Round 13 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s
Another weekend, another catch-up fixture in the Playstation® 4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s 2016, so we’ll deal with that first before we get into the full preview for Round 13.
Round 10:
Central Coast Mariners FC vs Southern Branch FC, 2.45pm Saturday June 25th at Pluim Park NO.3
The games have been coming thick and fast for the Mariners lately. Of all the sides in the league, they’ve copped the worst of the east coast’s recent love affair with torrential rain, so this week presents them with a double header. They fared well last time they played twice in a weekend though, so it appears the rhythm of consecutive matches suits them.
Southern haven’t won in their last 4 matches, and while they showed their qualities last weekend they still couldn’t get across the line. Anything less than 3 points here makes Sunday’s fixture against the Tigers a must win if they are to hold out hope for a top 4 berth.
Round 13 Preview:
Round 13 has the potential to set up a few blockbuster clashes in the coming weeks, and each of the sides near the summit will know just how important it is to make the most of opportunities against the sides they feel they should be beating. But the tightness of this competition always means an upset is around the corner, and this week should be no exception.
Sydney Olympic travel out west to face Nepean, Bankstown welcome Inter Lions, and Central Coast and Southern Branch each have to back up against sides that move the ball better than any other – Sutherland and Northern Tigers respectively.
Nepean FC vs Sydney Olympic FC, 3pm Sunday June 26th at Cook Park
Nepean will be hoping for more hospitable conditions than last week when they host Olympic. The home side moved the ball rather well at times at Fraser but were undone by a combination of Inter’s grit, and having to finish the match clad in scuba gear. A better track could see Nepean keep their tempo up for a full 90 minutes, giving them the best chance of claiming the three points. They’ll be up against it though if skipper Desiree Vassallo doesn’t recover from the injury that saw her leave the field at half time last week.
Olympic would be just about comfortable where they are given some of the inconsistencies which have held them back this year. They haven’t hit top gear this season, and one thinks their best performances are still ahead of them. The embodiment of this has been spearhead Danielle Calvi, who amongst some of her usual excellence in front of goal has had a couple of forgettable matches by her lofty standards. The chance creation is there, so if she rediscovers her finishing from last season Olympic are going to be tough to hold back.
Sutherland Shire FA vs Central Coast Mariners FC, 3pm Sunday June 26th at Harrie Denning Centre
The second of Central Coast’s two matches this weekend couldn’t come against a worse team. If the legs are heavy at all from the previous day’s exertions this could be a long afternoon indeed for the league’s last placed side. Sutherland haven’t been at their best in recent weeks it has to be said, and the Mariners will be hoping that form continues here.
Sutherland will be keen to get back to winning ways in this one, with a repeat of the 5-0 drubbing from earlier in the season the goal. Reclaiming top spot will be their number one priority before they come up against Inter in a couple of weeks, and this is where it starts for them. This is all about setting themselves up for the run home.
Bankstown City FC vs Inter Lions SC, 3pm Sunday June 26th at Jensen Park
The wash out last Sunday may have been just what Bankstown needed after their midweek fixture. That extra game would have pushed them to their limits, and those extra few days rest with a few less miles in the legs will serve them well against Inter. It’ll be interesting to see how Bankstown set up in this one, as sitting deep won’t be quite as effective against a side like Inter as it was against Sutherland. Inter won’t push as high up the park, so it’ll be far more difficult for Bankstown to break quickly into the open spaces on the flanks.
With both sides playing in a similar way at times, Inter should be able to get the job done. They are just so solid across the park, and seem to be developing more attacking weapons the longer the season goes. Missing Freya Hickey last weekend didn’t prove especially difficult for Inter to deal with, as Rhonda Succar seemed to relish the extra space up front. This should be a tight encounter but Inter should just have too much class.
Northern Tigers FC vs Southern Branch FC, 3pm Sunday June 26th at Mills Park
The Tigers have been in excellent shape over the last month and have really surprised in their surge up the table. If they are to be title contenders though, they need to beat the teams below them consistently, and this is a great chance to start finding that level of performance week in week out. Up against a tired Southern they should have ample opportunity to add to their impressive goal tally for the season.
Southern have a tough weekend with these two away trips, and the Tigers are not going to make things easy. The home side move the ball in a similar fashion to Sutherland, and will be able to cut holes in the Southern defence if any fatigue is present. By the same token, the Tigers leave space to attack, so if Southern can smartly use their pace down the flanks they’ll pose a danger for the full 90 minutes.
By Eamonn Warner, PS4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s Reporter
