Round 9 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s
On paper you might think that Round 9 of the PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s 2016 looks relatively straightforward.
But if there’s one guarantee about this league it’s that upsets and surprises come thick and fast, so not all will go to plan this weekend.
Olympic play hosts to the Mariners and will be after an easy victory, the Tigers travel to Concord to make amends for their loss last start, Nepean look to put the brakes on Bankstown after the away side’s rampant performance in round 8, and league leaders Sutherland head down the south coast in an attempt to make it two from two against Southern for 2016.
Sydney Olympic FC vs Central Coast Mariners FC, 2.05pm Sunday May 29th at Peter Moore Park
Olympic will be going into this one expecting to take home the victory. Complacency can’t be allowed to slip in, but realistically they should be looking to put pressure on the sides above them here by going for the jugular against the Mariners. They’ve been creating opportunities all year without consistently putting them away, and if they click this weekend this one could be over before half time.
Frustration is the name of the game for the Mariners in this one. Olympic have stuttered at times this season, and if they can pressure Olympic’s forwards and make life difficult for them they’re in with a shot of getting something from the game. The Mariners will have to find a goal from somewhere, but the longer they can keep this one deadlocked the more chance they have of inflicting a demoralising result on the home side.
Inter Lions SC vs Northern Tigers FC, 3pm Sunday May 29th at Concord Oval
Inter got away with a comfortable win last start, and another professional performance will be ideal here before the sterner tests they may face over the next few weeks. Hickey back on the scoreboard is big for them, and she’ll fancy her chances against a Tigers defence lacking the physicality of some of the other sides. Inter are dangerous on the break, and they’ll look to hit the Tigers in a similar way to Nepean last weekend.
The Tigers are still scratching their heads after last weekend’s match. To control a game so well and let it slip to two goals out of nothing would be tough to take, but on the quality of that performance they’ll bounce back here against Inter. The Tigers look a far better team than their ladder position dictates, and they’ll be a tough proposition here for the Lions if they can get the midfield working to top capacity.
Nepean FC vs Bankstown City FC, 3pm Sunday May 29th at Cook Park
Nepean executed perfectly against the Tigers last week, and another disciplined performance like that will give them every chance against Bankstown. Paige Wilson filled in well at centre half in the absence of her sister Hollie, and she’ll need to be on her game again this week as Bankstown’s undoubted strength lies in a forward line that poses danger from all angles. Nepean know though that they can cause huge damage to Bankstown if they away side over commit going forward, so we may see a similar plan to last week as they look to hit on the break.
Bankstown put in one of their best performances of the season last weekend. If they can keep up that defensive solidity week in week out they’ll be a real chance of finals football come the end of the season. Samantha Muscat was the danger coming into the year, and while she’s still been potent in front of goal, the other forwards alongside her like Tania Baban now proving their worth makes Bankstown a much more worrying opponent than many sides would have expected them to be.
Southern Branch FC vs Sutherland Shire FA, 3pm Sunday May 29th at South Nowra Football Complex
Southern Branch haven’t been able to get going at all this season. They look to set to launch their campaign and then immediately follow that up with a disappointing result that sends them back to square one. Another loss here will see them lose touch with the leaders, and may leave fourth spot as the best outcome available to them for the year. Although this is about the point last year that Southern went into hyper drive and strung wins together like they were going out of style. Another run like that wouldn’t go amiss.
Sutherland are really chugging along now, and after passing two very tough tests in consecutive weeks they’ll be looking to consolidate their position here. Rochelle Borromeo got Sutherland home against Southern the last time these sides met, but they’ve been getting by without her goals in the last few weeks, so even shutting her down may not save the day for the home side. The combination down the right hand side of Jessica Ellis and Genevieve Nisbet will pose a real danger in attack for Sutherland, as once they get into open space they’re impossible to catch.
-By Eamonn Warner, PS4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s Reporter
