Having only won once in the last five games, Trevor Morgan’s side are aiming for a crucial turnaround in form when they host seventh-placed Macarthur Rams at Blacktown Football Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Wanderers hold a slender one-point advantage over Sydney FC at the top of the table and with the Sky Blues lurking dangerously closer to the Red & Black as the weeks go by it could potentially be a decisive clash when the boys from Campbelltown arrive in Rooty Hill.
Winners of the 2014 NPL 2, the Rams find themselves a point adrift in the race for a finals position but a poor string of recent results have threatened to jeopardize the campaign for one of the competitions newest clubs.
The Rams were defeated 2-1 by Marconi last Saturday, only days after the side clinched an important 3-2 victory over struggling Bankstown Berries having come back from two-nil down. That triumph, alongside a 1-1 draw with last-placed North Shore Mariners a fortnight ago stands alone amongst three defeats to Central Coast Mariners, Fraser Park and Mounties Wanderers.
Despite their inconsistency this campaign Macarthur boast an admirable playing roster capped by the likes of former Blacktown City and Burnley midfielder Kevin Ly and weathered National Premier Leagues marksman Elsid Barkhousir, the side’s leading goalscorer with eight this season.
Having drawn with the Wanderers back in Round 6 and scored a pre-season win over the NPL newcomers back in February, Macarthur will no doubt be wary of the side’s recent stagnancy and hope to inflict what would be a damaging defeat for Western Sydney’s championship prospects.
