Kanwal v Woongarrah
Both searching for their first win of the season, local rivals Kanwal and Woongarrah will meet at Wadalba Sports Complex for the Round 5 Match of the Round.
It has been a far from ideal start to the season for both of these sides who have only managed to get on the pitch once in the opening four rounds.
Kanwal got their season underway with a trip to Frost Reserve where they met a tough Kincumber side who were too good for the Bulls on the day. Kanwal left Kincumber with a 5-0 defeat and have been raring to get back on the pitch since to make amends for that result.
Kanwal will now enjoy the luxury of playing in front of a home crowd as they get their first taste of their rivals since re-joining the WPL competition this season.
It will be back to the basics for the Bulls this week who search to improve in all areas on the field. Jen Tatum, who reclaimed the head coach ranks of Kanwal for the season ahead, knows it’s still only early stages for her relatively new squad as they look to continue to gel and progress as the season continues.
“We have only played one game so far so just need to work hard and ensure we start strong and work together,” voiced Jen when asked what she took away and will look to improve on after her opening fixture.
Last year Kanwal only failed to score in 4 of their 18 fixtures, and with their leading goal scorer from 2023 parting ways with the club in 2024, this could leave a massive hole at the front of the pitch as the Bulls already were kept scoreless against a team they had plenty of success against last year.
Leading up to Saturday night’s fixture, Jen also spoke about what a win over their rivals would mean to her, her players, and the club.
“The local derby is always a huge fixture, so us getting the win will be an amazing start to the season.”
When questioned what she is anticipating from the opposition, Jen voiced “I have heard they are a young squad, but we just need to focus on our game.”
“To secure the points this weekend, we must play hard and work together.”
Unlike Kanwal, Woongarrah had no worries finding the back of the net in their opening fixture as Woongarrah finally got on the pitch last weekend when they made the long trip down south to face Umina at Umina Oval.
Marking their first WPL game since re-joining the competition in 2024, Kaine Harmsworth’s side was able to find the back of the net four times. However, that would still not be enough to get them over the line as a stern Umina side walked away 5-4 victors.
As a surprise to few, last year’s WPL Golden Boot winner Kelly Hogan who left the Rams in the off-season to find a new home at Woongarrah was responsible for all four of her team’s goals on Sunday as she opened her goal-scoring account for the year with a bang.
Despite not walking away with the win, Harmsworth reflected on the result and the positive outcomes his team was able to produce.
“It was great to finally get our first game played, despite the result, there were some positives to come out of the game.”
It’s not often you score four goals in a match and not walk away with any points as Woongarrah will be looking to steady their backline ahead of their second fixture while keeping their hot form in front of goal in full swing.
“It would be nice to get a derby win over Kanwal on Saturday but mainly we are trying to focus on ourselves this early in the season. Game management is what we need to focus on better across the full 90 minutes,” addressed Harmsworth.
Saturday is shaping up to be a big night for both clubs who will have both their MPL and WPL First Grade kicking off at 7pm.
Harmsworth expressed his concern for the opposition while also stating what his team will need to correct to ensure they pick up their first win of the season.
“Kanwal will be a very well-disciplined and experienced team, so we expect them to come out firing and try to dominate field position.”
“To come away with a win we will need to be patient and finish our chances when they come and defensively we need to be strong.”
Match Official – Brandan Wirz
All Round 5 Fixtures –
