Lew's Predictions

There is a big weekend coming up for local soccer enthusiasts starting on Friday night with the Western Border Soccer Association Senior medal count/Presentation night and then the semi finals of the Shadows/Belgiornos Cup on Sunday, which sees Inter v Blue Lake at Webb St and Apollo v Millicent at Malseed Park.
Firstly we look at the medal count which is an extremely open affair this year with no clear favourite. Will the winner come from one of the more successful clubs or will a stand out player in a lower team take out the Camillo Gatto medal. The winner could come from the names below.
Dante Bonner, Adam Osman or Christian Cella from Inter.
Adam Hodge, Chris Bytheway or Ash Stenner from Apollo.
Matty Gordon, Jesse Wenham or Toby Kennet from Centrals.
Callum Ferguson, Bryce Strachan or Mitchell Thomson from Blue Lake
Matthew Gregetic or Cameron Saint from Millicent.
Matthew Weistra, Lance or Da Rocha from Sharks.
Kevin Marshall or Steve Mathie from Naracoorte
Stephen Arthur or Craig Taylor from Portland
It is interesting when you look at the individual club tips below.
Tony D’Agostino (Inter senior coach)
Winner – Dante Bonner. Runner up – Ash Stenner. Longshot Callum Ferguson

Shane Dycer (Centrals senior coach)
Winner – Callum Ferguson. Runner up – Matty Gordon. Longshot Chris Bytheway

Derek Ferguson (Apollo senior coach)
Winner – Callum Ferguson. Runner up – Marcus Morony. Longshot Adam Hodge

Sam Ferguson (Blue Lake senior coach)
Winner – Adam Osman. Runner up – Callum Ferguson. Longshot Matthew Gregetic

John Bruttomesso (Sharks Sports Director)
Winner – Callum Ferguson. Runner up – Christian Cella. Longshot Matty Weistra

Luke Gerritsen (Portland Veteran)
Winner – Dante Bonner. Runner up – Marcus Morony. Longshot Stephen Arthur

Amy Inglis (SEWFA President)
Winner – Chris Bytheway. Runner up – Tristan Guess. Longshot Tom Inglis

THE ROUND BALL

Winner - Callum Ferguson. Runner up - Adam Osman.Longshot Jesse Wenham

My tip is for Callum Ferguson to win it because he is always in the play and he does the spectacular things that the referees notice but also does the team things as well. Christian Cella has had some spectacular games and will poll a number of best on grounds and I expect him to be runner up. Chris Bytheway is my tip as a longshot. The three times that I have seen him play he has been excellent however he may have too many games in the seconds half of the season.

Now we look at the semi finals of the Shadows/Belgiornos Cup. The two games are very similar with Inter and Apollo being hot favourites to win against Blue Lake and Millicent respectively. The Inter Blue Lake clash is an interesting one with Blue Lake pushing Inter all year but not being able to get a win in three attempts. The last time they met was in the semi final of the top four and an undermanned Inter came away with a two nil victory. They could be undermanned again as I believe Adam Osman will be out due to suspension and Adam Craig nursing a hamstring strain from last weeks final against Apollo and I would be surprised if he plays. Inter will still be able to field a very strong side and should regain Marcus Morony from suspension. Inter will be trying hard to finish the season off in style by taking the cup out which would give them all three pieces of silverware in their 50th season. Add to this the fact that it is probably Tony D’Agostino’s last year as coach it would be a perfect finish to an extremely successful career. Standing in their way will be the young Blue Lake side desperate to get something out of a season where they have improved all year. They are still hurting from the last time when they believed that they should have been able to beat the undermanned Inter. Their biggest problem which I have mentioned many times before is their inability to score and with Brett Reid in top form in the Inter goals they may struggle again. I think that this will be the closest game of the two but I expect Inter to come out on top.
Apollo will still be seething from missing a golden opportunity last week and I can’t see them letting this game slip. They will be missing Marcus Wallace who was sent off last week but will probably replace him with Gavin Hancock who returns from suspension. Apollo played good soccer last week and if they play to that level they should account for Millicent who rely on too few to do too much. They have not played for nearly five weeks and finished the regular season with consecutive losses to Blue Lake and Centrals. On the up side they should have a full squad to pick from and it must be remembered that they drew with Apollo earlier in the season. If Millicent can hold Apollo out and frustrate them in the first half they will not be without a chance as they are able to keep running all day. I expect Apollo to have too much class all over the Park and will want to set up a repeat of last weeks final against Inter if they get over Blue Lake. Apollo to win.

Which Top 4 semi final will you see?

Lew has mentioned Ryan Tobin as a potential starter for Centrals this week against Apollo.

Well the Premiership is done and dusted and we now move on to the next piece of silverware, the Dycer Constructions Top Four competition.

The two Top 4 semi finals will match International against Blue Lake and Apollo against Centrals.


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International v Blue Lake

Malseed Park (home of Blue Lake Soccer Club) at 2:30 pm


The first semi pits Premiers Inter against fourth placed Blue Lake in what promises to be an interesting game. As Premiers, Inter will deservedly go into this match as the hot favourites. Coach Tony D'Agostino has no injury concerns, he said that Robbie Manfrin will be back from injury and Adam Osman is also back after a weeks holiday.

The only concern that D'Agostino has is the fact that Inter have both senior grades and the under 17s involved in the semi finals. The under 17s and A Grade are at Malseed Park while the B Grade will be at Casadio Park. I am sure that this will not hamper them too much with the depth that they have.

D'Agostino believes that Blue Lake is the most improved side this year and both times that they have met has resulted in close games. He says that the young Blues have a fairly balanced side and expects a terrific contest.

Blue Lake coach Sam Ferguson has been around long enough to know the strengths of the International soccer club and understands that he will have to pull something out of the bag to upset them. He also will have a full squad to pick from although he also has the problems with all three grades playing on Sunday.

Blue Lake, if they can take their chances early could unsettle Inter but they have struggled all year to score consistently and with Inter having so many options in front of goals it is hard to go against them.

The midfield battle will be a ripper with Ferguson, Strachan and McRostie up against Bonner, Galloway and Redfern. Both have good defences and I expect this to go right down to the wire and do not be surprised if it goes to a penalty shootout.

Lew's prediction: Lew is sitting on the fence


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Apollo v Centrals

Casadio Park (home of International Soccer Club) at 2:30 pm

The second semi final is between Apollo and Centrals. This game will be another fantastic spectacle. This will be Centrals only chance of a trophy after being knocked out of the cup, so expect them to throw everything at this. They have struggled this year but would see this as their chance to redeem themselves.

This is the fourth consecutive year the two clubs have played off in this fixture with Centrals winning 2006 and going on to win the title. Apollo bounced back in 2007 and then last season it was Centrals winning in a marathon 14-13 on penalties.

Centrals beat Apollo in both premiership clashes this season, however Apollo defeated Centrals in their Shadows Belgiorno Cup qualification match. Centrals have the edge 5-2 over the last two years but all matches have been extremely close.

Centrals rebounded from their loss to Blue Lake with a convincing three goal win over the much improved Millicent last week, while Apollo easily accounted for the Sharks at home.

Centrals could see the return of Adrian Hurst and Ryan Tobin for this week's match after both have not played for three weeks. This week Centrals coach Shane Dycer will have the most players available since he has been back in the hot seat at Bishop Road.

Apollo's squad is a deep one with Ash Stenner a possible inclusion if he travels down from Kingston.

Key Match Ups which will decide this final will be Shane Heemskerk v Adam Hodge, Matt Gordon v Paul Prentis and Nathan Tidy v Luke Odgers.

Lew's prediction: Lew is sitting on the fence


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If you want to see some exciting competitive soccer this week your only problem will be deciding which match to see, but I have a feeling that whichever one you go to see you will not walk away disappointed.

Contributed by Lew Ferguson

Lew's predictions for last round of WBSA Premership

Matthew Weistra will play his final game for the season on Sunday as the Sharks take on Apollo.

The final round of the Dycer Constructions Western Border soccer is upon us and unfortunately there is not a huge amount of changes that will be of interest.

The Premiership has already been won by International and, unless there is a huge upset, all positions will stay the same with Apollo, Centrals and Blue Lake filling the top four behind International.


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Gambier Centrals v Millicent United

The match of the round will be Centrals against Millicent at Centrals.

Centrals will be fired up to get some form on the board leading into the top four. Although they have had a horror year with injury I am sure that they will still be disappointed to finish third.

Millicent on the other hand have had quite a good year. They will almost certainly finish fifth in the Premership, unless there is a major upset in the Blue Lake v Naracoorte game at Malseed Park. Millicent drew against Centrals last time they played and will be keen to get some kind of psychological advantage before the Shadows/Belgiorno Cup semi finals.

Millicent will rely on Matthew Gregetic, Cam Saint and Brett Dibley while Centrals will look to Jesse Wenham, Toby Kennett and the reliable Brodie Koop.

I am tipping Centrals to get back in the winners circle.

Lew's prediction: Gambier Centrals 3 - 1 Millicent United



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Blue Lake v Naracoorte United

Blue Lake take on Naracoorte at Malseed Park. Blue Lake will be full of confidence after beating Centrals last week and should have Mitchell Thomson and Kyle Reiner available for selection.

This will be Naracoorte's last outing for the year and I am sure that they will want to give a good account of themselves, but I cannot see them being able to match the much improved Blue Lake side. Naracoorte will be relying too much on too few.

The Blues have a great deal of belief in their ability at the moment but, unless they keep working hard, they too may become unstuck. I'm sure that coach Sam Ferguson will be trying to fine tune this unit knowing that they will be up against Inter in the semi finals of both the Cup and the top four.

Blue Lake to win.

Lew's prediction: Blue Lake 6 - 0 Naracoorte United



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International v Portland

My congratulations go to Tony D'Agostino and his team on winning the 2009 Premiership. With the Premiership on the Inter trophy shelf I am sure that D'Agostino will be already thinking about the Cup and top four competitions.

Regardless of whether he plays his full strength team or whether he rests some players to give some youngsters a run they will be way too strong for the battling Portland side. Inter has class all over the Park and will score goals at will.

Portland got their first points last week with a draw against the Sharks but I am sure that they will be disappointed with the fact that they only had one draw for the season. They have some good players but availability and commitment has hampered them all year.

Inter to win.

Lew's prediction: International 7 - 0 Portland



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Apollo v Gambier City Sharks

Apollo are at home to a Sharks side that have had a season they would rather forget.

Apollo will win this game comfortably to finish runners up to Inter. They will be without Ash Stenner due to suspension but this will make no difference to the score. They will be too strong and like some other clubs will be trying to get some form ready to fight out the top four and cup games.

Sharks have really struggled after a reasonable start to the year but the commitment of some of their players have seen them with a lack of numbers both at training and also on Sundays, they will be glad that this is the end of 2009.

Apollo to win.

Lew's prediction: Apollo 6 - 0 Gambier City Sharks



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Submitted by Lew Ferguson

Millicent and Blue Lake clash to determine 4th spot

The Match of the Round of the Dycer Construction Wester Border Soccer Association Premership sees Millicent host Blue Lake. The outcome of this game could determine the fourth spot in the Premership, and the last position in the Dycer Top 4 Semis.

Meanwhile the other games should go according to form with Inter, Centrals and Apollo taking Sharks, Naracoorte and Portland respectively.


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MILLICENT v BLUE LAKE

The coveted fourth spot will surely be decided this week when Blue Lake travel to Millicent. The last time these teams met it was Blue Lake who took the points with a 4-2 victory.

Millicent started the year with some very good results, including drawn games against Apollo and Centrals, which would have given them confidence of reaching the top four. However, in recent weeks they have struggled against all teams above them. They had a big win against the Sharks last week and will be determined to keep their finals dream alive. The never say die attitude will ensure that the game will go down to the wire.

Blue Lake will be without Mitchell Thomson due to suspension but apart from that should have a full squad to pick from.

Once again I think the key to this game will be whether Blue Lake can take their chances. They generally create as many chances as any other team but need to finish.

Blue Lake to win a close one.

Lew's prediction: Millicent United 2 - 4 Blue Lake


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INTER v SHARKS

After last week's results, Inter have as good as wrapped up the premiership, so this would, under normal circumstances, be a danger game for Inter.

Along with that Inter have a number of players who will be playing in Adelaide on Friday night as part of the Regional Select Team v Collegiate League Select, therefore Tony D'Agostino will rest a number of players. Missing also will be Joel Redfern due to suspension.

I did say that normally this would be a danger game for Inter, however the Sharks season has gone from bad to worse recently with losses to Naracoorte and Millicent in the last two weeks.

I cannot see the Sharks getting anywhere near Inter. Even with a depleted squad, Inter will have way too many big guns for the struggling Sharks and should cruise to a win.

Lew's prediction: International 6 - 0 Gambier City Sharks



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CENTRALS v NARACOORTE

Centrals are back in form and take on Naracoorte. Even though the premiership is almost certain to be heading to Cassadio Park, Centrals will be desperately trying to get past Apollo and into second spot.

Naracoorte have had some good results in the second half of the season but taking on Centrals at Bishop Road will surely be beyond them.

Centrals will almost certainly welcome back some key players this week and will be trying to get some good form going as preparation for their only chance of silver ware this year in the top four competition.

Centrals to win.

Lew's prediction: Gambier Centrals 5 - 0 Naracoorte United


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PORTLAND v APOLLO

The final game sees Apollo travel to Portland.

Portland is still yet to register a win this season and I can't see that changing this week. Portland have really struggled this year and may have had their last chance for a win last week against Naracoorte but came up short.

Apollo will be very disappointed with the loss to Centrals last week and will not want to now give up second spot. They will be in a dangerous mood and will look to improve their percentage.

Apollo to win.

Lew's prediction: Portland 0 - 7 Apollo


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Submitted by Lew Ferguson

Lew's Predictions

Round 11 of the Dycer Construction Wester Border Soccer Association promises to be the most interesting so far. League leaders Inter take on the improving Blue Lake who are in fourth spot. Second placed Apollo will shoot it out with third placed Centrals. The Sharks (fourth) host Millicent (fifth) and Naracoorte make the long trip to bottom placed Portland in the battle for the wooden spoon.

In the match of the round Apollo are at home to Centrals and need to win to keep pace with Inter. Apollo won against Blue Lake last week and will be hot favourite to take the points again this week. They are playing well at the moment and have plenty of depth with Gavin Hancock and Marcus Wallace both playing well in the reserves last week. Im sure that Apollo coach Derek Ferguson will spend a lot of time deciding his final line up. So far this year the have beaten each other but since Centrals defeated Apollo in the first game they have lost Bruce Morale for the rest of the season with a calf injury and Cameron Hart to Geelong.
Apollo has slowly gained momentum after the loss to the lions and beat Inter to prove they are the real deal in2009. Centrals still have no Morale, Mitchell Cutting, Peter Robbins, Alex Bissell and last week played without goal keeper Brodey Koop.
Adam Hodge and Stuart Wallace for Apollo will be hard to hold for the Centrals defence and skipper Jesse Wenham and Shane Heemskerk will have their hands full.
The midfield battle between Matt Gordan and Paul Prentis will determine the tempo of the match and the lions will also need to find a way at corners and stoppages to combat the size of Stenner and Odgers. Centrals are a bogey team for Apollo with the lions leading the head to head 4-2 over the last two years and will want to show that there is still some fight down at Bishop Road Apollo to win 3-1.
Inter host Blue Lake and will not take them lightly after just holding on to win 3-2 in their last encounter. Inter have so many avenues to score goals that the Blues defence will need to be at their very best. With Joel Redfern, Christian Cella, Marcus Morony and Adam Osman all scoring regularly it is very hard to see any team holding them scoreless, therefore the only way to defeat them is to outscore them. Blue Lake played well Against Apollo last week but until they can convert the numerous chances that they create they will not beat the big teams. Mitchell Thomson, Tristan Guess, Callum Ferguson and Walter Chatindiara are all capable of scoring goals but when they are up against the big guns they aren’t able to convert the pressure goals. When they can do this they will take a big scalp, for their sake it must be this week as there is no bigger scalp than Inter at home. I won’t be surprised if Blue Lake cause an upset but I am tipping Inter to win 4-2.
Millicent travel to Shark Park and the loser of this game can forget about finishing in the top 4. The Sharks confidence must be at an all time low after getting thumped by Naracoorte 8-2 last week and I do not think that they will bounce back. Their player unavailability has been just one of the problems this year, but there may be other factors either way they will have to turn their form around 180degrees to get at least a point. Millicent had a rare thrashing last week but I am sure that they have the players and commitment to get back into form against the Sharks. Millicent to win 4-1.
Naracoorte make the longest trip in the league going down to the winless Portland. Both teams had good results last week with Naracoorte defeating the Sharks and Portland only just losing to Centrals at Centrals. Portland has been improving slowly and with a home game should be able to field strong teams and not rely on players having to play two or three games. Naracoorte on the other hand may not have a full squad able to make the trip and for that reason I think Portland will be able to have their first win of the year. Portland to win 3-2.

Lew's Predictions

Round 10 in the Dycer Construction Soccer Premiership pits Blue Lake against Apollo, Inter travel to Millicent, Centrals host Portland while Naracoorte face the Sharks.

In the match of the round Apollo will travel to Malseed park knowing that the last time the two met here ended in a two all draw and a similar result this time will cost it dearly in it’s quest for the premiership. Blue Lake has been going along nicely over the last two months and is really looking forward to this game. The Blues should be at full strength this week with goalkeeper Andy Armandi finally overcoming a hand injury. Coach Sam Ferguson has them playing very committed soccer. Their back four have been very good this year ably led by Blair Branstone, the midfield is as good as any on its day and with Ferguson and Thomson in great scoring touch this is a great opportunity to get a big scalp. This year Blue Lake has drawn with both Centrals and Apollo, but is yet to take that next step by actually beating one of the top three. This may be their best chance of doing so. Apollo would believe that they are a great chance of taking out the Premiership and that they need to win these games to stay in touch with Inter until their next meeting. They have a good young side with Matty Ripper, Chris Bytheway and Marcus Wallis and when you add in the experience of Paul Prentice, Adam Hodge and Luke Odgers they are a formidable opponent. Derek Ferguson has been pushing the team to stay focussed, knowing that consistency is the key to their success. I sat on the fence with my prediction the last time they met and will do so again 2-2 draw.

Millicent is another side which has pushed the big teams but are not able to take full points. Both times that they have played Inter they have been in winning positions only to concede goals late in the game. They rely too much on too few with the likes of Matt Gregetic, Cameron Saint and Brett Dibley being prominent. Inter on the other hand have strengths all over the park and have been able to rest some of their players in an effort to keep them in top shape at the business end of the season. Christian Cella is in brilliant form of late and must be stopped. The problem is stop him and there is Joel Redfern, Adam Osman Dante Bonner and Co to step up. Although Millicent has troubled them in the past I think Inter will win 4-1.

Centrals will hope to get back on track this week when it comes up against struggling Portland. It has been turmoil at Centrals in the last 6 days with them losing 5-0 to Inter on Sunday and then having their senior coach Phil Muller resign. Shane Dycer takes over and is assisted by Adrian Koop and Bruce Morale. Shane has previously coached Centrals in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 so he knows what is required, the question is can he change the fortunes around. They have had their problems with injury however they are starting to get some good players back, but a lot depends on whether Bruce Morale is fit. He struggled last week and it would be unlikely that he plays this week. Portland is still without a win this season and I cannot see that changing this week. They do not travel well and do not always have a full team available; therefore I can’t see them being able to hold Centrals Centrals to win 6-0

The final game is Naracoorte at home to the Sharks. The Sharks have dropped down to 6th in recent weeks and they will need to improve dramatically to have any chance of getting back into top 4 contention. They are playing inconsistently and rarely have the same team from one week to another. If they can take close to their best team to Naracoorte then they should get back on the winning list. Naracoorte at home should be able to push the Sharks all the way if they are able to get their best 11 together, as they have also been hampered by injury and unavailability. Not knowing who will have the most players available makes it hard to predict an outcome, however I will tip the Sharks to win 3-2

Lew's Predictions

Round 8 of Western Border Soccer did not provide any upsets which leaves Inter on top from Apollo and Centrals with Blue Lake moving into fourth spot with a good win against Portland.
Round 9 will be an interesting round with league leaders Inter at home to third placed Centrals, Sharks take on Blue Lake at home. Apollo host Naracoorte and Millicent travel to Portland.
In the match of the round at Cassadio Park the pressure will be on Centrals, a loss will see them fall five points behind Inter and three points behind Apollo. With a lower percentage than both of these teams it could signal the end of their Premiership aspirations. This would be devastating after being bundled out of the cup two weeks ago. Centrals have been decimated by injury in the last few weeks but should welcome back Shane Heemskerk, Bryan Lindsay, Peter Robbins and Daniel Mitchell. An injury cloud still hangs over their goal scoring forward Bruce Morale who will need to train strongly Friday to be considered. Inter Coach Tony D’Agostino knows that this will be a hard game and welcomes back tough defender Robbie Manfrin and Ricky McRobert. He will need to watch Nathan Tidy up front and both Tobei Kennett and Ryan Tobin in the midfield. Jesse Wenham will have to marshall the troops strongly at the back if they are going to hold the Inter forwards. Christian Cella, Marcus Morony and Joel Redfern are all in fine goal scoring form and I don’t think that Centrals will be able to hold them for an entire game and unless Bruce Morale plays Nathan Tidy will find it hard playing a lone hand up front. Although Inter have won seven of the last ten against Centrals, all of Centrals wins have been at Cassadio Park. Phil Muller will have his boys fired up for this game and although a hard one to call I lean towards Inter simply because they look more dangerous up front, but one thing is for sure, it will be a very physical encounter with both teams willing to put their bodies on the line to get an advantage. Inter to win 4-2.
As the battle to maintain fourth spot hots up the Sharks take on Blue Lake. Blue Lake took fourth spot last week from the Sharks and will be desperate to not just keep it but look towards third spot if Centrals slip up. The Sharks continue to struggle to get a team on the Park and unbelievably only had 10 players last week against Centrals. With the likes of Dino Gentile, Pramot Goldsworthy, Terry Stevenson and Craig Wright all missing it is hard to see them match it with the in form Blues. Blue Lake has only lost one game of the last seven and will be keen to stretch that record. Although missing come key players in the last few weeks they have still managed to get good results. The Sharks still have some very good players getting around with Lance Da Rocha, Matty Weistra Wayne Lennon and Heath Widdison all striving to keep them competitive but with Mitch Thomson, Callum Ferguson, Bryce Strachan and Justin McRostie in midfield I can’t see the Sharks holding them. John and Damo Stemberger are the keys to the Sharks scoring goals but Blue Lake welcome Kyle Reiner back to strengthen up the Blues defence and this defence has only conceded 3 goals in 5 games. Blue Lake to win 4-1.
Apollo host Naracoorte and I think that Apollo coach Derek Ferguson will be hoping to get through this game unscathed injury wise. Apollo will be too strong all over the park and may be able to improve on the goal percentage. Naracoorte have certainly been up and down this year and I think the trip to Apollo will be too much for them. Even with a full side they won’t be able to stop the potent forward line led by Adam Hodge. With Paul Prentice and Ash Stenner continually feeding the young forwards Apollo should run out comfortable winners
7-0.
The last match of the round sees Millicent make the long trip to Portland needing a win to stay in touch with the Sharks and Blue Lake. Millicent have had injury problems of late and if they can send a full squad they should come away with three points but they would be unwise to take Portland lightly. Portland has some very good players and they are due to string a good game together. Bryan Fitzgerald is unavailable but they have the luxury of being able to play their under 17 players in A grade fresh as Millicent do not have under 17s. Portland coach Craig Taylor will have this game pencilled in as winnable and with the home ground advantage it should be an even contest in the muddy conditions. I am tipping a 2 all draw.

Lew's Predictions

Well with the cup qualifying rounds done and dusted we now move into the second half of the Premiership season. Sharks host Centrals, league leaders Inter travel to Naracoorte, Millicent are at home to Apollo and Portland are at home to Blue Lake.
Centrals will be out to atone for being knocked out of the cup when they play the Sharks. A loss would severely hamper their Premiership aspirations as they are still two points behind Inter and in third spot, on the other hand the Sharks will be desperate to gain at least a point to try and hold onto fourth position as their cup campaign also finished last weekend. I am unsure who will be back in for Centrals but assuming that Gordon, Wenham and Heemskerk come in they will be too strong for the Sharks. The Sharks seem to be having all sorts of problems with player unavailability and I cannot see them troubling Centrals unless they have their full strength team The game is at Shark park and although this will suit the Sahrks Centrals have too strong a defence with Bissel and Mitchell for the Sharks forwards
Prediction Centrals to win 4-1
For the second week in a row Naracoorte face Inter, at least they are at home this time. Naracoorte were more competitive towards the end of the first round and will not be easy. Marshall should return this week to bolster numbers. Inter rested numerous players last week and apart from Manfrin, Lewis and Joe Bueti they should be almost full strength. Some of the returning players this week are Osman, Redfern, Morony, Cella and McRobert. With that sort of talent coming back fresh I can only see one outcome, Inter to take the points comfortably. D’agastino has managed his players through a hectic schedule extremely well and he will reap the benefits of this and increase his teams already impressive goal percentage. The only blemish on the Inter season so far was the loss to Apollo and from their point of view maybe it was the loss that they had to have to make them refocus on what lies ahead. Prediction Inter to win
9-0.
Millicent is at home to Apollo and will be reasonably confident of taking at least a point off of them. The opening game of the season between these two ended in a draw. Millicent have had good results against the top three teams with two 3-2 losses against Inter and a draw against both Apollo and Centrals. Apollo are currently sitting second on the ladder, two points behind Inter and will be hoping to take the points to keep up with the league leaders. Millicent are currently in a battle with Blue Lake and the Sharks to get into the top four and know that they can match it with Apollo, and will be looking to improve on the draw last time. The Apollo defence is very strong and if the forwards can convert chances they will come home with all three points, however if they don’t put the game away early Millicents never say die attitude will bring them undone. Prediction Apollo to win 3-1.
The last game of the round sees Blue Lake travelling to Portland. In the last five weeks Blue Lake will have travelled to Portland twice and Naracoorte once. Portland were down in numbers last week in their loss to Apollo but will be at almost full strength this week at home. The only player doubtful is youngster Miller who injured his ankle last week but hopes to be fit for Sunday. If they can have enough players to have fresh legs for the A Grade match then they will be competitive. Blue Lake will be buoyed by completing their cup campaign undefeated and the only worries they have at the moment is their goalkeepers. Armandi is still out and fill in Keeper Davison is unavailable for this weekends game so they will rely on Vic Bentvelzen to step up. The young Blues side will not take this game easy as they also will be striving to get into the top four. Blue Lake defeated Portland 6-0 two weeks ago and I don’t think Portland can improve enough to trouble them. Prediction: Blue Lake to win 7-0

Lew's Predictions

The end of the qualifying rounds of the Shadows/Belgiornos cup is almost upon us and there are many outcomes possible.

In group A Inter have already qualified and are on top of their group with two wins, however Naracoorte and the Sharks are on one win apiece, with Millicent yet to register. Unfortunately for Naracoorte they play Inter at Cassadio Park and unless they can cause a major boilover they will bow out. The other game is between the Sharks and Millicent and Millicent needs a win to finish second whereas the Sharks will go through with a win or draw as long as Inter win.
In group B it is just as close with Apollo guaranteed of qualifying if they at least get draw against the winless Portland (who cannot qualify). The Blue Lake Centrals game looms as the game of the round. Blue Lake currently leads the group on four points and Centrals are third with three points so a win or draw for Blue Lake will see them through while Centrals need a win.

GROUP A
Inter v Naracoorte
Inter go into this game as the raging favourites and only have Manfrin unavailable from last week. Inter have had the luxury to rest players recently and may well do the same here and give other players an opportunity to impress. They will not take the visitors easy though especially after their good win against Millicent last week. Even though Millicent were missing some key players take nothing away from Naracoorte and they will b fired up to cause a huge upset and qualify for the semi finals. They have Marshall, Espisito, Amos and Smitherman all in good form, however Inter have class all over the park and with Redfern, Osman and Bonner in good form I cannot see Naracoorte holding them. New recruit Morris made his debut last week and it will be interesting if he gets a start this week. Prediction Inter to win 7-1


Millicent v Sharks
It is more than likely that the winner of this game will advance to the semi finals although a draw will see the Sharks progressing. Even though there were undermanned last week in their loss to Naracoorte Millicent would still have thought they would have won this game. Thankfully with Inter trouncing the Sharks they are still in with a show. Both of these teams are up and down but will be delighted that their fate is in their own hands. I think it will be a physical game with good match ups all over the ground. Millicent will rely on getting Gregetic, Rebellato and Berlin back from injury. The Sharks are also relying on too few including Da Rocha, Weistra, Widdison and Lennon working tirelessly week in week out and they need others to stand up. Not knowing who the ins and outs will be makes it difficult to predict however I lean towards Millicent to prevail. Prediction Millicent to win 3-2

GROUP B
Blue Lake v Centrals
It has been some time since Blue Lake has defeated Centrals, but this week could be a great chance to do just that. Centrals are missing Morale with an injury and Gordon with suspension. With Cam Harts departure their stocks will be tested. They do have both Heemskerk and Mitchell coming back. Blue Lake wont be at full strength either with Armandi still out and the in form Kyle Reiner also unavailable.
When these two teams met in the regular season it was Centrals who came out on top 5-2 however Blue Lake has improved quite a bit since then and the main destroyer that day was Hart. The midfield battle will be fierce with Kennett Robbins and maybe Estevez against Ferguson, McRostie, Strachan. Guess and Thomson are working well up front along with Chatindiara who scored a hat trick last week. Centrals inspirational captain Wenham, young gun Bissel and Heemskerk along with Koop in goals will need to be on their game. The Blue Lake back four have been very good of late but with Tidy up front they will also need to be on their toes. All in all this should be a terrific game which could go either way. Prediction-Blue Lake to win 3-2.

Apollo v Portland
Although Portland have struggled this year they do seem to be getting stronger each week and will hopefully have coach Taylor available this week against Apollo. Even though they cannot qualify they will be determined to push Apollo all the way. They have some good players in Fitzgerald, Skinner, Gates and goalkeeper Arthur , however I don’t think that they can beat the strong Apollo line up including Odgers, Bytheway and Johnson at the back Prentice and Stenner in the middle and Hodge up front. These two teams did not meet up in the regular season due to Portland forfeiting and Apollo will want to get some revenge for not having the chance to increase their percentage in that game. Prediction Apollo to win 6-0

Cheers
Lew Fergsuon

Lew's Predictions

This Sunday sees an interesting set of fixtures for Round 2 of the Shadows / Belgiorno Cup. Sharks take on Inter at Shark Park, Millicent make the long road trip to Naracoorte, Gambier Centrals host Apollo in the match of the round, and Blue Lake travel to Portland.
Group A
SHARKS v INTER
Inter will see this as a danger game. They will not have the best preparation due to the WBSA senior select squad game against the Riverland Friday night. Inter have a number of players making the trip to Adelaide and then fronting up again Sunday; on top of that young gun Ryan Lewis has a serious knee injury.
Fortunately they have enough class to cover this and with the skill of players like Bonner, Galloway, Osman and co they will not let this game slip away.
The Sharks on their day are very good and have Lennon, Da Rocha and Weistra in top form, but they sometimes lack the cohesion needed to trouble the big clubs. They have had a lot of players out in recent matches and it will depend on their availability to whether they are able to come away with any points.
The one area that Inter are having issues with is the goalkeeper. Von Duve is still a couple of weeks from returning and stand in keeper Vorwerk strained a hamstring last week. Brett Reid comes in and I am sure that his experience will hold him in good stead.
I think that Inter would come away with all three points, but it won't be as comfortable as the 7-0 score line the last time that they met.
Lew's prediction Sharks 1-4 International
NARACOORTE v MILLICENT
Millicent would be extremely disappointed to have come so close to Inter for the second time this year with nothing to show for it. Unfortunately for Naracoorte Millicent will be pumped up for this game to keep them in touch of a finals berth.
Gregetic and Saint have been in top form recently, and both are causing opposition defences all sorts of trouble.
Naracoorte will also be desperate to get a win to give them any chance of snatching a top two spot, however with Inter in the last round of qualifying they would need to take all three points in this game. With players like Marshall, Esposito I am sure that they will give their all but I don't think it will be enough.
Lew's prediction: Naracoorte 1-4 Millicent
Group B
GAMBIER CENTRALS v APOLLO
This is the match of the round, and it should be an absolute cracker of a game. Centrals come off of a good win at Portland while Apollo only managed a draw against Blue Lake.
Apollo know that they must win this game or they could go out of finals contention, while Centrals know that if they win they are all but guaranteed a finals berth. Centrals won't want to leave it until the third round against Blue Lake to claim that finals position.
There is class and youth all over the pitch for both of these sides. Both sides are capable of free flowing soccer and have many avenues to goals. Centrals have had the wood over Apollo in recent times. Ferguson read the riot act to his young charges after the draw last week and they will be eager to atone for this.
Lew's prediction Gambier Centrals 3-3 Apollo
PORTLAND v BLUE LAKE
Blue Lake were disappointed not to come away with all three points against Apollo last week, and will be trying to come home from Portland with a win. Blue Lake will again be without regular keeper Armandi, however Davison has been doing a terrific job in his absence.
Portland responded well after their 18-0 thumping from Inter two weeks ago to be competitive last week. They will have an unchanged line up this week and also know that they can forget finals if they lose this game.
In this corresponding game last year Portland surprised the Blues with an amazing come back win. After being down 1-4 they came back to win 6-4. I am sure that Blue's coach Ferguson will not allow that to happen again, and Blue Lake should come home with a 5-0 win, as I think it will be too hard for Portland to stop Ferguson, Thomson and Guess from scoring.
At the other end Branstone, Domaschenz and Reiner have been very solid and although Portland are improving I don't think that they have the forwards to penetrate this line.
Lew's prediction: Portland 0-5 Blue Lake
Submitted by Lew Ferguson