Finals Series Round 2 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s
The penultimate weekend of PlayStation4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s football heads to Valentine Sports Park with one Grand Final spot taken by Sydney Olympic FC so both Sutherland Shire FA and Bankstown City Lions look to complete the match-up.
Preliminary Final: Sutherland Shire FA vs Bankstown City Lions, Sunday 27th August, 3:45pm, Valentine Sports Park #3
During the regular season, these two teams had some classic encounters as the Shire ladies edged the round 7 contest 3-2. In round 16 Bankstown City Lions were unlucky not to take all three points after a late fightback from the Sutherland forced them to share the points in a 2-2 draw.
Sutherland Shire FA were the early pacesetters in PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s with four straight victories to open the season and amassed 32 points across the season, finishing eleven points behind premiers Olympic FC.
They were bested by the premiers in the major semi-final 2-nil but due to their good finishing position allows them a second chance.
The Shire side like to play quickly from the back, as they aim to feed their impressive forward line composed of Jordan Baker, Raegan Deeley and Danielle Wise. The three strikers combined for an imposing 31 goals this season which might make for a long afternoon for Lions keeper Renee Krstanovska.
For the Sutherland Shire FA coach, his girls are looking forward to the game, admitting that “Bankstown are a tough team to break down, as they drop deep to defend but also can hit you on the counter. Our ladies are up for the challenge and hopeful to get the job done.”
Krstanovska was the hero for the Lions in the minor semi-final – she pulled out a highlight reel of saves then took the courageous step to slot home the fifth penalty. She added one final save to send the Lions into this weekend’s preliminary final.
Bankstown City Lions never fell further than fourth position during the regular season despite numerous set-backs through injuries and defensive issues at the back. They found their form in the final month of the season as the Lions roared for three victories in the last four matches.
Much like the Shire FA, Bankstown City Lions possess a fantastic forward line that makes for a mouth-watering battle between the two attacks. Tania Baban leads from the front with 12 goals and her link up with Doris Osman and Joanna Martino creates the majority of the chances for the Lions side.
In preparation for this weekend, Lions coach Troy Spink side has pulled up well after their huge effort against Nepean. “We are focused on amending results against Sutherland from earlier this season, we know their weaknesses so just need to be on our game and not switch off.”
-By Justin Davies, PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s reporter
