- Dulwich Hill F.C. have won just 1 of their last 3 home league matches, losing the other 2.
- Central Coast Mariners NPL have won 4 of their 10 away league games, drawing 2 and losing the other 4.
Mariners’ young guns to edge out Hill in open game
Paddy's Pick: Central Coast to beat Dulwich Hill F.C. 2-1.
Central Coast to win at 2.08 is very tempting, especially when compared to Dulwich Hill F.C. at 2.88 and the draw at 3.66, but it is likely that Mariners NPL will have to work hard for their 3 points at Belmore Oval on Saturday.
There is a real contrast in the way the two clubs are set up to play and it will be interesting to see how the tactical battle plays out on the pitch. Berhan Brandan Ackalmaz has introduced a pragmatic approach to proceedings at Dulwich Hill F.C. that has fostered a strong sense of stability in the squad following a major reset in the off-season.
Central Coast's Mariners Academy is an extension of the first team set-up, which Mark Jackson has built around possession-based football, high tempo, youthful energy and the ability to interchange players in different positions to create overloads and numerical superiority in attack.
Dulwich Hill are more likely to be a compact, defensive unit with the coach instilling a mentality of discipline, organisation and an ability to be strong in transition. Central Coast are the polar opposites, they are a front-foot, possession-based side with the ability to press the opposition when they lose the ball.
This game could have a high tempo and may be end-to-end.
Central Coast have won 3 of their last 5 league games and lost the other 2, but their recent results belie the quality of the performances as they come off a pair of back-to-back defeats. The first was a disappointing 2-4 loss at home to struggling Prospect United SC, while the other was a solid 0-1 loss away to top side Macarthur Rams.
Dulwich Hill have won 1 of their last 5, drawn 1 and lost 3, with the defeat to Hakoah Sydney City East (4-2 away) and the 0-6 hammering from Hills United FC at home the worst of the bunch. In between those two games they did beat Rydalmere 2-1 at Belmore.
There should be goals in this game.
Central Coast have scored 18 goals in their 10 away league matches, which equates to an average of 1.80 per away match, while Dulwich Hill F.C. have conceded 19 in their 9 home league assignments, which works out at 2.11 per league game.
Over 2.5 goals in the match is currently priced at 1.44 and while that seems like it could be a heavy favourite, the evidence in favour of a goal fest is pretty convincing. So, although we believe Central Coast's superior away form and better attacking output will be enough to see them edge out their opponents, we think both teams will get on the scoresheet and make the contest a lively affair.
