This season is shaping up to be one of the closest for a very long time with only five points separating the top nine teams.

Newly promoted Mandurah City sit top of the table on goal difference from Cockburn City, and this week travel to Clipsal stadium to take on Inglewood United, who in recent weeks have hit form with victories over Perth SC and ECU Joondalup. Stuart Currie has worked wonders at Mandurah who play a disciplined form of attacking football that has reaped plenty of goals, which means Inglewood captain and former Perth Glory defender Shane Pryce will have to be on his game to keep Mandurah at bay.

The clash of the round would have to be at the bottom of the table where Pryce’s former Perth Glory team mate Brad Hassell is having a coaching baptism of fire at last placed Armadale. After eight rounds Armadale have yet to register a point and have suffered eight straight defeats. This weekend sees them take on Fremantle United who picked up their first point last weekend when they managed to register a 0-0 draw at the Western Knights’ Nash Field. A win is an absolute must for Armadale, as a loss will leave them four points adrift at the bottom of the table, they will be hoping for plenty of local support at Alfred Skeet Oval to ensure they register their first victory of the 2008 campaign.

Another game to watch in terms of bragging rights is the Northern suburbs derby at Percy Doyle Reserve between Sorrento and ECU Joondalup. Only a point separates the two teams on the league table. Bobson Koroma made his debut in goal last week for ECU Joondalup as a replacement for Tom Tomich who left for South Melbourne and will be hoping for a clean sheet, however two players who will be out to ruin his day will be Stuart Montgomery and Scott Bulloch who both left ECU Joondalup earlier in the season to join Steve Neville’s Sorrento.

Cockburn City who are equal top with Mandurah City put four goals past reigning champions Floreat Athena last week at Litis Stadium, and with Johny Mirco having scored seven goals this season, will be confident of beating a Perth side at Dalmatinac Park. Perth are currently fourth in the table and after a draw at Sorrento will be hoping to get back to winning ways, but may find they will have to rely on trying to catch an attacking Cockburn on the counter attack.

Swan IC travel to Macedonia Park to take on Stirling Lions, fresh from knocking in five goals against Armadale last week. But Stirling will be a much sterner test for the Swans having last weekend become the first team to take a point off table toppers Mandurah at their home fortress, Hyundai stadium. Damian Scali took his goal tally for the season to eight for Swan IC last weekend, and his battle with up and coming defender Dean Evans should be a highlight in this game.

Sunday’s game this week sees Michael Roki’s Floreat Athena play host to Ronnie Campbell’s struggling Western Knights at Litis stadium. This is a game that historically has plenty of goals, however with both teams being held scoreless last weekend the form guide would say otherwise. Floreat have Garin Collins as their goal scoring hope up front, while the Knights will rely on young talent Anthony Skorich, but both will have to out play some wily campaigners in their oppositions defence, Ante Kovacevic for Athena and David Annall for the Knights.