Round 6 Preview – Futsal Premier League Open Women’s
Now that the teams have shaken off any early-season cobwebs, we’re set for a fascinating round of Open Women’s futsal. As the race for finals begins to heat up, expect more close contests across this highly entertaining league.
Dural Warriors v Mountain Majik; Saturday 15 October, 3:50pm @ The Centre Dural
The round begins in Sydney’s north-west with the Warriors looking for a third consecutive victory.
Dural know that a win here will keep them in the top two, and they could even move into first place if UTS drop points. Superstar goalkeeper Sarah Easthope anchors the stingiest defence in the league – Easthope pulled off a rare feat on Saturday by keeping a clean sheet and also setting up a goal. The Warriors can also call upon the dependable pair of Samantha Nagy and Rachel Perrins as they chase their fourth win of 2022.
On the other hand, Mountain Majik are searching for their first three point haul of the campaign. Attack hasn’t been the issue this year (Majik have scored nine goals, same as Dural), rather it’s their defending that has let them down at times. Amity Jackson is a good shotstopper and can be relied upon to make crucial saves, while Clare Holder will be one to watch whenever’s she in the game.
Campbelltown City Quake v Mascot Vipers; Saturday 15 October, 4:30pm @ Minto Indoor Sports Centre
Seven points separate these two teams, but this game should be closer than the table suggests.
Quake are winless, but Saturday’s away draw against the league’s frontrunners will boost the confidence levels in their squad. Brianna Clarke’s cat-like reflexes even earned praise from UTS on the weekend – she is one of many youngsters that are growing into the campaign. You can’t win games with kids alone, thankfully Quake have the likes of Linda Dudek and Claire Gilligan to guide their highly promising youth.
Mascot want to keep the top two in their sights with victory in Sydney’s south west. The Vipers are looking for their fourth win in a row, so we can assume that the early heavy defeat to UTS was an anomaly for their talented squad. Watch out for Trudy Camilleri – she provides the determination that every team needs and her energy will lift the Vipers.
Inner West v Eastern Suburbs Hakoah; Saturday 15 October, 4:50pm @ Valentine Sports Park
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah head west for a crucial clash at Football NSW headquarters.
Aside from last week’s defeat, Inner West have been competitive in all their games and have a squad that is definitely good enough to recover from that setback. Tara Pender brings a lot of skill to their side and can fashion chances out of very little, while Jasmine Limon has shown an eye for goal this season. Don’t count out Chloe Gordon as a potential game-changer, she has the technique to worry any team in this league.
Hakoah have two games in hand on some teams and a real opportunity to climb the ladder. They were unlucky during Saturday’s defeat to Dural, on another day the eastern suburbs side could have scored enough goals to win comfortably. Alexia Karrys-Stahl and Gisella Pipino are two potential game winners for Hakoah – these two may fly under the radar at times but that doesn’t lessen their importance.
Enfield Allstars v UTS Northside; Saturday 15 October, 5:50pm @ Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre
The league leaders travel to Riverwood, standing in their way is a team coming off a huge victory.
Enfield lived up to their nickname on Saturday, with an all-star performance giving them their first win of the season and a clean sheet as well. Amy Dahdah has been a quality player in this competition for many years, look out for her as Enfield try to start a winning run. Bianca Radman is another player worth keeping an eye on and she will always give her team a spirited performance.
Meanwhile, life is good for the team from the northern beaches, undefeated and top of the tree as we approach the halfway stage of the competition. It’s easy to see why: the UTS attack has been close to unstoppable, producing more than double the goal tally of every other team in the league. With seven goals in five games, league top scorer Daisy Arrowsmith has certainly been on fire – are Enfield her next victims?
By Eric Subijano (Twitter – @eric_subijano)
