MATCH OF THE ROUND
Woy Woy v Kanwal
Looking to keep their finals hopes alive, this weekend’s match of the round fixture at home against Kanwal is a must-win for Woy Woy.
Woy Woy finally got back to winning ways last weekend against second-last place Ourimbah. Although they claimed a 4-2 win over the Falcons, Woy Woy entered the break at halftime trailing 2-0. This would have been quite worrying for the Roosters side who entered last weekend coming off two losses with zero goals scored in both fixtures. However, Lucy Metcalfe’s squad was able to turn things around despite the coach not being there as her side scored four unanswered goals to claim the win. That solidified Woy Woy’s eighth win of the season as they currently remain just two points out of the top four with only three games left. Although Kanwal sits below Woy Woy on the ladder, the Bulls are one of just four teams to record a win over Woy Woy this season therefore walking away with three points will be no easy feat. Woy Woy will enjoy the luxury of playing at their home ground this time around where they have only been beaten at once this season. Woy Woy will be out to extend their dominant home record and keep pressure on the teams above them on the ladder.
Despite having nothing left to play for in their season, that has not discouraged Kanwal from continuing to play at a high standard. This showed last weekend when Allan Bourke’s side put together their biggest win of the season, defeating an understrength Wyong side 12-1. On that day Kanwal boasted five different goal scorers who all put on a clinical display in front of goals. Coming off their biggest performance of the year and the fact that they walk into this weekend already boasting a win over Woy Woy, the Bulls will be full of confidence come kick-off as they look to finish their season on a high. Kanwal’s record away from home this year has not been the greatest as they seem to struggle on the road, only picking up two wins away from home this season with the last one coming back in round 10. Allan Bourke’s style of coaching and style of how he wants his team to play has been a joy to watch around the grounds this season and expect nothing less come Sunday when a determined Kanwal side looks to pick up all three points.
Allan Bourke is excited for the weekend’s clash with Woy Woy as he anticipates an extremely close contest. “This game should be a hotly contested one. With Woy Woy on the fringe of the top four and everything to lose. On top of that, they would be out to avenge the two-nil defeat at the hands of Kanwal in round 1 whilst they were sitting in first place. Kanwal has nothing to lose but still has the desire and belief that we can match it with the best. This will be one to watch as both teams seem evenly matched.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Jeffrey Smith
Wyong v East Gosford
After coming off a bye, East Gosford will be well rested when they travel to Baker Park to face Wyong and look to close the distance on first place.
Unfortunately for Wyong, it was another case of limited players again last weekend as they only had 14 players available across both first and reserve grades. This has been the case for the majority of the year as Wyong are yet to claim points in either grade. Despite their subpar record, Wyong continues to show a never die attitude in all of their games and continues to play until the final whistle which is extremely commendable.
Wyong saw their second biggest defeat of the season when they travelled to Hylton Moore in round 11 to face East Gosford for the first time. The Rams were able to put on a clinical and devastating performance as they scored nineteen unanswered goals against the understrength Wyong side. Now Wyong will be the ones to welcome East Gosford to their home ground as they look to finish their season off on a high and secure their first points in either grade.
After an extremely challenging week where the Rams had the tough schedule of playing three games in seven days, Jorge Chavez and his side would have enjoyed their week off as they served their last bye round of the year. East Gosford had the difficult task of playing Kanwal, Ourimbah and Killarney all inside the space of a week, but the determined Rams squad was able to rally together to claim wins in all three of those fixtures.
As a result of their victories, the Rams now find themselves on 28 points, equal with second-place Terrigal. With Umina having the week off, East Gosford can close the gap between the league leaders to just two points as they still set their eyes on finishing at the top of the competition. East Gosford will be out to further improve their goal difference and look to repeat their result against Wyong from earlier in the season when the two sides meet again on Sunday.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Warren Boler
Killarney v Terrigal
A win for Terrigal this weekend put the O’lasses just 2-points behind league leaders Umina who they face the following week but must focus on Killarney first who they saw defeat against earlier in the season.
It was a very courageous effort from Adam Tait’s side last weekend when Killarney welcomed League Leaders Umina to their home ground. In a match that was played in very windy and difficult conditions, top of the table Umina felt threatened by the Terriers for the majority of the contest but Killarney was not able to capitalise on the majority of their chances as they fell 3-1. But confidence will be high in the Killarney camp as they prepare to welcome WPL heavyweights Terrigal to Edsaac Oval.
One of Killarney’s four wins this season was against Terrigal when these two-side met at Pluim Park for a mid-week catch-up game. Despite conceding first in that contest, Killarney was able to rally together to come back and defeat the O’lasses 2-1. Killarney is yet to record another win since their statement victory against the girls is orange but will be hoping for a similar performance this weekend as they look to finish their modest season on a high in their last three fixtures.
Terrigal will be raring to go come kick-off this Sunday due to the fact that if they had beaten Killarney in their catch-up fixture, Gregory Parker and his side would currently still be just a single point behind Umina on the WPL ladder. However, winning the competition is still in their own hands and if Terrigal can win their remaining three fixtures, they will be crowned the 2022 WPL league champions.
Although next week against Umina could be their biggest game of the season, Terrigal must focus on their difficult task ahead and not get ahead of themselves, something Gregory Parker and Peter Blair will be instilling in their team. With so much to play for in terms of their success this season, expect Terrigal to start the contest extremely fast and look to grab the advantage over the opponents from the first whistle. Lots of eyes will be on Candice Phelan as she looks to get back on the scoresheet this weekend and retake her claim alone at the top of the golden boot standings.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Christopher Pearce
Southern Ettalong v Ourimbah
Coming off their biggest win of the season, Southern will look to further submit their spot inside the top four with another important three points this Sunday.
Last week’s match of the round clash between Southern Ettalong and Terrigal had major implications leading up to the contest in regard to Southern’s hopes of playing finals football this season. With their top four hopes potentially on the line, Marcus Warwick and his squad put together a masterclass against WPL heavyweights Terrigal which saw them claim a 3-0 victory in front of a home crowd. However, with Woy Woy still hot on their tails, the Lionesses must continue to put together a similar performance week in and week out.
It was a pretty straightforward day in the office for Southern when they last met Ourimbah back in round 11 which saw the Lionesses cruise to a 5-0 victory. But the Falcons have come a long way in the last couple of months so a win again this weekend will be no easy feat. After recording only one goal to her name last weekend, Emily Diaz, who is currently tied with Terrigal’s Candice Phelan on 26 goals, will be hoping she can extend her tremendous goal-scoring record this season and go above her rival on the golden boot standings.
Ourimbah would have felt quite disappointed after their 4-2 loss against a stern Woy Woy side. Playing at their home ground, Dave Hurley’s side took a 2-0 goal lead inside the first half and continued to play tremendous football in the early stages of the second period. Unfortunately, a lapse in concentration saw Ourimbah concede four straight goals as the Falcons went on to record their eleventh defeat of the season.
Ourimbah heads back on the road this weekend as they travel to the peninsular to face fourth-place Southern. Ourimbah will be looking for another great start like in their fixture last weekend, but this time around Ourimbah will looking to perform for the entire 90-minutes as they search for their fourth win of the season. With only two games left in their season, Hurley’s squad will be out to try and make a statement for next season.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Larry Jenkins
