL NSW season against APIA Leichhardt last Sunday meaning the side have only two wins from their opening five games.
This early form sees the side currently sit eighth on the table, but a win in round six would take them level on points with their opponents in fourth.
Peter Tsekenis could welcome back captain Marko Jesic from suspension while it was a good return to the starting eleven for Robbie Speranza who put in a great performance against APIA last weekend.
Blacktown secured an emphatic 4-1 win over Mount Druitt Town Rangers last Sunday with Jak O’Brien continuing his red-hot form in the competition scoring a hat-trick.
City have now won two games in a row since their shock 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted NWS Spirit in round three.
With Mark Crittenden’s team only two points off the top of the table, they’ll be looking to maintain touching distance with those above by getting the win this weekend.
These teams were unable to be separated results-wise in 2022 with a 2-2 draw in round three before a 1-1 draw in round fourteen.
Further, the teams finished on the same points last year and it was the six fewer goals conceded by Blacktown that saw the champions sit ahead of the Stallions after twenty-two rounds.
It was almost immeasurably tight between these sides last season and with not much between them early on this time around, it will be an intriguing clash this Saturday.