Football under the Friday Night Lights will continue the race for the title, and the battle to avoid the drop, as Tigers FC meet Tuggeranong United at the Australian Institute of Sport in Round 12 of the National Premier League.
Tuggeranong, holding that four-point lead over West Canberra Wanderers at the foot of the table, have been inactive for over a week having seen their Round 11 fixture against those closest opponents cancelled due to a partially unplayable pitch as the water level rose at Kambah 2.
That freshness may mean that they arrive to the encounter fired up and ready to go, potentially handing a debut to new English import Lewis McKinney, a player who had had experience of League 2 in the United Kingdom with Oldham Athletic. His influence might be critical.
For Tigers it’s a question of finding a way to stop conceding, especially from set-pieces, the source of both goals for Canberra Olympic as they came from 0-2 down to earn a point at the AIS. Tigers are potent going forward and will be favoured to take the points as they did in a 4-3 success at Kambah.
O’Connor Enclosed will provide the backdrop for the only Saturday afternoon fixture as O’Connor Knights face West Canberra Wanderers with the three points a valuable commodity for both outfits, albeit for differing reasons as the Knights push for the top spot and Wanderers seek survival.
The two teams have been on markedly different trajectories all season, Wanderers struggling to get off the mark and the Knights steadily racking up the points to become a genuine title contender.
Earlier in the season the two teams met at Melrose Synthetic, and the Knights came out with a massive 6-0 victory, the scoreline based on a blitzkrieg first-half which saw the visiting team five-up by the interval
Knights have only played Wanderers at home once in the NPL and that was the 4-3 thriller they won at their home venue last season in Round 8, Wanderers gaining revenge with a critical Round 15 success off the back off a single, late, goal netted by centre-back Lachlan Fields who is one of a handful who have swapped shirts in 2023.
The always highly anticipated meeting between Canberra Croatia and Gungahlin United will have eyes glued to Deakin Stadium on Sunday afternoon, a fixture that always throws up a stack of talking points.
Both teams have shown they are capable of getting the result on any given day, Croatia having memorably defeated the Gunners 5-3 in an epic Australia Cup Qualifying Semi-Final at their Deakin venue, whilst the Round 6 match at Gungahlin Enclosed ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw thanks to a stoppage time Fernando equaliser.
Gunners have scored more goals in league matches against Croatia than they have conceded, the only team to have that record against Canberra Croatia, showcasing that over the years the men in the black and white stripes have often been the nemesis of their immediate opponents.
As usual these two heavyweights will go toe-to-toe with no holds barred in what is sure to be another memorable occasion. Three points would mean a lot to either. Getting them will involve character, guts, skill, and determination.
Across the border Monaro Panthers will debut their specially designed NAIDOC jersey when they welcome Canberra Olympic to the Riverside Stadium. To celebrate NAIDOC Week, Monaro Panthers Football Club have partnered with local First Nations artist Tahnia Garbutt-Canning to design the club’s inaugural NAIDOC Shirt.
There’s usually not much between these two when they lock horns as well, although the Panthers home record against Olympic is nothing short of appalling, having lost nine of the eleven matches played as Monaro home games.
Since the Australia Cup Final defeat to Croatia, Olympic have struggled to find their fluency and form that swept them to the summit of the table and to the cup showdown, whilst the Panthers consistent inconsistency has been the talk of the season for the men from Queanbeyan.
Both teams have enough quality to make this a tough one to call, both will fancy they can come away with the maximum haul. An intriguing afternoon is in store.
FIXTURES ROUND 12
Friday 30 June
Tigers FC v Tuggeranong United (AIS, 19:00)
Saturday 1 July
O’Connor Knights v West Canberra Wanderers (O’Connor Enclosed, 15:00)
Sunday 2 July
Monaro Panthers v Canberra Olympic (Riverside Stadium, 15:00)
Canberra Croatia v Gungahlin United (Deakin Stadium, 15:00)