MATCH OF THE ROUND
Southern Ettalong v Terrigal
Reaping the benefits of their midweek win over Killarney, Southern look to keep their spot inside the top four as they welcome a determined Terrigal side for this week’s match of the round
After losing their last fixture against tough competition in current league leaders Umina (3-1), It was imperative that Southern bounced back mid-week against Killarney and that’s exactly what they did as the Lionesses claimed a 2-0 win. As no surprise, it was a double from Emily Diaz that steered her side to victory as she landed her 24th and 25th goals of the season. That win propelled Marcus Warwick’s side back into the top four but will have Woy Woy hot on their tail, waiting for the Lionesses to slip up to re-claim the final spot for finals contention. The last time these two sides met, it would not be Southern’s day as they could not claim the victory over the O’lasses on their home turf. However this Sunday, Southern will enjoy the benefit of playing at their home ground as they look to be only the third team to defeat Terrigal this season.
Marcus Warwick is well aware of the dangers the opposition brings but states how important a win for his side will be. “We know what these girls bring, they are on top for a reason and Candice can score at any time from anywhere. They move the ball so well all over the park and have many qualified individuals. My girls know the importance of this game, we have got ourselves in a position where we have to keep winning to play finals football. If we can beat Terrigal this weekend it will help secure our spot in the top four, but it will not come easy, and we will have to earn it.”
“If we stick to our game plan and break down the opposition, we will have a real hot chance of picking up the three points. I really enjoyed our last match with them, we were defeated but it was very entertaining, can’t wait to do it again,” added Marcus.
Terrigal will be looking to take advantage of a fatigued side when they travel to James Browne Oval to battle Southern in their third game in seven days. The O’lasses are coming off a gruelling 1-0 win over final contenders Woy Woy and despite missing multiple players Gregory Parker’s side was able to get the job done and walk away with a three crucial points. Their win last weekend ensures that Terrigal remain just two points behind league leaders Umina but with a game in hand over the E-Gals, Terrigal remain in the driver’s seat if they can continue to win their games. This weekend’s clash against Southern will see the competition’s two prolific goal scorers battle it out. Southern’s Emily Diaz remains just one goal behind Terrigal’s Candice Phelan who sits on top of the standings at the moment. This fixture could have big repercussions on both sides depending on how the fixture ends so expect a very close and intense battle come Sunday.
Gregory Parker states he has players returning this week which will be key for his side to claim another win over this tough opposition. “Peter Blair and I look forward to the challenge again this week against Southern. This is one of the teams we have the utmost respect for. Mark and Shane have done a wonderful job with their first and reserve grades. It is a game that we need to win to consolidate our position on the table. With players returning this weekend our squad will be strong. If both our first and reserves keep on winning, there is no reason that both sides can’t finish on top.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Graeme Gurr
Kanwal v Wyong
An underperforming Kanwal will be hoping to get back to winning ways this weekend when they welcome bottom of the ladder Wyong to Wadalba Sports Complex.
With everything to play for last weekend, Kanwal entered their match against East Gosford looking to take things to the Rams early and that is exactly what they did when Lucy Pratt was able to find the back of the net inside the first two minutes to give Kanwal the lead. However, Kanwal wasn’t able to hold onto this lead which has been a big problem of theirs this season as they went on to concede three unanswered goals to record their eighth loss of the season.
With only three games left, their finals chances are all but over but that won’t stop this Bulls side from wanting to finish their season as strong as possible. Kanwal for the second week in a row will lace up their boots at their home ground as they look to keep Wyong winless and claim their fifth win of the season. Despite not being able to show much for it, Kanwal has been one of the best football-playing teams this season which is a commendation to their coach Allan Bourke.
For the first time in the season, Wyong was able to grab the first goal in all twelve of their fixtures and take the lead when they faced Ourimbah in round 18. Although the Emu’s lost, it was one of their best performances of the season as the Wyong squad looks to finish their disappointing year in good fashion. This small squad continues to give it their all despite having the tough ask of playing 180-minutes of football each week.
Wyong’s normal head coach Andrew Halton will still be away this weekend as he passes the reigns onto reserve grade coach James Chauncy. James was able to steer this side to their smallest defeat of the season in his first week in charge while Halton is absent. Chauncy will be determined to lead this side to their first result of the year as he hopes he can find some success when they battle it out against Kanwal this Sunday.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Con Pantos
Killarney v Umina
With two teams hot on their tail, Umina will travel to Edsacc Oval in search of their seventh straight win to maintain their position on top of the WPL ladder.
Killarney shocked the competition in their mid-week catch-up game last week when the Terriers successfully dethroned Terrigal from first place in the competition, beating the O’lasses 2-1 with a gusty comeback performance. Unfortunately, Adam Tait’s side was not able to back up this performance in their following fixture when they met a determined Southern side and fell 2-0. Killarney will face another rigorous test this weekend as they look to dethrone the new league leader Umina.
In their reverse fixture, Killarney suffered one of their biggest losses of the season, going down 3-0 to Umina. This weekend Killarney will enjoy the luxury of playing at their home ground once again against the E-gals, a luxury they have not had for the past six weeks as the Terriers will be hoping they can finish their underwhelming season off on a high.
For the first time in their last five fixtures, Umina will have to travel away from their home Umina Oval and hit the road as. After their 3-1 win over Southern last week, Umina continues their winning streak to their last six games. The last time Umina had to play away from home was the last time this E-Gals side saw defeat.
With Terrigal waiting in the wings for Umina to slip up, Umina needs to keep this winning streak alive if they wish to end the season as league champions. Umina striker Kate Styles has been finding her form in front of goals in recent weeks as she has found herself on the scoresheet in her last three fixtures with ten goals to her name. Styles and teammate Gemma Crowson who was the 2020 WPL player of the year will be an instrumental piece in their success from now to the end of the season.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Darryn Eyndhoven
Ourimbah v Woy Woy
Fresh from their third win of the season, Ourimbah will look to make it four when they welcome a hungry Woy Woy side looking to bounce back to winning ways.
It took Dave Hurley’s new WPL side quite some time to settle into the competition but in recent weeks Ourimbah has been competing with the best this competition has to offer. Even with a depleted squad last weekend, Ourimbah was able to claim their third victory of the season when they defeated last place Wyong 4-1. Ourimbah showed great courage in that performance to come from behind and get their second biggest win this year.
Now heading back home, the Falcons will welcome a determined Woy Woy side who will be looking to reclaim their spot inside the top four. When Ourimbah and Woy Woy met earlier in the year, a slow first half from Ourimbah saw Woy Woy head into the break 5-0 up in a result that ended 6-0. However, Ourimbah will take plenty of confidence out of that second half as they were able to keep the Roosters scoreless until the dying stages of the half. Looking to claim their first back-to-back wins of the year, expect a much closer scoreline this time round.
After Southern Ettalong’s win last night, Woy Woy now finds themselves outside of the top four as the Lionesses overtake the Roosters by two points. Insistent on finishing the year playing finals football, Lucy Metcalfe and her squad will be raring to get back on the field in the hope of taking back their fourth-place spot. Woy Woy is currently scheduled to face Southern in their last game of the year which could decide the final team to play finals, but Woy Woy must continue to pick up results until the two sides meet.
Woy Woy will also be raring to get back on the pitch after their disappointing performance last weekend in the round 18 match of the round. For the second week in a row, Woy Woy was unable to find the back of the net as they narrowly fell to Terrigal in a 1-0 loss. With it almost being a month since their last win, it’s crucial for Woy Woy to get back on the scoresheet and back to winning ways this weekend.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Ian Chamberlain
