Women’s Premier League – Finals Week 3 Preview

After week two of the finals series in the NSW Womens Premier League we are down to the final three teams as another team bit the dust and went home empty handed.
Sydney University are the latest team to be eliminated from the finals series as they went down to the Macarthur Rams on Saturday afternoon.
The Marconi Stallions are the first team to assure they’ll be taking part in the 2013 grand final after disposing of the Illawarra Stingrays.
At JJ Kelly Park on Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm, the Illawarra Stingrays welcome the Macarthur Rams. Both sides have everything to play for with only the winner having the right to take part in next week’s grand final where the Marconi Stallions eagerly await.
The Rams escaped from their elimination final on Saturday with a tight 2-1 victory. Stephanie Haim was a real threat all game for the University defence and with her lively running she could pose a real threat.
The Stingrays lost 5-1 on Sunday to the minor premiers Marconi. A much closer game was expected but it was anything but as the Stallions comfortably ran away with the game. The Stingrays will be low in personnel also as injuries and suspensions have cut down their squad. Jordan Baker was dangerous throughout the whole game and she will need to do more of the same to help the Stingrays achieve their goal.
Three times this year these two have met and all three results went the way of the Stingrays. Only two weeks ago, the Stingrays comfortably walked away from JJ Kelly Park with a resounding 6-0 victory.
The two earlier fixtures in the season were also taken by the Stingrays, won by identical score lines, 2-1. Michelle Carney has been a real nemesis for the Rams, scoring a remarkable six goals against them so far this season.
The Rams will be looking for revenge after being humiliated two weeks ago, a much improved performance from that game and last week will be needed for them to have any chance.
If the Stingrays can bounce back from their loss on Sunday and rise above the problems their squad has they could may well be heading for the grand final next week.
A tight game is forecasted for this one but shock results haven’t been foreign in this finals series. Expect the unexpected in what will be an extremely intriguing battle between these two.