PS4 NPL NSW Women’s 2 Round 18 Preview
Competition for fourth place couldn’t be any tighter, and round 18 shapes to be pivotal for a number of teams in the race for finals football.
A football starved Nepean host Inter Lions, while Olympic visit Sutherland hoping to put some distance between themselves and the team from the shire.
The premiers play host to a Northern Tigers side fresh off their best win of the season, and Southern Branch will look to lock up second spot when they take on the UNSW Lions.
Nepean FC v Inter Lions SC, 3pm Sunday 26th July at Cook Park
Nepean have had no luck with the weather lately and must be itching for some football after two successive washouts.
They sit in 7th at present, but with two games in hand they are in a much better position than the table would have you believe, and their destiny is in their hands.
However, they can’t afford to show any signs of rust against an Inter side in possession of the deadly Christina Ferreyra up front. Inter have shown they don’t need to dominate a match to come away with three points, which should hold them in good stead against Nepean’s solid backline.
Sutherland Shire FA v Sydney Olympic FC, 3pm Sunday 26th July at Harrie Denning Centre
Sydney Olympic can all but assure themselves of a finals berth if they can overcome Sutherland Shire on the south coast. Olympic’s results have been patchy of late, and they’ll need to rediscover their midseason form if they want to be a serious title challenger.
Sutherland have consistently hovered around fourth or fifth spot all season, but some good performances in the last few rounds have given them a great shot at the finals. They need to perform now though, as several teams around them have games in hand, which will prove key factor in determining to the end of season standings.
Marconi Stallions FC v Northern Tigers FC, 3pm Sunday 26th July at Marconi Stadium
Marconi will no doubt be in a celebratory mood now that the premiership has been sewn up, but they will need to on form here to tame a Tigers side coming off one of the biggest wins of the season. Marconi will be using the last few games of the league to solidify that ruthless streak that they’ve show so often throughout the competition.
After a few weeks of firing blanks, the Tigers put 8 past UNSW thanks mainly to attacking midfielder Ester Pannwitz. While the Stallions are a class above UNSW, in Pannwitz the Tigers have the ability to strike from anywhere, and will prove a stern test for the home side.
Southern Branch FC v UNSW Lions, 3pm Sunday 26th July at South Nowra Football Complex
Southern Branch can consolidate their position in the top 4 with a win over the struggling UNSW. The league’s form team will need to recover from the injury to midfielder Kalinda Wills, which left several of her teammates distressed before they left the field.
Despite this, Southern Branch should be too strong for a Lions side in desperate need of some confidence. UNSW can still claw their way off the bottom of the ladder, but being one of the few teams without a game in hand will count against them at the end of the season. It has to click for them this weekend, and they could hardly be up against a tougher opponent.
By Eamonn Warner, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s 2 Reporter
