SELECT Futsal Premier League – Rounds 10 and 11 Open Women’s Previews
SELECT Futsal Premier League features a special double-header weekend with rounds 10 and 11 sure to paint a clearer picture of who sits where at the head-chiefs’ table.
Round-10 Saturday matches pitch Mountain Majik versus Enfield Allstars at Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium (3.10pm), Campbelltown Quake tackle Mascot Vipers at Minto Indoor Sports Centre (3.50pm), Dural Warriors play Inner West Magic at The Centre (5.50pm), and Eastern Suburbs Hakoah meet UTS Northside at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre (7.50pm).
Round-11 Sunday fixtures pits Inner West Magic against Mountain Majik at Valentine Sports Park (5.20pm), UTS Northside face Campbelltown Quake at PCYC Dee Why (6.30pm), Enfield Allstars host Eastern Subs Hakoah at Morris Iemma Sports Centre (7.05pm), Mascot Vipers welcome Dural Warriors to All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre (7.50pm).
The points table has Magic (25) clear of Majik (20), UTS (18) and Quake (14), with Hakoah (9), Vipers (8), Allstars (6) and Warriors (4) playing for their playoff lives this weekend.
It’s a staggered club championship race as Inner West (125 points) head Mascot (111) and Mountain (111), with Easts (89), UTS (81), Campbelltown (77) and Enfield (72) holding some breathing space over a gasping Dural (59).
Mountain Majik vs Enfield Allstars
Top-two Mountain Majik face an energised Enfield Allstars in an interesting encounter at Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers trail leaders Inner West by five points and hold a severe historical edge over Enfield winning four of their last five meetings, although the last two have been hard-fought 4-3 battles.
It’s been two years since Allstars beat Majik, but they come into the fixture on the back of a 3-1 win against Dural and with renewed determination to upset the top-four balance.
Enfield’s only two wins this season have been away from home.
Campbelltown Quake vs Mascot Vipers
Campbelltown Quake versus Mascot Vipers at Minto Indoor Sports Centre is a pivotal Saturday-afternoon match-up.
The home side has a huge target on their back sitting in the precarious fourth-position with teams like sixth-placed Mascot lining up to take their place.
The last three matches have gone a win apiece before a riveting 2-2 draw at All Sorts in October to underline a healthy rivalry between the clubs.
Dural Warriors vs Inner West Magic
Premier League’s most common open-women pairing meets in extraordinary circumstance at The Centre, Dural this Saturday evening when last-placed Warriors face unbeaten Inner West Magic.
The top-flight giants have met an incredible 15 times in the past four years alone; Dural dominant early on beating Inner West in the 2014/15 preliminary final and twice in the following year’s finals series including a thrilling 3-2 grand final victory, compiling the pain by knocking Magic out of last year’s Futsal Cup competition at the quarter-final stage 2-1.
The Warriors have featured in the last six finals series and must’ve felt on top of the world following a mammoth 5-1 win over Magic in last summer’s major semi-final… and that’s where the good times ended.
Two weeks later Inner West pipped them 2-1 in the championship decider and Dural’s won once in eight league games since, including a 0-3 loss to Magic in round three.
The Warriors can take some solace in the fact Magic haven’t beaten them at The Centre in five years.
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah vs UTS Northside
It’s hand-rubbing time as fifth-placed Eastern Suburbs Hakoah face top-three UTS Northside at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night.
With the newcomers five points adrift of a top-four berth the time is nigh for a late-season playoff-spot attack and Easts would dearly love to avenge a 3-0 round-three drubbing by Northside at Dee Why.
UTS have their own motivation with a recent double-loss forcing them to relinquish their top-two spot to Mountain Majik.
Round 11 Preview
Inner West Magic vs Mountain Majik
It’s a headline act when Inner West Magic welcome Mountain Majik to Valentine Sports Park on Sunday afternoon.
The positions might change on Saturday’s results but the intent will be the same regardless as two great rivals go toe-to-toe.
Mountain have toppled Inner West just once in their past six meetings but a 2-2 draw at Blacktown to kickstart the summer followed by a scintillating 1-2 loss in their Futsal Cup quarter-final two weeks ago will give them every ounce of confidence in causing an upset.
Spoiler alert: Depending on results but Magic could actually seal the premiership by the end of this weekend: If Majik draw or loss their earlier game against Enfield and UTS grab a maximum three points from their two runs, a double Inner West victory would position them 10 points ahead of both with three rounds remaining.
UTS Northside vs Campbelltown Quake
It’ll be a top-four clash no matter what when Campbelltown Quake challenge UTS Northside at PCYC Dee Why on Sunday evening.
Campbelltown have built a five-point bridge over fifth-placed Hakoah and can certainly alter that advantage either way in a double-header against two teams either side of them (Mascot and UTS).
Northside have beaten Quake in their past two runs, including a comprehensive 4-1 away raid at Minto in round three.
Enfield Allstars vs Easts Hakoah
It’s all or nothing as Enfield Allstars tackle Eastern Suburbs Hakoah at Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday night.
Both sides enter the weekend with everything to lose and everything to gain, making this match-up a virtual do-or-die affair.
Easts were big 5-3 winners over Enfield at All Sorts earlier in the season.
Mascot Vipers vs Dural Warriors
Well here’s an interesting match-up to conclude a frantic weekend of Futsal action: Mascot Vipers versus Dural Warriors at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday night.
Mascot are barking at the playoff door while Dural try to do everything they can to re-find their winning mojo – and wouldn’t Mascot love to make amends for a 4-2 loss to Warriors in last year’s inaugural Futsal Cup final.
The sides tied 1-1 in round three.
– By Dan de Nardi
