Gold Coast Knights and Gold Coast United will be fighting for form and bragging rights this weekend as their crucial derby encounter headlines Round 15 in the NPL Men’s.
Elsewhere, there’s potential for a surprise or two in a meeting between second and bottom plus an intriguing clash concerning two of the competition’s most in-form outfits.
Watch every Round 15 fixture live and on demand at NPL.TV, free for Australian residents.
Feature Match: Gold Coast Knights v Gold Coast United
The season’s first Gold Coast derby arrives with both clubs needing to quickly make amends for recent slumps in order to achieve their 2020 ambitions.
Knights and United each ended last weekend’s fixtures with 10 men and were left to ruminate over a draw and a loss respectively, ensuring there is plenty to prove going into Saturday night’s Feature Match.
Though restricted to a win apiece in September thus far, quality extends right throughout the squads and players as experienced as the two captains – Mitch Nichols and Michael Thwaite – are sure to demand their team-mates forget all about form for this special occasion.
Fourth-placed Knights, the reigning Champions and a fearsome unit in full flow, will perhaps sense a greater degree of pressure given the sides above them – Olympic FC, Lions FC and Peninsula Power – are all looking to make strides towards the Premiership, although the return of Grand Final hero Oskar Dillon from Western United for the remainder of the season is sure to come as a boost.
United are 10 points further back in seventh and will be without leading goalscorer Shane Smeltz, who saw red during the club’s 1-0 loss to Olympic.
But with Cian Cuba and Sam Smith still available in attack and Justyn McKay and James Brown in behind, there is more than enough talent and know-how in the starting XI to create headaches for one of the division’s best defences.
The clearest guide to how close a contest we can expect might be found in last season’s two meetings.
Knights denied United via a second-half equaliser as the first clash finished 1-1, before United returned serve by coming from two goals down to earn an entertaining 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture.
Match Details
Saturday, 19 September, 6:30pm
Croatian Sports Centre
Live Stream Link
Key Matches:
Lions FC v Redlands United
Saturday night in Richlands looks set to deliver a far more competitive spectacle than some might have expected as recently as a few days ago.
Lions are again looking to rediscover that winning feeling after slipping to a 2-1 loss to Moreton Bay United in Round 14, their second defeat in four games.
In contrast, Redlands United went to Corporate Travel Management Stadium and claimed a morale-boosting 3-2 victory over Brisbane City to give their survival hopes a huge boost.
This will be a tougher test but the inexperienced Red Devils are displaying the kind of resilience and skill that should serve them well.
Match Details
Saturday, 19 September, 6:00pm
Lions Stadium
Live Stream Link
Sunshine Coast Wanderers v Moreton Bay United
This match is not to be missed as two teams with good form and confidence behind them go head-to-head at Ballinger Park.
Sunshine Coast Wanderers must feel as though they can beat anybody at the moment after climbing off the foot of the ladder with a 3-0 win over Brisbane Roar Youth on Wednesday.
That was their third victory amid a four-game unbeaten streak as the mid-season recruitment of Mitch Cooper and Tyson Holmes continues to pay dividends.
Moreton Bay will be feeling equally good about themselves after knocking off Lions, an excellent result which backed up their fine performance in the narrow 4-3 loss to Peninsula Power four days earlier.
There is still time for the Jets to make a run at the top four but it will take maximum points in tough games like this for them to get there.
Match Details
Sunday, 20 September, 4:00pm
Ballinger Park
Live Stream Link
Other Matches:
Peninsula Power v Brisbane City
Saturday, 19 September, 6:30pm
AJ Kelly Park
Live Stream Link
Eastern Suburbs v Olympic FC
Saturday, 19 September, 7:15pm
Heath Park
Live Stream Link
Capalaba FC v Brisbane Roar Youth
Sunday, 20 September, 5:15pm
John Fredericks Park
Live Stream Link
Key Players:
Sam Smith (Gold Coast United): Smeltz’s ill-timed absence increases the burden on English striker Smith, a proven goalscorer who headed across town to join United during the close season after captaining Knights to Grand Final glory in 2019.
Kai Barnes (Redlands United): An assured, versatile and in-form midfielder, Barnes delivered an impressive performance against his former club Brisbane City last weekend but will have to step up another level if Redlands are to upset Lions on Saturday night.
Tyson Holmes (Sunshine Coast Wanderers): It’s no coincidence that Wanderers have mounted a compelling escape act since Holmes returned to the region from a long and successful spell in Victoria. The former Sunshine Coast FC, South Melbourne and Bentleigh Greens star still has plenty to offer creatively and will be quick to punish any Moreton Bay errors on Sunday.
Image: Gold Coast United
