Arrive Alive NSW Women?s Super League Round 10 Review

My apologies to those ?correspondents? who supply me with information on the various games I?m unable to attend. If you know a first rate computer repairperson please let me know!
Surprisingly only one Women?s Super League match was washed out over the weekend.  Obviously the Super League girls are much tougher than their Premier League sisters, most of who spent the weekend doing things other than playing football! The Blacktown Spartans and Bankstown Wildcats game was postponed until a date to be fixed.
Meanwhile, there was plenty of action elsewhere.
Gladesville Ravens confirmed their place on the competition ladder with an emphatic 5-0 win over UNSW at Peel Park. The Ravens opened the scoring in only the first minute of the game through striker Ashleigh Smith. Two goals by Smith?s strike partner Alyssa Hardie had extended Gladesville?s lead to 3-0 by half time.
In the second half Hardie completed her hat trick whilst Captain Ashley Hume added one of her own to complete The Ravens win. Gladesville maintain their seven point buffer over fourth placed St George FC with this victory. A tough away clash with Southern NSW FC looms next weekend. UNSW continue to struggle at the bottom of the ladder. Is there a win looming for them somewhere?
Gladesville Ravens 5 (A.Hardie 3, A.Smith, A Hulme)
UNSW                     0
St George FC safely retained their spot in the top four with a 2-0 victory over Northern Tigers at Parklands Oval.
St George scored in the 20^th minute through Rodopoulos; the sole score of the first half. The Tigers battled hard to come up with an equalizer but eventually St George sealed the match with a second goal in the 72^nd minute by Toumbelekis. This was a solid effort by the St George girls. Northern Tigers were gallant in defeat but this was a win they really wanted as it could have leapfrogged them into fourth spot. However, they are still just four points off the top four with a couple of very ?winnable? games coming up.
St George FC      2 (E.Rodopoulos, M.Toumbelekis)
Northern Tigers 0 
Southern NSW FC and competition leaders Western NSW Panthers met on Saturday in Nowra.  Southern have been in great form whilst The Panthers were coming off their stellar win over Illawarra Stingrays last weekend. Ison Park has proven something of a graveyard for visiting teams in recent weeks so The Panthers certainly needed to be on their guard in this one.
As with many of the Western NSW games this season this match proved something of an arm wrestle. Both sides had their chances but it took until the 70^th minute before The Panthers goal scoring wizard Gillian Rosconi grabbed the first goal for Western NSW. Ashlieigh Sykes doubled the visitors? lead in the 80^th minute before Southern hit back with a consolation goal to Meehan in the 88^th minute.
Looks like this was a typical derby game between these two sides but The Panthers, as they have so often this season, toughed it out for a strong win. One gets the impression that these two sides may have another date destined for the business end of the season.
Western NSW Panthers 2 (G.Rosconi, A.Sykes)
Southern NSW FC          0
The final match of the round saw the Illawarra Stingrays host Inter Lions at J.J.Kelly Park.   
This was a big day for The Stingrays in a lot of different ways. This year is the 30^th Anniversary of Women?s football in the Illawarra area. As part of the celebration The Stingrays had put together a benefit weekend for the McGrath Foundation & McGrath Foundation Breast Cancer Nurses. Errea Sportswear outfitted the Stingrays in pink shirts for the occasion.
The Lions came to spoil the party but Illawarra were determined to make up for last weekend?s first loss of the season to Western NSW Panthers. To the Lions credit they held fast against the potent Illawarra attack until the 26^th minute when Christie Akid opened the scoring from a free kick.
Inter created a number of opportunities of their own with Catherine Cannuli being prominent. However, some brilliant goalkeeping from Illawarra?s Sarah Gallop kept the visitors at bay. The Stingrays doubled the agony for Inter right on halftime when Tina Siskoska scored a great goal from a corner. The timing of this goal must have been but wrenching for The Lions; sending them into oranges on a definite low.
The second half began in the same arm wrestling fashion with both sides trying to convert chances. Goalkeeper Gallop continued to defuse Inter?s best opportunities whilst Michelle Carney attempted to shake off her tagger at the opposite end of the field.
Carney eventually added to Illawarra?s lead in the 68^th minute, scoring from a free kick. Soon after Erica Halloway found the back of the net for Illawarra?s fourth goal. Carney, Danyi and Cooper added goals in the final minutes to inflate the score to a comprehensive looking 7-0 win for The Stingrays.
By all accounts this was a game that proved much more competitive than the scoreline may suggest. Illawarra certainly finished the game in style but The Lions certainly made them work for it. Inter now meet the Western NSW Panthers in the next round whilst Illawarra will come calling on St George FC. Obviously neither game could be described as ?easy pickings?! 
Illawarra Stingrays 7 (M.Carney 2, C.Danyi, J.Cooper, E.Halloway, C.Akid and T.Siskoska)
Inter Lions               0
So Round 10 ends with Western NSW Panthers and Illawarra Stingrays still battling for the Minor Premiership. Gladesville remain their nearest contenders with the race for fourth spot still full of interest.
Some tough games ahead in Round 11 with the top three facing some strong opposition. Are there some upsets in the pipeline?
 -By Ross Anderson