MATCH OF THE ROUND
Umina v Terrigal
This week’s match of the round sees Terrigal travelling to Umina Oval to face the league leaders as the O’lasses must walk away with a result if they wish to have any chance of finishing the season as League Champions.
After enjoying the week off, Umina will enter their biggest match of the season well rested and ready for battle. The E-Gals are the current competition league leaders as they sit above East Gosford and Terrigal by only two points. With East Gosford facing a tough test in Woy Woy and Umina hosting Terrigal, if Umina picks up a win and Woy Woy grabs a result against the Rams, Umina will be crowned the 2022 WPL League Champions with a week to spare. However, a loss or even a draw could be detrimental to Steve Donaldson’s hopes of finishing the year at the top of the ladder. Umina has recorded two wins over Terrigal already this season which will give them plenty of confidence heading into Sunday. Not only that but Umina is unbeaten at home this year as Umina Oval has served this squad as a fortress in 2022. Currently enjoying a seven-game win streak, Umina will be adamant to make it eight in a row come Sunday when they welcome their rivals to enemy territory.
Steve Donaldson had high praise for the Terrigal squad and coaching staff as a whole and knows they must be at their best to walk away with a result this weekend. “I mentioned at the start of the season that Terrigal would be the team to beat this year and it has definitely shaped up to that this Sunday. Terrigal is the strongest overall side in the WPL with the coaching staff to back that. We were fairly lucky to get our two previous wins against them due to our poor performances in the first half of the season. We’ve turned that around lately and hope to not only get the win but put on a good style of football as well that will go a long way for our league title prospects.”
It’s all or nothing for Terrigal this weekend as a loss will rule out their hopes of being crowned WPL League Champions. Umina is the only team this season that Terrigal has been unable to defeat. They first met Umina in the grand final of the Association Cup and on that day went down 1-0. The second time these two sides met was back in round four when Umina got their best of Terrigal once again with a 2-1 win. Now Terrigal has the difficult task of defeating this Umina outfit at their home ground where they are yet to lose this season. Deep down Terrigal will believe they can beat this team and will be up for the challenge that awaits them. The O’lasses prolific goal scorer Candice Phelan will be out to further distance herself as the current leader on the golden boot ladder as she prepares to face the statistically best defence the competition has to offer. With so much on the line, it is sure to be a back-and-forth contest between two of the best teams WPL has to offer this season.
Gregory Parker also had kind words for the opposition but insisted his team will be leaving nothing on the pitch as they look to finish the year as League Champions. “The matches against Umina this season have been very close and entertaining. We expect another tough encounter. Umina has played some very good football this year and is tactically sound. We will be going all out to win the next two games for the premiership. Our forwards and midfield have all scored some great goals this season and our defence is solid. We look forward to the challenge with a fully fit squad on Sunday.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Graeme Gurr
East Gosford v Woy Woy
If results go their way, East Gosford could find themselves as the new league leaders with a win this Sunday but must get past the difficult challenge of Woy Woy who will be fighting for their season.
East Gosford could find themselves at the top of the competition ladder with a win this weekend. However, a loss could also potentially rule out their hopes of finishing the season as WPL League Champions. East Gosford did it quite easily last weekend when they travelled to Baker Park to take on the winless Wyong side. East Gosford walked away with three crucial points from that fixture and also nine crucial goals that saw them jump Terrigal on the ladder thanks to their goal difference.
Goal difference could be all that separates them and Terrigal between first and second place come the end of the season. East Gosford will be relying on Terrigal to take points away from league leaders Umina this weekend but must be fully focused on their dangerous opponent at hand. East Gosford will welcome Woy Woy to Hylton Moore as the Roosters will be fighting for their season in their own regards. This match could also serve as a preview of what we might see come the finals so expect an intense and close fixture between two great teams.
A loss for Woy Woy this weekend and a win for Southern Ettalong would see Woy Woy drop out of contention for a spot inside the top four. Woy Woy spent the majority of the start of the season at the top of the competition ladder but a minor slump in their results has since seen Lucy Metcalfe’s side drop all the way down to fifth. Woy Woy now finds themselves two points out of the top four but has to play fourth place Southern Ettalong in their final fixture of the season.
If Woy Woy can win their final two games of the season, they will be guaranteed a top four spot. However, having to face two teams currently above them on the ladder, this feat will be easier said than done. When these two sides met earlier in the year the scoreline finished 2-2 as the teams were forced to split the points after an intense 90-minutes of football. Woy Woy will be gearing up for another intense battle as they hit the road to take on the Rams.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Daryl Webb
Wyong v Southern Ettalong
Southern Ettalong could guarantee their spot in the finals with a win over Wyong this weekend when the Emu’s welcome the Lionesses’s to Baker Park
Wyong will welcome their usual head coach Andrew Halton back this weekend which is sure to boost the squad as they search to end their season on a high and pick up their first points of the year. James Chauncy who has been acting as interim coach in Andrew’s absence has done a tremendous job in recent weeks as Wyong claimed their closest scoreline of the season in their 4-1 defeat to Ourimbah. That game marked the first time this season Wyong held a lead over the opposition.
Wyong’s big standout player from this season has been their tremendous goalkeeper Sian Johnson. Johnson has been commended weekly by opposition coaches and players as she continues to perform for her side on a weekly basis. Wyong ends their season with two home games as they look to end 2022 on a positive by picking up a result on their home soil.
A winning goal in the final seconds of their game last Sunday ensured Southern a crucial three points as they hold their spot in fourth on the competition ladder. Marcus Warwick had Erin Heine to thank for scoring the winner as the Lionesses completed a 2-1 comeback win against Ourimbah. The other Lioness on the scoresheet was Emily Diaz who made no mistake of her penalty to score the 27th goal of her 2022 campaign.
Diaz, who currently sits two goals behind golden boot leader Candice Phelan, will be looking at this weekend as a golden opportunity as they come up against statistically the worst defence in the WPL competition. If Southern can grab all three points and Woy Woy fail to pick up a result, SEU will solidify their spot inside the top four and will feature in finals football so there is still plenty to play for come Sunday.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Rodney Mcleod
Kanwal v Killarney
Two teams who have not quite lived up to expectations this season will look to finish their year on a high when Kanwal and Killarney square off on Sunday.
Kanwal left it too late last weekend in their match of the round clash against Woy Woy. After a disappointing first half that saw the Bulls enter the halftime break 3-0 down, Allan Bourke’s side turned it around in the second period as they put together a dominant 45-minute display. Unfortunately, Kanwal was not able to turn their opportunities into goals as the final score remained 3-1. This served as Kanwal’s ninth loss of the year.
At the start of the season, Allan Bourke had high hopes and ambitions for his squad to push for finals but an inconsistency in their results sees the Bulls for short of their goal. Kanwal’s reserve grade has once again been a standout in their competition and will be tough to beat come finals. Kanwal’s first-grade side will be looking to finish their season on a high with a win at home this Sunday in their last game of the season.
For the second week straight, Killarney lost 3-1 at their home ground Edsacc Oval. The first loss came at the hands of league leaders Umina and last Sunday’s loss was against Terrigal’s O’lasses as the Terriers extend their losing streak to three. Adam Tait’s side was outstanding in pre-season but failed to convert those performances during the WPL competition.
Tait’s side has shown glimpses of the standard they can perform at this year, especially in their 2-1 comeback win over WPL heavyweights Terrigal. That shock win against the O’lasses proved Killarney has what it takes to compete with the best this competition has to offer. Killarney will have their sights set on defeating Kanwal and finishing the competition above the Bulls on the ladder but that will only be possible if they can grab a win over the opposition this weekend.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Matthew Frail
