MATCH OF THE ROUND
Kanwal v Gosford
Kanwal will look to end Gosford’s unbeaten run once again as the two sides with the best defensive record in the competition face at Wadalba Sports Complex for the round 4 WPL Match of the Round.
Last year Kanwal did the unthinkable in the last round of the season as they beat the unbeaten Gosford side who were looking to finish the season undefeated. Kanwal went down 4-1 in their first match against Gosford last year before turning things around and beating the League Champions 2-1 in their second fixture. Kanwal will look to keep the momentum going after beating Kariong last week, 1-0.
Kanwal coach’s Hayley Ballard and Jen Tatum know that they face their biggest test of the season thus far this year. “We know this game will be our toughest yet, but we are looking forward to our first game of the season at home and what a game to start with! We have no doubt we can compete with Gosford for the 3 points, but our biggest focus will be our execution. The girls know we are up for a solid game this week, it’s always the case against Gosford, they are quality. We just need to focus on us and how we want to be playing, if we do that hopefully we can add another 6 points to the tally.”
Gosford will seek revenge on Kanwal come this weekend as they will look to keep their perfect start to the season alive. In the opening 3 rounds this season, Gosford have the joint-best goals for along with Umina (18), whilst they boast the best defence in the competition having only conceded a single goal in the opening 3 rounds. There are no doubts Gosford are favourites to take out League Champions once again, but for Pete Edwards and his squad, they will look to go one better than last year and do it whilst remaining undefeated.
Gosford coach Pete Edwards is also expecting his toughest test on Mother’s Day this Sunday. “They’re physically tough and we know they will be pumped up to give everything against us, we expect Kanwal to be our hardest test so far. Traditionally this fixture is always close, and we will have to be ready to fight and absorb pressure from kick-off. As always, we will come with our game plan, but in games like this It can often come down to a few single moments that make all the difference. We’re really excited and will enjoy the chance to compete against another fantastic team in Kanwal.”
Kariong v Wyong
Kariong and Wyong will both look to get their season off to a start after both sides have been unable to pick up any points thus far in the competition.
Kariong narrowly went down to Kanwal last weekend in a 1-0 loss that could have gone either way. Kariong has been without a few key players in their opening matches as players have had to play in both grades which ultimately is hindering their first-grade performance. Kariong has only been able to find themselves on the scoresheet twice so far this year, making the most of their opportunities will be a big factor if they want to walk away with points in round 4. Coach Haylie Eyers was ecstatic with the way her team carried themselves and their performance this past weekend despite the loss. Expect Kariong to enter the game against Wyong full of confidence and looking to pick up their first win.
Wyong was unlucky in their round-3 match against Southern and felt like if things went their way, they could have got a better result for themselves. Despite losing 3-1, Kariong missed a penalty which could have drastically changed the scoreline in that match. Although Wyong statistically has the worst defence in the competition, conceding 25 goals so far this season, Wyong has managed to find the back of the net in every one of their games as they head into this weekend with more goals than Kariong. As Wyong’s squad gets up to speed with the pace and intensity of WPL, expect them to challenge plenty of team and Kariong this weekend.
Southern & Ettalong v Umina
Umina faces a tough task in keeping their 100% record alive this weekend as they face peninsula rivals Southern & Ettalong at James Browne Oval.
Southern have turned things around since seeing defeat in their opening match against East Gosford (1-0) with back-to-back wins over tough opposition in Kanwal (1-0) and Wyong (3-1). New coach Augusto Terra will look to keep this winning streak alive but face a very durable side in Umina. Southern currently sit on 6 points with 4 other teams and a win would see them go level with their opposition on the ladder. The Lions were unable to beat Umina last year going down narrowly 2-1 in their first fixture before Umina took control in the second game and won 6-1.
Umina is currently level with Gosford as both sides have had a perfect start to their season after round 3, both Umina and Gosford also boast a league-high with 18 goals each. Steve Donaldson and his E-gals know they can’t afford to slip up this weekend if they want to end the year as WPL League Champions. Umina are coming off a great win over East Gosford who took the Rams by storm in the first half and walked away with a 2-0 win in the Kate McCartin Cup. Expect a fast start again this weekend as Umina will look to jump Gosford on goal difference if they can get themselves a big win.
Terrigal v East Gosford
Terrigal will host East Gosford this Sunday as both sides are currently level on 6 points and a win would be crucial for either side.
Round 3 saw Terrigal bounce back from their 2-0 loss to Gosford beating Woongarrah 2-0 themselves on the weekend that’s just past. In both of their wins this year (2-0, 1-0), Darryl Darke’s Terrigal side have been able to keep clean sheets, a testament to the great style of football he has his side playing. Terrigal only faced East Gosford once last year and, on that day, neither side could find the back of the net as the game finished 0-0. A win would see Terrigal climb over and go 3 points clear of the Rams as Terrigal look to state their claim in the top 4 once again this season and play finals football.
It’s been a very gruelling 2 weeks for East Gosford, having to face Gosford in the Mate Association Cup Final followed by Umina in last week’s WPL Match of the Round. Unfortunately for Jorge Chavez Rams side, not only did they see defeat in both of those matches, but Jorge’s squad has also picked up a high injury toll which will see them a few key players short for their game against Terrigal. Luckily over the years, the Rams have been able to set up an excellent female program. Expect to see Jorge promote some youngsters come Sunday.
Killarney v Woongarrah
Woongarrah will look to put an end to their goalless start to the season as they travel to Edsaac to face Killarney for Round 4.
Killarney had quite the test last weekend as they fell to a very dominant Gosford performance. Despite their 5-0 loss, Adam Tait’s side made it extremely tough for Gosford all game and did not give up till the final whistle. Killarney currently sits alone in 7th on the ladder as the only side with 3 points from 3 games, which includes 1 win over Kariong (3-0). Killarney fell short to Woongarrah on both instances when they faced last year so, despite Woongarrah’s current form, Killarney knows it will be no easy game come Sunday.
Woongarrah’s goalless slump in WPL continues after seeing defeat at home to Terrigal 2-0. They are the only team who have not been able to get on the scoresheet in the opening 3 rounds of the year. This will mark Woongarrah’s first away game of the season as they will be in search of their opening first-grade points. Despite all this, Dave Hurley’s side beat Killarney 1-0 and 2-1 in the 2020 WPL Season and will take plenty of confidence out of that into the game this weekend.
Written by Adam Blunden.