Apollo v Blue Lake
After a week off due to an abandoned game Blue Lake will be fresh and ready to fire when it takes on the in-form Apollo in the Barry Maney Group Limestone Coast Men’s Premier League.
Apollo’s round nine clash has been moved to Blue Lake Sports Park due to its home pitch being unsuitable for any matches and the club will hope that losing the home ground advantage will not impact securing a better result than round one when an early 2-0 advantage to Apollo ended in a draw.
Blue Lake will be aware of its ability to come back and will know that if it loses early goals it is still in the match.
Apollo is currently on an unbeaten streak of four games, the side suffered a massive defeat to International but since then has gone about its work well.
The side has positioned itself well as a top two side this year with round eight proving it could beat the reigning premiers at home and away, and will expect Blue Lake to be an easier task.
Blue Lake has been a bit rocky recently, the side’s last four matches having resulted in two wins and two losses.
One loss in particular hurt the spirits of the side when it went down to internationals having been 4-2 up in the second half.
Blue Lake is yet to beat a side in the top four and will be aware that its match against Apollo is a great opportunity to do so.
Shar Nay Than will be the danger man for Blue Lake, if the side is to win then he will no doubt be on the score sheet.
Than has scored 15 goals from his eight matches this season and has been incredibly dangerous.
Apollo will have to do its best to not allow Than to shoot otherwise it could spell danger.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting match as Apollo look to take it to five wins in a row while Blue Lake tries to prove it can mix it with the best.
International v Gambier Centrals
The 2022 grand finalists will meet for the second time this season as Gambier Centrals hopes to avoid a second defeat to the side it got the better of in 2022.
While Centrals are the reigning premiers having gone back-to-back in 2021 and 2022 the side does not quite look itself.
At this point in time it is the third best team in the competition having lost to Apollo twice and International 3-0 on Anzac Day.
The side will be hoping a win against International at the team in black and blue’s home ground could be just what it needs to restart its season.
International on the other hand will be hoping to make light work of Centrals, the side which beat them in a penalty shoot-out last season to win the league.
Both sides will have the results of the last 12 months in the back of their minds, and both will hope it gives them the edge of the opposition.
Both sides’ defences will have to be wary of the attack power the opposition poses.
Sam Shoemark has continued his scoring ways despite his side’s loss to Apollo and currently sits top of the goal scorers with 17.
International has been incredible in front of goal this season.
The side has only been held to one goal just the once having netted and scored double the amount of goals as Centrals who have kicked the second most in the competition.
With International looking a bit off in the past few weeks, with Blue Lake scoring six against them and Millicent only being 2-1 down at half time, Centrals will hope to make the most of this slight drop in form and be the second team to take three points from International this season.
Millicent v Naracoorte
A bottom of the table clash is set up this week in Millicent.
Both sides have only taken one point this season, with the teams sharing the points in round one when they last met.
Since then both teams have suffered disappointing defeats, and currently have a -48 and -43 goal difference respectively.
The defences have struggled under extreme pressure in recent matches.
Naracoorte will be fresher than its opponents having its round eight match against Blue Lake abandoned due to the pitch conditions.
It will be hoping this will give the team the edge to beat out its fellow winless side.
Both sides have been competitive at points this season but the side which is at its best on Sunday will be the one to come away with the three points.
