Teams will get a second run at their first-round opposition in Round 4 of the Australian Championship as they begin to make the final push for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Marconi Stallions v Heidelberg United
Date: Friday 31 October
Kick-off: 7:35 pm (AEST)
Venue: Marconi Stadium
Round 4 gets underway on Friday night with a vital clash in Group B.
It was tight between these teams when they met in Round 1, with Heidelberg snatching a 1-0 win at home courtesy of Anthony Theodropoulos’ super strike.
The Stallions’ form has picked up significantly since their early United defeat, claiming back-to-back comprehensive wins in Group B.
Last weekend, they backed up a 4-0 victory against South Hobart with a similarly convincing 3-0 win over Wollongong Wolves.
William Akio put the hosts in front 14 minutes in, before a red card to Wolves defender Harrison Busenel, followed by Franco Maya’s penalty, put the side in a strong position at the break.
A goal by 17-year-old Noah Anderson in the second half finished off another momentum-building win for the Stallions.
Friday’s match-up will be Marconi’s third home match at Marconi Stadium in a row, where they have a perfect record in the competition.
Heidelberg have won all three of their matches in the Championship, as they breezed past South Hobart with a ruthless first-half display.
Angus Taylor got the scoring started as Bul Juach and Ciaran Bramwell both grabbed braces, while Fletcher Fulton finished off the scoring for United.
The Group B leaders conceded a late goal, their first in the against the column this campaign.
Three points for Heidelberg would secure them a place in the quarter-finals; a Marconi win could send the Stallions top of the group.
The games continue on Super Saturday with matches in Canberra and Sydney.
Canberra Croatia v Avondale
Date: Saturday 1 November
Kick-off: 1:00 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Deakin Stadium
Two teams desperate for points this weekend in the tightest group of the Championship go head-to-head on Saturday.
Canberra failed to build on their Round 2 comeback and suffered their second defeat of the campaign, going down 2-1 to NWS Spirit.
The side went in front through Shandon Whitehead, but Spirit quickly responded and won the points with a second-half strike.
Canberra currently sit third in Group C, two points behind the top two, Avondale and Spirit.
Avondale drew their second successive match, playing out a 0-0 stalemate with NPL Victoria rivals Preston Lions.
Despite their two-game winless run, they remain top of Group C and still unbeaten, but the rest of the competition has drawn closer.
The visitors will also be without central defender Matthew Reid, who was sent off late on against Lions.
Last time around in the opening round, Avondale flexed their goalscoring muscles with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Canberra Croatia.
Just three points separate first-placed Avondale from fourth-placed Preston in Group C, making three points on Saturday crucial for these teams to stay in the hunt for a quarter-final spot.
Sydney Olympic v South Melbourne
Date: Saturday 1 November
Kick-off: 3:15 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Jubilee Stadium
The teams from the Championship’s inaugural match-up will re-acquaint themselves in the late kick-off on Saturday.
It was a blockbuster to kick off the competition in Round 1, as South Melbourne got up in a five-goal thriller over Sydney Olympic.
These teams have had contrasting runs since then, but are currently the top two in Group A.
Olympic snapped a two-game winless run last weekend and picked up their first win of the campaign, 2-1 over Moreton City Excelsior.
Ali Agulah scored for the third week running with his early goal, before Michael Vakis doubled the advantage in the second half.
The side survived a late scare, conceding in the final two regular minutes, but kept their slender lead intact.
The rest of the group’s inconsistency has pushed South Melbourne into a strong position at the top, six points clear.
They are one of only two teams to have won all three of their matches in the Championship.
Last weekend, Hellas edged past Broadmeadow Magic with a 1-0 win courtesy of Yuki Uchida’s goal late in the first half.
Olympic will hope to make the most of their home form and climb closer to South Melbourne, while a victory for the visitors would put them in an almost-certain quarter-final spot.
There are five further match-ups on Sunday.
Moreton City Excelsior v Broadmeadow Magic
Date: Sunday 2 November
Kick-off: 1:00 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Perry Park
Two sides keen to turn around challenging starts to the Championship will take the field at Perry Park.
Moreton City lost their second game in a row over the weekend as they were edged out 2-1 by Sydney Olympic.
They found themselves 2-0 down heading into the final five minutes, with an 88th-minute Luka Jankovic goal insufficient to get them back into the match.
Magic also had a close call in their Round 3 game against South Melbourne, losing 1-0.
Three of the four teams in Group A are on three points, having won one match each.
With second place still firmly up for grabs in Group A, a win either way would change the complexion of the group.
The most recent and only time Moreton City tasted victory in the Championship was against Magic in Round 1, snatching the points via a stoppage-time penalty from Setia Murai.
Magic fought back twice in the match before succumbing to the late penalty.
Magic picked up their only win so far in Round 2 as Jarrad Baker proved his importance to the team, with a goal and an assist.
Baker has been one of the most productive players of the tournament so far, with two goals and one assist before the South Melbourne loss.
The top two teams in the group are in action in the other Group A clash, allowing these sides to push back up the table if they get up with a win.
Wollongong Wolves v South Hobart
Date: Sunday 2 November
Kick-off: 1:00 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Collegians Sports Centre
Two teams in need of a positive result in Group B face off on Sunday.
Wollongong have now endured back-to-back defeats following a second 3-0 loss, this time to Marconi.
The Wolves went behind within 15 minutes, before a red card to Harrison Buesnel and a goal conceded from the spot gave them an uphill battle in the second half.
They conceded once more after the break to round out another tough result for the South Coast team.
Wollongong will also be without key central defender Buesnel for Sunday’s clash, giving coach Luke Wilkshire a selection headache.
South Hobart fell victim to a first-half Heidelberg onslaught, going into the sheds 6-0 down.
The side can take some solace from the fact that their late consolation against United was the Hahn Australia Cup Finalists' first goal conceded of the tournament.
The Tasmanian Premiers are the only team in the competition yet to gain a point, but a stumbling Wolves outfit could be the team they change that against.
In Round 1, South Hobart gave Wollongong a tough test and quickly equalised after falling behind. Despite several chances for the Tasmanian outfit in the second half, the Wolves took the points.
A victory for Wollongong could take them back into contention for a quarter-final place, while three points for South Hobart could offer a late kick-start to their campaign.
Wests APIA v MetroStars
Date: Sunday 2 November
Kick-off: 1:00 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Leichhardt Oval
APIA suffered their first defeat of the campaign as they were edged out by Bayswater City.
It was the first time APIA have lost in the competition, or even conceded a goal and saw them fall off the top of Group D.
MetroStars ended their two-game winless run with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Sydney United.
After going into the sheds behind, within 15 minutes after the restart, the side turned the game around with goals from Michael Cittadini and Thomas Visser.
An APIA team reeling from their first defeat of the competition could be the perfect opposition for the momentum-boosted MetroStars to go back-to-back for the first time.
Three points for MetroStars would push the South Australia Premiers level on points with APIA in second position.
If APIA get up in this one, it will put them in a strong position to take the final quarter-final slot of Group D and ensure they keep pace with group-leading Bayswater.
NWS Spirit v Preston Lions
Date: Sunday 2 November
Kick-off: 4:30 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Christie Park
Spirit earned their first win of the Championship with a 2-1 victory over Canberra Croatia.
Their comeback credentials were on display again in Round 3, fighting back from a goal down to beat Canberra Croatia 2-1.
Michael Konestabo scored in back-to-back games before seasoned super sub Aedon Kyra secured the win for his team.
The result moves Spirit up to equal second in Group C, level on points with Avondale, who have failed to win in their last two matches.
Given the close state of Group C, all four teams are still more than capable of making the quarter-finals.
Preston played out the first 0-0 draw of the Championship with a tight battle against fellow NPL Victoria outfit Avondale.
The point keeps Lions in contention for the quarter-finals, only three points behind second-place Spirit.
In Round 1 against Spirit, the visitors suffered a late suckerpunch after Jason Romero had given them the lead in a solid performance to draw.
Group C could still go any way, making three points on Sunday a must for these teams.
Bayswater City v Sydney United
Date: Sunday 2 November
Kick-off: 4:30 pm (AEDT)
Venue: Frank Drago Reserve
A rematch of an early Australian Championship shock will take place on Sunday, with a different context this time around.
The last time these sides faced each other back in Round 1, Bayswater snatched a late point in what seemed like an upset.
Fast forward to Round 4, and Bayswater sit top of the group, while United are at the foot of the table without a win.
In Round 3, City picked up an impressive 1-0 win against NPL NSW Champions Wests APIA, holding out the usually free-scoring Franco Parisi team.
The goal came in the 56th minute when Pat Loughrey sent the ball over the line with a persistent effort.
Despite sitting at the summit of Group D, Bayswater have scored the equal second-fewest goals in the competition, with an average of one a game.
United are yet to make an impression in the Australian Championship and are now five points away from a quarter-final spot with three matches left.
Last weekend, Michael Krslovic gave the side a great start against MetroStars, but two goals soon after half-time condemned the NPL NSW giants to another defeat.
Bayswater will be eager to hold on to top spot, but United need a result to give themselves a chance of knock-out football.