R4 Preview: Campbelltown City v Croydon Kings

Campbelltown City v Croydon
PlayStation 4 National Premier League South Australia Round 4
 

When: Saturday, March 19th. Kick-off 3pm
Where: Steve Woodcock Sports Centre, Stradbroke Road, NEWTON
 

Teams: 

Campbelltown City: 20 N. Harpas4 I. Fyfe23 J. Halliday2 S. Harvey7 L. Ditroia18 K. Minomura10 J. Monaco6 V. Parhas14 A. Piscioneri9 T. Strain11 A. Ture21 N. Guglielmucci8 K. Hara15 A. Kaine16 J. Maricic12 J. Williams 

Croydon: 20 N. Harpas4 I. Fyfe23 J. Halliday2 S. Harvey7 L. Ditroia18 K. Minomura10 J. Monaco6 V. Parhas14 A. Piscioneri9 T. Strain11 A. Ture21 N. Guglielmucci8 K. Hara15 A. Kaine16 J. Maricic12 J. Williams 

Form: 

Campbelltown City: W W W 

Round 1: West Torrens Birkalla 0-2 Campbelltown City, Jack Smith Park
Round 2: Campbelltown City 5-0 South Adelaide, Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
Round 3: MetroStars 1-2 Campbelltown City, Apollo Soccer Club 

Croydon: L L W 

Round 1: Adelaide City 4-2 Croydon, Adelaide City Park
Round 2: Adelaide Comets 3-2 Croydon, SA Athletics Stadium
Round 3: Croydon 5-2 Raiders, Polonia Reserve 

Preview: 

Campbelltown City will put its perfect start to the season on the line against Croydon at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre in Round 4 of the PlayStation 4 National Premier League this Saturday. 

Campbelltown made it three wins from three as it defeated MetroStars 2-1 in Mount Gambier last weekend and is the only side to collect nine points. 

Midfielder Vas Parhas says it is a platform to build on. 

“It’s a solid foundation for the season. What’s pleasing is we are improving each week,” the veteran noted. 

“The aim now is for ongoing improvement. A good start only means something if you maintain momentum and results. 

“We were really pleased to beat MetroStars, especially with the unusual circumstances surrounding the game. 

“We controlled the majority of the game, but couldn’t relax as they put us under pressure towards the end.” 

Not only are the Red Devils clear at the top of the table, they also hold the best defensive record after 270 minutes of action. 

Campbelltown has conceded just once and Parhas notes it is an area of focus, especially as it faces free-scoring Croydon. 

“We worked hard on our fitness and retaining possession in pre-season – that is an improvement we have made on last year. 

“You always want to dominate a match as long as possible and limit opposition opportunities. Retaining possession and converting more chances being created are what we continue to work on. 

“Croydon will be full of confidence. They are a strong side and are possession-orientated. 

“It’s a huge game for us and we are respectful of their ability. We must be at our sharpest.” 

Croydon recorded its first victory last weekend, beating 10-man Raiders. It required a second half goal avalanche to get it done, Croydon netting five times in 35 minutes to win 5-2. 

Rocco Visconte says it is a confidence-boosting success. 

“Raiders started well and put us under pressure. We only really began playing when they scored the second goal. We also took advantage of the extra man,” he stated. 

“It’s a bit of a relief as we got our season started. We want to get wins on the board to raise our confidence and chase down the leading pack. 

While Croydon has scored as many goals as Campbelltown – nine – its issue has been at the other end. 

The Kings have leaked an average of three goals per match and Visconte says defending as a unit is a priority for Mark Brazzale’s side. 

“We got that win and now we want to start playing well. If we play our system correctly we know results will come. This is what we want to do against Campbelltown. 

“The team is not happy about conceding nine goals. It’s all about defending as a unit and we have not been doing that too well and must work on it. 

“Against Campbelltown we have to play to our best and try and keep a clean sheet. That’s a focus. We know we can score at the other end.” 

Written by Luca Cetta - @l_cetta




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