Nicholas James Lawyers Men’s Match Preview: Royals Head East to Face In-Form Box Hill in Friday Night Test of Character
Our Men’s Match Previews are presented by Nicholas James Lawyers
Eleven minutes. That is how long it took for last Friday’s match against Bayside to unravel. The Royals were in the contest at 0-1. By the 41st minute, it was 0-4, and the evening was effectively over. Dean Clarke pulled one back, but a red card to Zac Kocankovski in the 59th minute sealed Essendon’s fate, and undid the momentum earned a week earlier at Werribee.
It was emblematic of a pattern so far this season: bright spells followed by devastating collapses. The 3-1 win at Galvin Park in Round 5 remains the blueprint: Adeyemi twice, Kotronis once, controlled from start to finish. The problem is that performance has been the exception, not the rule. In five of six matches, the Royals have conceded first. In three of the four defeats, a concentrated spell of goals has been the difference.
Friday night takes the Royals to Wembley Park to face a Box Hill United side sitting fourth on nine points. Pythagoras have not lost in three rounds. A 4-0 win at Kingston in Round 5 showed they can be ruthless. A goalless draw at Whittlesea last week showed they can grind. Two consecutive clean sheets suggest a defence that has found its shape after a wobbly early-season run that included a 3-3 draw at Werribee and a 2-0 home defeat to league leaders Malvern.
Box Hill’s goal difference of plus four is the best in the cluster of sides from third to seventh on the ladder. They opened their season with a 3-1 win at Springvale and, aside from that Malvern loss in Round 2, have been competitive in every fixture. This is a side that knows how to press their home advantage.
The Royals will be without Kocankovski through suspension. Veteran Brad Norton will help offset that loss, available again after returning from the bench. Adeyemi’s five goals in five rounds remain the sharpest weapon in the squad, and the Royals will need him at his direct, aggressive best if they are to take anything from this trip.
Tenth plays fourth. Six points against nine. The gap to the top half of the table is still bridgeable, but the margin for error is shrinking with every round. A result at Wembley Park would prove this group can respond to adversity on the road, against a side in form, without a full squad.
Friday night. Wembley Park. 7:30pm. Time to show up.
Forza Royals!
Round 7 | Friday 27 March | 7:30 PM | Wembley Park, Box Hill (Away)
Around the Grounds – VPL Men 2 Round 7
Box Hill United vs Essendon Royals
Wembley Park | 7:30pm
Covered above.
Kingston City vs Whittlesea United
Bishops Court Reserve
Kingston sit ninth on seven points, Whittlesea twelfth on five. Kingston were the early-season surprise package with two wins and two draws from their first four, but they have won just one of their last two and their goalless draw at Moreland in Round 4 hinted at a side running low on attacking ideas. Whittlesea have struggled since their opening-round win at Goulburn Valley and arrive on the back of a goalless draw against Box Hill. Two sides that could both do with a spark. Home advantage might be the decider.
Springvale White Eagles vs Moreland City
Serbian Sports Centre
Springvale are eighth on seven points after pulling themselves off the bottom with wins against the Royals’ scalp at Altona in Round 4 and a solid run since their pointless opening two rounds. Moreland sit thirteenth on five points from six matches, with three draws and two defeats in their last five. The Serbian Sports Centre can be a difficult ground to visit, and Springvale will fancy their chances of climbing the table further.
Werribee City vs Eastern Lions
Costas Mitre 10 Park
Bottom-half battle between two sides on the fringes of the relegation conversation. Werribee are fourteenth on five points and have won just twice all season, though their 3-3 draw with Box Hill in Round 3 showed they can compete at home. Eastern Lions sit eleventh on six points with a similar W2 L4 record to the Royals. A match neither side can afford to lose. Expect it to be tight and tense.
Malvern City vs Keilor Park
Egan Lee Reserve
The league leaders against a side that has struggled to find consistency. Malvern have 15 points from six rounds and, after their shock loss to Altona in Round 5, have responded in the way good sides do. Keilor Park sit sixth on nine points, which is a quietly impressive return. This is a genuine test of where Keilor Park stand. Can they mix it with the best in the division, or will Malvern’s quality prove too much at Egan Lee?
Altona City vs Bayside Argonauts
HC Kim Reserve
Altona sit seventh on eight points, a tally that may include a deduction, and remain one of the more unpredictable sides in the competition. Their win over Malvern earlier in the season proved they can beat anyone on their day. Bayside are third on eleven points with two wins and two draws from their last four. They took four points off the Royals’ recent opponents (Kingston draw, Box Hill draw) and arrive in strong form. A quality Friday night fixture.
Goulburn Valley Suns vs Nunawading City
John McEwen Reserve
The longest trip of the round for Nunawading, who sit second on thirteen points and have been the most consistent side behind Malvern. The Suns are fifth on nine points and dangerous at home, as their 5-1 demolition of Altona in Round 3 demonstrated. Goulburn Valley’s record at John McEwen Reserve has been a factor all season. Nunawading will need to travel well to maintain their pursuit of the league leaders.