Crunch time is arriving in PlayStation® 4 NPL Capital Football and the race for the title shows no signs of slowing down as Canberra Olympic and Tigers FC go toe-to-toe for the right to be crowned Champions.
And with Belconnen United and Canberra FC lurking in the wings, neither side can afford a slip up as we approach the final few weeks of an incredible campaign.
The Tigers will have a chance to lay down a marker when they meet the CU Academy on Sunday with Canberra Olympic inactive due to their opponents, FFA COE, being overseas at the AFF Qualifiers. That match will be replayed on Sunday 21st August and could hold a major bearing on the destination of the title.
Free-scoring Tigers will be confident that they can dispose of the Academy with the league’s leading scorer, Stephen Domenici, currently on sixteen goals, eyeing a few more for his tally against the most porous defence in the competition. The Academy however is beginning to make strides. Their 3-0 win over Gungahlin United a fortnight ago points to a team that is starting to believe in its own ability. They could yet spring a surprise.
Neither Belconnen United nor Canberra FC can go above Olympic with a win this weekend but if, as expected, both claim positive results, they can certainly keep alive their ambitions. Canberra FC is first in action when they travel to Woden Park to take on bottom-of-the-table Woden-Weston FC.
Canberra FC was disappointed to be held to a 1-1 draw by Tuggeranong United in their last encounter and will be hoping for a better return in this game, especially of their front pairing of Thomas James and Alex Oloriegbe click.
The Blue Devils meanwhile will face the same Tuggeranong United who held Canberra FC and were equally upset not to have taken three points having led heading into stoppage time.
Tuggeranong are notoriously difficult to play on their own patch and Belconnen will be wary heading Southside. With the introduction of Nikolas Popovich to the attack, the Blue Devils have extra fire-power that they craved and they will undoubtedly be favourites to return home with the maximum haul. This match will be played as part of a double-header on Saturday evening at Viking Park as Tuggeranong United celebrate their 40th Anniversary.
Gungahlin United and Monaro Panthers meet in the other game of Matchday 14 as they both seek to be top dogs in the battle for fifth place. The Panthers hold the upper hand at present following their narrow success over Woden-Weston FC at Duncan Oval in Googong on Matchday 13.
Gungahlin went down on the same weekend, defeated by the CU Academy and know that a loss at home to the Panthers will leave them four points behind Monaro who still have a game in hand.
Round 14 Fixtures
Saturday 16th July
Woden-Weston FC v Canberra FC
(Woden Park, 17:30)
Tuggeranong United v Belconnen United
(Viking Park, 19:00)
Sunday 17th July
Gungahlin United v Monaro Panthers
(Gungahlin Enclosed, 15:00)
Tigers FC v CU Academy
(Nijong Oval, 15:00)