Round 20 – National Premier Leagues NSW Women Preview

There are only three steps to go for Sydney University to secure the NPL NSW Women’s premiership.

 

Blacktown Spartans v Sutherland Shire

The Blacktown Spartans and Sutherland Shire battle out at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday.

Stephen Peters’ side has been somewhat unlucky in the last few weeks with three points persistently avoiding them.

They played well last week and had a chance to take the win against the Rams but couldn’t capitalise on their opportunity.

It was a disappointing result for Sutherland last week.

They suffered a heavy defeat, the largest of the season and will need to come together to improve their situation.

 

Illawarra Stingrays v Bankstown City

JJ Kelly Park will host the fixture between Illawarra Stingrays and Bankstown City on Sunday.

The Stingrays recorded their largest win of the season and one of the biggest in their history last week.

With finals just around the corner, It’s the perfect confidence boost for the Stingrays.

Bankstown has started to find the back of the net but their defence is still leaky.

They concede six last week and will really need to tighten up against the red-hot Stingrays.

 

Emerging Jets v Sydney University

Sydney University will travel to lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility to take on the Emerging Jets.

The Jets were on-song for the first 30 minutes of their match last week against Manly but fell off the pace as the game went on.

If they can hold Uni out and continue to lift their game they could cause their opposition some issues.

Uni took three points on Tuesday night against the Institute in a massive win for the club thanks to a Cortnee Vine strike.

Three from three wins will secure them the premiership and it begins on Sunday.

 

Macarthur Rams v Football NSW Institute

All eyes will be on Lynwood Park on Sunday afternoon as the Macarthur Rams host the Football NSW Institute.

A heavy defeat and a tough draw has seen the Rams drop out of the race for the premiership.

They’ll need to find their form again with finals just around the corner.

The Institute has also seen a slight slump in form, losing their first game since round seven on Tuesday night.

They should recover but it won’t be easy against an experienced Macarthur side.

 

Northern Tigers v NWS Koalas

At North Turramurra Recreational Area, a local derby pits the northern Tigers against the North West Sydney Koalas.

A tight loss last week in another derby last weekend has the tigers winless in two.

Victory for the Tigers could see them climb one position up the ladder.

The Koalas won’t let go of fifth place that easy and will continue their hunt for a finals place.

They must win all three remaining games as they look to chase down the Institute and Manly.

 

North Shore Mariners v Manly United

The other derby of the round sees the North Shore Mariners and Manly United clash at Northbridge Oval.

The Mariners have found form at the end of the season, going on a four-match unbeaten run.

Finals are too far for North Shore to reach but they’d love to dent their oppositions chances.

The champions are in real trouble of missing out on a finals place and cannot afford to drop any points.

After some tough results, they were able to comfortably take the points against the Jets on Sunday.

 

By Nikola Pozder