Finals Series Round 1 Preview – League One Women’s
Finals football has arrived in the Football NSW League One Women’s competition and is set up as a fascinating conclusion to the season. Our two semi-finals see Central Coast Mariners host Hills United FC in the Match of the Round while Premiers UNSW FC face off against St George FC.
Let’s get onto the preview.
Match of the Round: Central Coast Mariners vs Hills United FC, Saturday 9 September, 3:45pm, Valentine Sports Park #2
Central Coast Mariners and Hills United FC face off in their semi-final at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Mariners narrowly missed out on the title after back-to-back losses which saw UNSW FC take the crown last weekend.
Coach Dan Barrett is an experienced campaigner, and he will help his side dust themselves off and look forward to this clash.
It was still a fantastic season for Central Coast Mariners who finished with 21 wins, a single draw and 4 losses across the 26 rounds.
The key threat for the Mariners is up front. Chloe Smith has a nose for goal while Kaitlin Murphy can cut in from the wing and find the back of the net.
Central Coast Mariners do hold the advantage over Hills United FC with wins in Round 6 and Round 19 this season.
Hills United FC were consistent throughout the League One Women’s season and finished third and made it back-to-back finals appearances.
They were a hard team to beat throughout the season, notching up 16 wins, eight draws and only two losses all year.
A big part in that resolute nature was keeper Sarah Easthope. She kept 15 clean sheets this season and aiming for another on Saturday afternoon.
Their coach Alan Tasses will look for his side to be clinical up top in this game. They have had struggles finding goals in 2023 and hope that doesn’t reappear in this game.
He will look to Isabella Sciberras and Imogen Lane up top while Aisling Davidson is always a danger on set pieces.
This game will be streamed live on NPL.TV on Saturday afternoon. Join the Voice of Central Coast football Peter Prior for what shapes up to be a fantastic game.
Previous Matches:
Round 6: Hills United FC 0 defeated by Central Coast Mariners 1
Round 19: Central Coast Mariners 3 defeated Hills United FC 0
UNSW FC vs St George FC, Sunday 10 September, 3:45pm, The Village Green
Premiers UNSW FC host St George FC in the second semi-final at The Village Green on Sunday afternoon.
The students celebrated a well-deserved Premiership and Club Championship after their 4-0 win over Blacktown City FC last weekend.
It was the culmination of a magnificent season for UNSW FC. They went undefeated through 26 rounds which saw them register 21 wins and 5 draws.
Leading the way for UNSW FC is their strike duo up top. Marcella Santos (21) and Amanda Levaskevich (18) combined to score 38 goals and will be key for the students.
Behind them is a strong midfield which looks to push forward often. Hayley Marshall and Cassandra Christopher were both pivotal to their attack.
Coach Guillermo Rubio has done a good job since he took over in the UNSW FC dugout and was able to rest some of his key stars in the second half before this big clash.
UNSW FC fell at the semi-final stage last season so they will be keen to take a further step and add further to what has been a wonderful season.
St George FC finished in fourth spot in the League One Women’s competition and marked their return to finals football.
The Saints come into this game off a ten-game unbeaten run and earned a reputation as the comeback queens in League One Women’s.
They have their own sharpshooter in Jordan Baker. She was their top scorer with 16 goals and is a big game player.
St George FC have plenty of firepower in their ranks including Kyla Vanderlaan, Morgan Maxwell and Jaslyn Moore to find the back of the net.
Custodian Alexandra Hinson has impressed in her first season at St George FC and might need to produce some big saves to deny UNSW FC.
Previous matches:
Round 4: UNSW FC 2 defeated St George FC 1
Round 17: St George FC 1 drew with UNSW FC 1
By Justin Davies (@JustDavies90)
