Womens State League Round 13 Preview
With weather forecasts not looking too promising, players and coaches will have their fingers crossed that the rain stays away for the Womens State League Round 13 to continue unaffected this Sunday.
Bankstown City Lions v Parramatta Ladyhawks. Jensen Park, 3pm.
The local derby between Parramatta Ladyhawks and Bankstown City promises to be a top game. Both sides pose a threat in the forward third, as illustrated in Round Two, when the Ladyhawks edged out the Lions in a five-goal thriller. Bankstown are the form side, and with the home ground advantage, they’ll be slight favourites going into this clash.
Southern Branch v Sydney Olympic. South Nowra Football Complex, 3pm.
Sydney Olympic travel south this weekend on a high after their tough victory at Mt Druitt. Still missing injured striker Kate Halaska, Olympic have seen players like Lisa Mitchell, Sophie Scott and Dani Calvi step up to fill her shoes. They’ll come to Nowra full of confidence, but Southern Branch are always tough to beat at home.
Nepean FC v Gladesville Ravens. Cook Park, 3pm.
The last time these two sides met, the Ravens romped home to a six goal victory, their biggest of the season. However, James Rankine’s side have improved immeasurably since then, and will be keen to register their first win of the season at home. Keeping dangerous strikers Fatty Agar and Noelle Loyzaga in check will be priority number one for Nepean.
Western NSW Mariners v Mt Druitt Town Rangers. Glen Willow Stadium, 3pm.
All signs point towards a Mariners win in this match. They’ve won five in a row, a few by enormous margins, and have the extra advantage of playing at the picturesque Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee, which adds an extra few kilometers to Townies’ away trip. However, Mt Druitt are one of the toughest sides in the competition, as illustrated by last week’s gutsy performance against Sydney Olympic.
St George Saints v Southern Districts Emeralds. St George Stadium, 3pm.
Southern Districts this week make the trip up the M5 to face Saints at St George Stadium. The Emeralds have been relatively consistent, remaining in the top four for most of the season. With two matches in a row against sides in the bottom half of the table, they’ll want to register two straight wins before their tough match against UNSW.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers v UNSW Lions. 3pm.
The Lions and the Tigers face off for the second time this season, with UNSW expected to take all points. UNSW won the last match comfortably, and will be looking to continue their good form to rise up the ladder. Their current position doesn’t reflect their ability, and it seems only a matter of time before they surge into the top four again.
-By Joe Gorman
