NPL NSW Womens 2 Round 16 Preview
The competition’s two most out of form teams face each other in Round 16 in the NPL NSW Womens 2.
League leaders Central Coast Mariners Academy could wrap up the title by the end of the round, should they take maximum points and Sydney Olympic fail to defeat Southern Branch in a tricky away match.
Inter Lions vs Sutherland Shire FA; at Concord Oval, Sunday 3pm
Inter Lions will look to get their season back on track when they take on Sutherland Shire on Sunday. A team that has been consistently up towards the top of the table, two losses in a row has seen Inter fall to fourth place. They may feel a tad unlucky though, with the second of their two losses – a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sydney Olympic – coming from a 90th minute goal. But they face Sutherland Shire next. Like Inter, Sutherland has only picked up three points in their last five games, however they are on a four game losing streak, with the latest being a 3-2 loss to Central Coast Mariners Academy, and another loss sees them in danger of falling into last spot.
UNSW Lions vs Northern Tigers; at David Phillips Field, Sunday 3pm
The last time UNSW Lions faced Northern Tigers, a late goal from UNSW’s Rebecca Browning was the final goal in a 3-3 thriller. Having led 3-2, Northern Tigers missed an open goal and soon after went on to concede a late equaliser. Their failure to take all three points meant Northern Tigers missed an opportunity to come off the bottom of the ladder. After 15 weeks on the bottom, a win this time around could see them move ahead of Sutherland Shire, should Sutherland drop points against Inter Lions. Northern Tigers have picked up four points in two games, so are in a bit of form, but they face a difficult opponent in UNSW who sit third on the ladder.
Western NSW Mariners vs Central Coast Mariners Academy; at Glen Willow Stadium, Sunday 3pm
Another week, another win for Central Coast Mariners Academy. It wasn’t as comfortable as we have come to expect, but in Round 15, Central Coast notched up their 14th win of the season, defeating Sutherland Shire 3-2. Having only dropped points once this season, Central Coast’s position at the top of the table has never been threatened, but they have the opportunity to officially wrap up the premiership should they defeat Western NSW Mariners and Sydney Olympic drop points away to Southern Branch. Western NSW Mariners will not be an easy opponent, though. Fighting for a top four position, they will be motivated to cause an upset and make Central Coast wait another week before confirming the inevitable.
Southern Branch vs Sydney Olympic; at South Nowra Football Complex, Sunday 3pm
Southern Branch’s 2-2 draw with last placed Northern Tigers was not as costly as it could have been, with Western NSW Mariners, the team below them, and UNSW Lions, the team above them, also playing out a 2-2 draw. This means Southern Branch are still within four points of the top four, but they need to improve their form in the run home to move into a finals position. With two losses and two draws in their last four games, Southern Branch will face second placed Sydney Olympic in Round 16. Olympic, thanks to a dramatic late goal, won 1-0 last week and another win will help them further cement a top four position.
-By Kate Cohen
