NPL Preview: City v Box Hill

City will host Box Hill United on Saturday afternoon in what will be its penultimate game of the NPL3 season.

The boys will be full of motivation to grab the three points at Parade College, coming into this fixture off the back of their first loss in six matches.

A top of the table battle at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex a fortnight ago saw a big crowd enjoy a fierce contest, with both teams having their chances. Unfortunately for City, a Preston goal in the dying stages was enough for it to jump the hosts in the race to the Championship.

City now sits a sole point behind on the table, so will need Preston to drop points while getting the job done itself both this Saturday and on the final day of the season next weekend if it is to be crowned Champions.

Head Coach John Maisano won’t be letting his squad get ahead of themselves though, with the focus solely on Box Hill this weekend.

With a week off across the competition last week, City will come into the fixture well rested and hungry to secure the vital three points.

City’s defence is still comfortably the second-best in the league and another solid performance will be needed at the back.

Although Box Hill may sit 9^th on the table, it still possesses plenty of threats going forward, having comfortably outscored most teams around it with 14 different players getting their names on the scoresheet this season. Comparatively, City has had 12 players find the back of the net, despite the fact it has scored 17 more goals across the campaign.

After just a third goalless outing of the season last time out, Maisano will be seeking a clinical performance in front of goal from his side. Max Caputo (nine goals this season) looks primed for another big performance, while Luke Oresti – fresh off scoring the Australia Cup winner for City’s senior squad – will be looking to continue his strong form.

Be sure to get down to Parade College to show your support for the boys in what will be their final home game of the NPL3 season!