Arrive Alive Women?s Super League Round 2 Preview
Last weekend?s opening round produced a surprise or two. Will there be a changing of the guard atop the premiership ladder this season? Will last week?s winners reproduce their form this weekend? There are plenty of questions to answer as we move into Round 2 of the Arrive Alive Women?s Super League.
The always much anticipated ?country derby? between Southern NSW FC and Western NSW Panthers takes place in Nowra on Sunday. Southern fell to a first round defeat at the hands of Central Coast Lightning last weekend. They will relish a return to their home park on Sunday; a place where they often produce their best football. They won?t want to be 0 from 2 on Sunday evening.
Western NSW Panthers result against Blacktown Spartans was something of a surprise. Considering their positions on the ladder at the end of last season one may have expected a Panthers win. Despite some changes to playing personnel this season The Panthers are sure to be in contention come finals time.
This promises to be a close encounter but I?ll plump for a narrow Panthers win.
The Sydney Tigers have their first home game of the season at Lambert Park hosting the other new girls on the block PCYC Lady Hawks.
This is a very tough opening match for the Lady Hawks, given that they?ve spent the last two weeks piecing together a jigsaw puzzle of players, coaches and infrastructure. The Sydney Tigers have already shown enough in their encounter with Inter Lions last week to have me thinking they?ll be amongst the leading sides in 2009.
All of the Tigers major signings were big contributors last Sunday. They?ll only be better for the run. There was more ice seen strapped to various Tigers players after last week?s game than you?d see on an family size iceberg. If all are now fit and healthy The Tigers will be expecting to come away with maximum points.
A big task for Lady Hawks first up and I suspect that Sydney Tigers will win this one.
Two last start winners in Gladesville Ravens and Inter Lions match up at Peel Park. Last season the corresponding fixture produced one of the more entertaining games of the season. The Ravens came out on top that day after giving The Lions a two goal start.
It?s a vastly different Inter Lions line up this season, however, and The Ravens won?t be able to afford to be chasing an early deficit this time around. Inter weren?t perfect last week but they showed plenty of promise of what?s in store for future opponents. With Natalie Spirovski now steering the ship the likes of Renee Tomkins and Catherine Canulli will get plenty of opportunities to test opposing goalkeepers.
The Ravens did well to get past Northern Tigers last week but The Lions appear to have sharper claws than most other teams in the league.
Inter impressed me last week. They?ll be keen to keep a smile on Big Joe?s face. The Lions by two.
Our other two matches set down for this weekend; Blacktown Spartans versus Northern Tigers and St George FC versus Central Coast Lightning, have both been postponed. Keep an eye on the competition website to find information on the new dates and times of these matches.
Rain, rain go away, we have lots of football to play! Fingers crossed that the three Arrive Alive Women?s Super League matches still scheduled for this weekend don?t attract more rain drops. Good luck to all our teams as they do battle in Round 2.
-By Ross Anderson
