Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League Round 7 Preview

Forget about taking Mum out for lunch at some ritzy restaurant or showering her with unwanted gifts like slippers and perfume. All Mums really want is the passion and excitement of a day at the football.
There are a number of very intriguing clashes to pick from this weekend if you do fancy a day of Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League football.
Down at J.J.Kelly Park the Illawarra Stingrays have a big day planned around their clash with Inter Lions. The Stingrays are devoting the month of May to fundraising for the Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Sunday?s match sees the two sides contesting the GPT Women?s Health Trophy for the first time whilst raffles and gold coin entry to the ground will be used to raise funds for a most worthy cause.
The Stingrays face Sunday?s match with a serious shortage of first grade personnel. Jayde Cunningham, Ashley Francis and Hayley Kerrigan are all off to the Goulburn Police Academy for the next eight weeks whilst Sam Spackman misses six weeks due to a knee injury. Trudy Camilleri is in Brisbane this weekend competing in the Trade Skills Championships in her chosen trade of panel beating. We wish Trudy good luck in the competition. New recruit Lisa Gilbert is also unavailable on Sunday.
It will be hard for Illawarra to fill all those gaps but they have so many talented players in their squad that you can be sure the champions will still be very competitive. Michelle Carney is as consistent as ever whilst young Talitha Kramer has been in a purple patch of goal scoring form in recent weeks. The Stingrays hard fought win over Manly United FC last Sunday see them three points clear at the top of the competition ladder; a spot the Wollongong girls will be keen to maintain.
Inter Lions sit just outside the top four with their season having been something of a mixed bag up until now. The side is capable of some stellar football but their 90 minute focus has been in question a number of times this season. Coming off an easy win over Southern Branch last weekend, with Captain Catherine Cannuli working the local scoreboard attendant to a frazzle with a four goal haul, The Lions will fancy their chances against a weakened Illawarra line up.
This promises to be a quality game of football between two of the leagues best sides. Upsets don?t happen that often at J.J.Kelly Park but I?m going to tip Inter Lions to end Illawarra?s winning run on Sunday.
Given the present plummet in temperatures it may not be the best time to be making the trip to Bathurst but the girls from Manly United FC are headed across the mountains for a big game on Sunday.
The Panthers have been in excellent form through the first six rounds of the competition with the only blemish on their record being a 4-2 loss to Illawarra Stingrays. At Fortress Bathurst the locals are always hard to beat and the team would have grown in confidence as they?ve progressed through their first season in the Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League. Megan Embleton has been showing the way in the goal scoring stakes for The Panthers. More magic from Megan on Sunday will go a long way towards ensuring The Panthers a successful afternoon.
Manly United FC have lost no caste from their loss to Illawarra last weekend. By all accounts they were part of a great game of football and went down fighting. Added to their previous winning form it?s obvious that they?ll present a big hurdle for the locals on Sunday. Manly have had plenty of stars in recent weeks with Emma Stewart and Gill Foster both having bagged hat tricks. This is a well balanced side and last week?s loss will only make them more determined to rebound this weekend. Panthers beware!
This is another game with so much to offer. The Panthers have impressed everyone with their efforts so far but I think Manly may have a trifle too much pace and flair. I?ll go for Manly to win narrowly.
At ELS Hall Park it?s all about picking up some much needed competition points when NWS Koalas meet Sutherland Sharks.
Neither team is having a season to remember up until this point, sitting nine points off fourth place and with only one win a piece in 2010.
The Koalas tested the young Marconi side last Sunday at Marconi Stadium but came home without anything to show for their efforts. The girls have really struggled to find their best form but this week?s match would appear to offer an opportunity for The Koalas to get a little spring in their step. The loss of some of last season?s rising stars seems to have been sorely felt by NWS but they?re such a great nursery that they can?t be down for long.
Sutherland Sharks played very competitively last weekend before going down 3-1 to Western NSW Panthers. Luck just doesn?t seem to be going Sutherland?s way this season and they were the victims of some unfortunate errors against The Panthers. The Sharks have shown glimpses of promise this season and the return from suspension of goalkeeper Bianca Alchi will be welcomed. Putting two halves together appears to have been Sutherland?s problem in the first six rounds but this could be their chance.
These two teams mightn?t be holding down lofty positions on the competition ladder but you can be sure they?ll both put everything they?ve got into this game. I?m going to display some level of cowardice here and suggest a draw as the most likely outcome.
I suspect that Nowra won?t be experiencing a heat wave this weekend either so woolly mittens may be in order for the visiting Macarthur Rams when they take on Southern Branch at South Nowra Football Complex.
Southern Branch sits at the bottom of the Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League ladder without a point against their name. It?s been a fairly traumatic start to their Premier League campaign as they?ve struggled to compete against the leading sides. A six goal mauling by Inter Lions last Sunday won?t have increased their level of confidence any and The Rams don?t present any easier target. Thus will be a testing afternoon for the locals.
Macarthur Rams have started to find their rhythm in recent weeks with a solid win over Inter Lions and a convincing victory against Sydney University. They hold down fourth place on the competition table at the moment. After a bad start to the season with injuries The Rams squad is slowly taking shape again. Key players are finding form with match fitness and Macarthur have a few of the teams ahead of them worried. Coach Matt Turvey has plenty of confidence in his team. He?ll be expecting a solid performance from the girls on Sunday.
Macarthur Rams look to have too many guns for Southern Branch in this one.
At Sydney University Oval the Sydney University side hosts the Marconi Stallions.
University has not had the best of seasons in 2010. Injuries and lack of form have seen then crash to ninth on the table, only one point above Southern Branch. After taking a point from Inter Lions in a spirited display Sydney University were hammered 6-1 last Sunday by a resurgent Macarthur Rams. I?m not quite sure what University can do to turn things around at this stage but they?ll certainly be hoping for a more competitive effort this Sunday.
Marconi Stallions had a fairly ordinary day last week against NWS Koalas. The important aspect was that they snared all three points. They?ve played some excellent games against the league?s leading sides yet come away with nothing so those three points were a boost. The destiny for this side might not be realized in 2010 but the young talent in the squad certainly does look to be capable of taking Marconi places in the coming seasons. This bunch of youngsters plays the game in an entertaining style.
Marconi will be keen to grab more competition points here. The form guide doesn?t give Sydney University much of a chance for an upset but form guides aren?t infallible. Marconi should win.
I?d like to take this opportunity to wish all the Mothers out there a great day on Sunday. I?m sure that all the players in the Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League are appreciative of the support their Mums have given with their football over the years.
I?ll see you at the ground this weekend.
-By Ross Anderson