Women’s Premier League – Round 19 Preview

With Round 19 upon us, the NSW Women’s Premier League has only three rounds left with various catch up games to be played. The premiership race doesn’t seem to be any clearer with possibly one team only halting their charge leaving it for the Illawarra Stingrays, North West Sydney Koala’s and Marconi Stallions to fight it out.
The elusive final finals spot is also as misty as the premiership race with four teams attempting to squeeze themselves in above the line for the last spot.
In the early game on Sunday afternoon at 1pm, the 10^th placed Central Coast Mariners Academy welcome the 3^rd placed Illawarra Stingrays to Pluim Park.
The Mariners enjoyed a rare and tight victory last Sunday and will look to build on this performance as they take on the 3^rd placed Stingrays. Kayla Alexander scored the winner last week for the Mariners and some similar heroics would surely help their cause against their more fancied opponents.
The Stingray’s will not lay down in the race for the minor premiership and sit one point off the joint leaders Marconi and Koala’s. They know that any slip up could cost them any chance at winning the title and will look to make sure the long trip doesn’t take its toll on the players.
The last time these to met down the coast, Illawarra came away with a comprehensive 8-0. Play maker Michelle Carney scored four on that day and will look for more of the same this time around.
At Cromer Park on Sunday, 8^th placed Manly United host the 9^th placed Blacktown Spartans in a 3pm scheduled kick off.
In what is a mid table derby, Manly knows that any faint hopes of finals football could be dashed with a poor result against the Spartans. After their shock Round 18 win over league leaders Marconi, they will try and keep their feet on the ground in an intense close to the season.
Sitting three points behind 5^th place with a game more played than their opponents, they know that only wins will see them have any chance with their destiny out of their hands.
Blacktown sit comfortably in 9^th place and after their 2-0 loss at Concord Oval to the Inter Lions, they’ll be looking to get back on the winners list with a win over Manly.
In the earlier clash between the two teams at Blacktown Football Park, Manly came away with a 2-0 win.
At ELS Hall Park, 2^nd placed North West Sydney Koala’s entertain Northbridge FC at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.
The Koala’s had to deal with a busy schedule last week, facing the Stallions in a tough mid week contest in which they lost, to re gather and defeat the Sutherland Shire on Sunday 2-0.
They are back in equal first with the Stallions but sit in second place on goal difference. Any slip ups against the giant killing Northbridge could see them lose pace with the Stallions.
Northbridge on the other hand let a two goal lead slip against Macarthur on the weekend and with that possibly any hope of a finals spot having played more games than all their opponents. Nevertheless, they’ll look to two goal hero Caitlin Jarvie to continue their faint fight for finals football.
When the sides met back in may, Tara Andres and Daila-Tais Borg each got a brace in a 2-2 draw.
Harrie Denning Centre will host the fixture between the Sutherland Shire Football Association and Marconi Stallions on Sunday at 3pm.
Marconi suffered a shock 1-0 loss away against Manly on Sunday after they secured a massive victory against fellow premiership contenders North West Sydney Koala’s in a mid week catch up game. The Marconi coaching staff will look to rejuvenate their players and get them back on track to ensure they stick to their guns and continue their pursuit for the minor premiership.
Sutherland have had it tough this season and currently sit in 11^th position on the ladder. They will be looking to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon and a draw would be as good as gold for them this week if they can pull it out. They put up a stern fight against the Koala’s on Sunday going down 2-0 and will look for much of the same come Sunday.
The last time these two met in Round 8, Marconi more than comfortably accounted for the Sharks defeating them by a resounding 11-0 score line. There were 8 different scorers for Marconi on that day and the Sharks will look to improve on that result.
The 4^th placed Macarthur Rams host the last placed Northern Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Lynwood park with a 3pm scheduled kick-off.
The Rams came back from a two goal deficit at the weekend to draw with Northbridge. They couldn’t find a winner and that consequently put them six points behind the ladder leaders. This meant that Macarthurs hopes of winning the minor premiership took a massive blow and it will be extremely hard for them to do so now.
In saying that, like on the weekend, the Rams won’t give up even though they have their backs to the wall. This week will give them a good opportunity to get back on track.
The Tigers came oh so close to that maiden victory over the weekend as they just went down to the Central Coast 1-0. With only one point this season and sitting miserably in bottom place, the Tigers will try their absolute hardest to snap up any points in the run in to the close of the season.
In Round 8, the Rams won with an emphatic 8-0 score line away from home. With Renee Rollason back in the team, the Rams do look ever more dangerous in attack.
In the old ‘six pointer’ at Wilson Park, the 5^th placed Sydney University SFC entertain the 7^th placed Inter Lions on Sunday at 3pm.
University was one of the in form teams up until the weekend where they were comprehensively beaten by the Illawarra Stingrays. In a match that ended Universities unbeaten run, they had to pick the ball out of the net four times in a 4-1 score line.
In a somewhat shock result, this opened the path for the Inter Lions to re gather themselves and catch up.
After spending most of the season in the top five, the Lions found themselves out of the finals spots of late. Having set up a few solid results of late, they are back in the mix. In this direct battle with University, they can see themselves back in the five with a victory.
With Catherin Canulli hitting her straps at the right time, any thing is possible for the lions. They defeated the Spartans on Sunday 2-0 and now sit two points behind University.
In a tight affair last time out in Round 8, University will be out for revenge as the Lions came away with a 2-1 victory.