SELECT Futsal Premier League – Round 14 Open Women’s Preview
SELECT Futsal Premier League plays out the final round-14 on Saturday for a fitting 2018 finale.
This weekend sees Mountain Majik tackle Campbelltown Quake at Blacktown Leisure Centre (2.20pm), Magic play Mascot Vipers at Valentine Sports Park (5.20pm), UTS Northside face Enfield Allstars at PCYC Dee Why (5.30pm), and Eastern Suburbs Hakoah host Dural Warriors at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre (7.50pm).
Inner West (184 points) win the club championship race, well ahead of Mascot (157), Mountain (147), Easts (120), Campbelltown (120) and UTS (113), while seven matches decides the premier league status of Enfield (103) and Dural (95, plus one game in hand).
Mountain Majik Campbelltown Quake Blacktown Leisure Centre 2.20pm Saturday 22 December
Inner West Magic Mascot Vipers Valentine Sports Park 5.20pm Saturday 22 December
UTS Northside Enfield Allstars PCYC Dee Why 5.30pm Saturday 22 December
Eastern Subs Hakoah Dural Warriors All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre 7.50pm Saturday 22 December
Mountain Majik vs Campbelltown Quake
Mountain Majik take on Campbelltown Quake at Blacktown Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoon.
The home side is assured of second spot making this game purely fateful for Campbelltown, who are equal-third with UTS (Quake ahead on goal-difference) and must match or better Northside’s result versus Enfield to avoid facing Inner West in the knockout semi-finals.
Campbelltown bring form into the fixture unbeaten in three runs, while Mountain had a terrific seven-game stretch ruined by a 1-2 loss to UTS last week.
The two sides traded four-goal wins last season, Majik winning 5-1 early in late-2017 before Campbelltown won 6-2 at Minto, and it was a thrilling 3-3 shootout when they met earlier in the season.
Inner West Magic vs Mascot Vipers
Inner West Magic hunt a 20th match unbeaten when they face Mascot Vipers at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Magicians haven’t been headed in 19 league and cup games to claim the Futsal Cup and 2018/19 premiership back last week in what can only be likened to opening your Christmas presents a week early.
Their stunning sequence however faces a stern test when they have little to play for and take on a Mascot side that must grab at least a point to guarantee they won’t be spanked by the wooden spoon (which will happen if they lose and Enfield and Dural both win).
Vipers have definitely been a better team in the second half of the season but a seven-game winless run to start the summer wrecked their playoff dreams – and they’ll definitely be keen to take that out on NSW’ best team.
Rhianna Pollicina scored four goals in a 6-3 Magic round-seven rout.
UTS Northside vs Enfield Allstars
This match shapes up as a cracking affair between UTS Northside face Enfield Allstars at PCYC Dee Why on Saturday afternoon.
Fourth-placed Northside must win (and outdo Quake’s effort versus Majik) to jump ahead of Campbelltown and avoid meeting juggernauts Inner West in a dreaded sudden-death semi-final.
Enfield have their own motivation, a point ahead of Dural at the bottom of the table. Only victory guarantees they’ll leave the basement as a draw leaves their fate in the hands of Easts in the final match of the year.
UTS boast three straight wins against Allstars, 3-0 and 4-0 last summer followed by a 2-1 win this summer.
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah vs Dural Warriors
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah could have their hands full against bottom-placed Dural Warriors at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night.
Easts can’t budge from their mid-table place but Dural will know how much value this match has after nervously awaiting results from the earlier games – if Mascot draw or inexplicably beat unbeaten leaders Inner West and Enfield defeat Northside, the ‘Reds’ will finish last no matter what.
However, should Vipers lose and/or Allstars draw or lose, the door will just about hang off its hinges as the Warriors could jump either or both in a dramatic last-second escape from the dungeon.
Dural beat Easts 2-1 in a Futsal Cup round-of-16 clash a week before Hakoah flipped it in a tight 2-1 round-seven clash.
– By Dan de Nardi
