Round 23 Preview – League One Women’s
Round 23 is another pivotal weekend in the League One Womens competition as it could help to determine how the finals fixtures shake out.
The eight clashes all have some importance which means there will be some action and excitement in the air.
Let’s get onto the preview.
South Coast Flame FC vs Mt Druitt Town Rangers, Saturday 23 July, 3:15pm, Sir Ian McLennan Park
Kicking off Round 23 on Saturday afternoon is South Coast Flame FC facing Mt Druitt Town Rangers at Sir Ian McLennan Park.
The Flame head back home after sharing a 1-1 draw against Central Coast Mariners in their game on the Central Coast. For Mt Druitt Town Rangers, they suffered a 2-0 loss to SD Raiders FC in their game away from home.
South Coast Flame FC will welcome being back at home. The south coast side can reduce the gap between them and Sutherland Shire FA with three points. Jessica Cruickshank and Rachelle Wang will be crucial in them achieving that goal.
Playing the Flame will bring back good memories for Mt Druitt Town Rangers. The reverse fixture is where they picked up their first points of the League One Womens season. Now coach Neill Ross has targeted the next few fixtures for his side to prosper.
St George FC vs Hills United FC, Sunday 24 July, 3pm, Fraser Park
Finals chasing St George FC take on a rampant Hills United FC team in an important game at Fraser Park on Sunday afternoon.
Continuing to chase the top spot, Hills United FC won 3-0 against Marconi Stallions to keep the pressure up on the Gladesville Ravens. St George FC lost their top four clash against Gladesville Ravens 3-0 at the Artic Circle.
St George FC will be keen to get back on the horse as they now share fourth spot with Northbridge Bulls FC as the race for third and fourth hots up. Having Jordan Baker always makes them a tough prospect even against the toughest defence.
The objective for Hills United FC is to just keep winning as Dory said in Finding Nemo. They have a game in hand over Gladesville Ravens but one slip will forfeit their advantage. Isabella Sciberras is in fine form and will be tough to handle.
Central Coast Mariners vs Gladesville Ravens, Sunday 24 July, 3pm, Pluim Park
Gladesville Ravens fly over to Pluim Park aiming to keep their perch at the top against Central Coast Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
The Ravens still hold the advantage at the top after their comfortable 3-0 win against a finals chasing St George FC on Sunday night. Central Coast Mariners took the lead but were left to share the points in a 1-1 draw against South Coast Flame FC.
This is quickly becoming a must win clash for Central Coast Mariners. They are losing touch with the finals sides and another few losses might spell the end. Captain Kaitlin Murphy leads from the front for the side and they will try to get on the front foot on Sunday.
Gladesville Ravens are flying high and look ready to explode against an opponent and put together a huge win. Maggie O’Reilly has been an unsung hero for the Ravens alongside their devastating attack in recent weeks.
Northbridge Bulls FC vs UNSW FC, Sunday 24 July, 3pm, Northbridge Oval
There is a potential finals decider at Northbridge Oval on Sunday when third place UNSW FC travel to face off against Northbridge Bulls FC.
Both teams head into this pivotal game off good wins. Northbridge Bulls FC featured in our Match of the Round where they beat Blacktown City FC 2-1 after a scare. UNSW FC were 2-1 winners against a gallant Inter Lions side.
Northbridge Bulls FC are on the outside looking in on the slender margin of goal difference currently but three points on Sunday will do wonders for their chances. Energetic attacker Rochelle Johnson is one of the key cogs for their attack to get moving.
Taking down UNSW FC won’t be an easy task. The students have passed each week’s test with flying colours and earnt their third position. Amanda Levaskevich, Marcella Santos and Eve Hess are a dangerous trio for the defence to hold off.
Nepean FC vs Sutherland Shire FA, Sunday 24 July, 3pm, Cook Park
Resurgent Sutherland Shire FA make the trip to Sydney’s west to take on Nepean FC at Cook Park on Sunday afternoon.
Sutherland Shire FA head into their visit to the golden west in brilliant form after their 4-1 win against South East Phoenix FC in a Sunday night clash. Nepean FC also headed to the west, just the south-west, and lost 3-0 to Camden Tigers.
Nepean FC will want to get back on track after back-to-back losses which has them sat in unlucky 13th on the League One Womens table. They will need to keep a tight defence to repel a Sutherland Shire FA attack which has scored for fun recently.
Riding a four game unbeaten streak, Sutherland Shire FA will head across town full of confidence to make it a five-star performance. Youngster Violet Keelan has been a revelation and will want to add to her impressive tally again.
Marconi Stallions vs SD Raiders FC, Sunday 24 July, 3pm, Marconi Stadium
Two sides aiming to remain in the hunt do battle when Marconi Stallions host SD Raiders FC at Marconi Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
These two south-west sides do battle in a vital game for the chance to make the finals. SD Raiders FC were winners against Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2-0 while Marconi Stallions were defeated 3-0 against Hills United FC.
SD Raiders FC are three points outside the top four with eight weeks to play after being very solidly inside it earlier this year. They never give away results and will make the Stallions work for any points on Sunday afternoon.
Marconi Stallions are another side that need to get galloping quickly to make their charge to the final straight of the League One Womens competition. They will want to reverse the 1-0 loss to SD Raiders back in Round 8 as well.
Inter Lions vs Blacktown City FC, Sunday 24 July, 3pm, Majors Bay Reserve
Inter Lions take on Blacktown City FC down at Majors Bay Reserve on Sunday afternoon in an intriguing contest.
These two teams head into this game from last start losses. Blacktown City FC featured in our Match of the Round, hit the lead but lost 2-1 to Northbridge Bulls FC. Inter Lions kept it close but lost 2-1 to UNSW FC.
These two sides met in the Match of the Round back in Round 8 which saw Blacktown City FC triumph 4-1 in a dominant performance. Since then, both sides have been on an upswing with their results which makes for a tight clash.
Blacktown City FC have had a solid goal contributor in Nicola Ciocca who found the back of the net last week and will want to achieve similar this week. For Inter Lions, Chloe O’Brien is their best attacking threat in an open game.
South East Phoenix FC vs Camden Tigers, Sunday 24 July, 3:15pm, South Nowra Football Complex
We finish the weekend with the second half of a double header between South East Phoenix FC and Camden Tigers at South Nowra Football Complex.
Due to a quirk in the fixtures due to the rain in Sydney over the last few months, these two sides will play each other on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. It is a good opportunity for either side to pick up a big six points this weekend.
Camden Tigers head into this game full of confidence after their 3-0 win against Nepean FC at home which gave them their second win of the year. South East Phoenix FC lost 4-1 to Sutherland Shire FA down at Kareela.
Both sides have shown their quality in patches this League One Womens season. Charlotte Taylor and Merryn Clarke were standouts in their win last week while for the Phoenix, they have Madison Cater ready to fire home some goals.
By Justin Davies (@JustDavies90)
