B-Liga Fouth Round Summary

The fourth round of the B-Liga was held after a two week lay-off, to allow any international players to join up with their national squads for the World Cup qualifiers. Despite not having anyone arrested on DUI charges, the media was hungry for any news from Broome's premier footballing league, and they descended in droves on Father McMahon field for two matches which would surely be as close as they were competitive.

In the match of the round, champions NDFC took on former champions Pearl Coast Pirates, with the Pirates looking to blow out their lead at the top to a whopping 8 points. They weren't without problems though, with talismanic midfielder Phil Sheridan away on international duties, and captain Richard Brunger forced to watch the match on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury in the last round. With a weakened Pirates' team, NDFC looked to go on the attack and show just why they were the champions. Alan Armstrong, who was praised by retiring coach Frank Longstaff last week, was the key to the NDFC midfield which held up resolutely, to limit the Pirates to just one goal in the first half. That was equalled by the champs to make it 1-1 at half time. However, the second half saw the Pirates pushing forward harder than they had before, and they were rewarded with two more goals to seal the match. The question must now be asked, how will the Pirates cope without key man Gareth Jones, who has inked a deal to return to Sydney in the next few weeks?

Final Score: NDFC 1 - 3 Pearl Coast Pirates

Racing Guantanamo had been riding a wave of euphoria after their third round destruction of Hagan's Heroes two weeks ago. They faced a stiff test of their new-found match winning ability in Broome City. City, who have had their fair share of critics in the media for their discipline issues, took the field without captain Tim Mildenhall who was away on international duties. Both teams started off well - with opportunities at both ends, but it was City who took the lead through an uncharacteristic mistake by Guantanamo captain Andy Smyth, who passed the ball to Jamie Lane who thundered the ball past Orange goalkeeper Andy Chapman. The score stayed at that for rest of the first half and much of the second, as the Mighty Orange tried to find a way through the stubborn Broome City defence. However, a second goal for the Blues was followed by 4 more in quick succession as Guantanamo finished the match with a whimper and City locked themselves into second spot on the ladder.

Final Score: Broome City 6 - 0 Racing Guantanamo

B-Liga Table

Next Match Preview

By the Anonymous Analyst

Hagan's Heroes vs. Broome City

Odds: Hagan's Heroes win $3.00, Draw $2.00, Broome City win $2.50

Racing Guantanamo AFC vs. NDFC

Odds: Racing Guantanamo win $2.30, Draw $2.10, NDFC $2.40

With Pearl Coast Pirates out of the equation this weekend, the results will be a lot harder to call. In match one of the round, a demoralised Hagan's Heroes host a rejuvenated Broome City. City, who were a little flattered by the scoreline against Racing Guantanamo, will be looking to consolidate their results, which have seen the Blues awarded the 'most inconsistent' tag, with one win, one draw and one loss so far. The Heroes on the other hand have seen their worst start to a B-Liga season ever, with the newly-made-green team winning only one game so far. I am going to have to sit on the fence on this one, as I can't see either team in excellent form, and I reckon they'll both cancel each other out. Draw - but exciting to watch.

With a deflated Racing Guantanamo looking to fire up again to recapture the form shown before the break, look for the Mighty Oranges to really try and stamp their authority on this game from the start. However, with NDFC welcoming back Alan Armstrong and JJ Murray, this could be a tall order for Guantanamo, who will be without marquee man Tony Delaney (thigh). I would expect another hard fought match here, and again it's too close to really call with any confidence. But I'm going to have to go ahead and say Racing Guantanamo will pip it by a slender margin. Guantanamo to win, but not convincingly.

Until next week.