Womens State League Round 10 Preview
After last week’s result, Round 10 of the Women’s State League will have a top of the table match and a few teams out for revenge after disappointing results last round.
Southern Districts Emeralds vs. Gladesville Ravens – Ernie Smith Reserve, 3PM
After last week’s emphatic win over Parramatta Lady Hawks the girls from Southern Districts looked revitalised and finally showed their potential on the pitch. The display was full of spirit as striker Vanessa Ciabatti found her form netting five goals. The Emeralds now need to build from this win and string a few results together to begin their march up the ladder and into the finals.
Gladesville’s loss last week to St George was full of positives. The scoreboard might say 0-2 loss but the display would give their coaching staff some encouragement after dominating possession throughout the match. The Ravens lacked the finishing ability against the league’s second best defence but will face an Emerald side that has the league’s second worst defensive record.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers vs. St George FC – Lambert Park, 3PM
The Tigers are sitting bottom of the ladder but have showed some inspirational performances the last three weeks. After not scoring for six rounds they have hit the back of the net three weeks in a row. Clearly they are starting to finally click as their fans will hope to see another inspirational performance out at Lambert Park.
The St George side they face is coming off a 2-0 win over Gladesville last week. After two early goals they were dominated in the middle of the park by the Ravens midfield. Though to their credit, their defence were strong and triggered a number of various counter-attacking plays which proved deadly. The Saints will look to their skilful midfielder Melissa Toumbelekis and last week’s two-goal hero Rachelle Wang to get them through this game.
Bankstown City FC vs. Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC – Jensen Park, 3PM
The top two teams of the competition meet at Jensen Park as only two points separate both teams. Bankstown travelled to Cook Park last round to take on a strong and organised Nepean side and got away with a 1-0 win. Bankstown is on top for a reason; their quality is evident throughout the park led by striker Samantha Muscat. Through her, their midfielders have a focal point of attack who they feed the ball to and never get let down.
Meanwhile the girls from Mt Druitt had a business like performance against APIA at Lambert Park. Goals from Elise Robins, Brianna Trigg and Demi Francis ensured the win for the Town Rangers. Their consistent form is due to their strong core that has been physically exceptional and has the ability to control the game against any side.
Parramatta Lady Hawks vs. Nepean FC – Melita Stadium, 3PM
The Lady Hawks need a win here after losing two in a row. In those two matches they conceded 17 goals. They need to shore up their defence and put up a strong display against the league’s fourth placed team.
After a great start to the year, Nepean FC suffered their second loss of the season to the hands of league leaders Bankstown City FC. They have only recorded one point of the last six available and now sit the lowest they have all year on the ladder. They need to bounce back this week and take advantage of their opponents to bring their campaign back on track.
-By Chris Doroudgar
