SELECT Futsal Premier League – Round 3 Open Women’s Preview

Football NSW writer Dan De Nardi previews round 3 of the SELECT Futsal Premier League Open Women’s competition with some intriguing match-ups on the cards with the big one at Valentine Sports Park as Dural Warriors host the Inner West Magic.

Dural Warriors v Inner West Magic

Dural Warriors and Inner West Magic play at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday evening (5.20pm), and the sides share an intense rivalry that goes back almost a decade.

The defending champs are top of the table, on home turf and can shove Dural to the back of the pack with another good showing this weekend.

Both sides tasted grand final success in the last three years, Magic with the freshest memory following their March 2-1 victory. Inner West have conceded just one goal in the opening two matches. This will be a cracker!

UTS Northside v Eastern Suburbs Hakoah

UTS Northside will have to be at their best to compete with Eastern Suburbs at PCYC Dee Why on Saturday night (5.30pm), but if they can douse the Hakoah heat they’ll make a pivotal move on their fortunes.

Easts have been sizzling in attack scoring 13 goals in two rounds, six of them from chart-topping Tamires Souza, but they’ve also leaked nine goals (second-lowest to Mascot’s dozen) to offer a chink in the armour.

UTS have finished fourth the last three seasons and a good result here has them primed for a better finish this summer.

Enfield Allstars v Mountain Majik

Win-less Enfield Allstars face joint-leaders Mountain Majik in an interesting match-up at Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night (7.05pm).

The Mountaineers haven’t featured in the open women’s top-four so a double-win to start the summer is a dream. Enfield won the 2014/15 grand final but have been missing from the last two playoffs and face a stern test of character this weekend, particularly as they’ve only managed two goals from the first two rounds.

Mascot Vipers v Campbelltown Quake

Get ready for explosions when Mascot Vipers meet Campbelltown Quake at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre (7.50pm). Mascot women’s certainly have pedigree as premiership-championship queens in both the 2016/17 and 2012/13 seasons, but they now sit bottom of the table after a win-less two rounds and up against an old foe in Campbelltown. Quake tasted ‘double’ success in 2013/14 but haven’t made the finals since the year after that. The two foundation clubs are always good for a battle and this should be no exception.

-By Dan De Nardi