MEN’S PREVIEW: MANLY UNITED v BLACKTOWN CITY
After last weekend’s thrilling victory, the Manly United Men’s 1st Grade side will be at home again on Saturday, with kick off at 5pm! Our next opponents are Blacktown City and victory over them will see our men’s team move closer to the mid table pack.
This will be our first meeting with Blacktown at Cromer Park since our famous victory over the western Sydney side in the 2022 finals series. That day, Manly were trailing and down to 10 players in extra time, but a late double from former Blacktown defender Alen Aganovic secured an unforgettable 2-1 victory. This year’s season opener was also against Blacktown and finished with a 1-1 draw, so we can expect another close battle on Saturday.
Our defence must watch out for Jak O’Brien, who is the league’s second highest scorer with 11 goals, including a goal last weekend when Blacktown lost 2-1 to Rockdale. Former Manly United winger Charles Mendy is another of their attacking weapons, while goalkeeper Tristan Prendergast has spent time in A-League Men with Western Sydney Wanderers.
For Manly, it’s hard to overlook Kristian Santich after his spectacular game winner against Bulls FC Academy. That goal capped off a brilliant second half comeback and ensured we stayed away from the bottom of the table. Bilal Belkadi is another key player – his return to the starting lineup was vital and he always provides a fierce competitive streak, whether he plays in midfield or defence.
The U20 game will be played after 1st Grade on Saturday, with kick off scheduled for 7:15pm. This is another important clash as Manly come into this fixture in seventh place on the U20 table, one place and two points ahead of Blacktown. Stefano Rossello was praised for his performance last weekend and he has been a consistent performer for our U20s this year.
If you can’t get to the ground for our Men’s 1st Grade clash, tune in on NPL.TV .
Manly United v Blacktown City
Saturday 13 May, 5pm (U20s kickoff at 7:15pm)
Cromer Park