Kanwal v Killarney
Kanwal will be eager to claim victory and a spot back in the top four with a win this weekend but have the difficult task of battling against Killarney who look to complete a triplet of victories over the Bulls in 2024.
It has been a mixed season for the Bulls this year who currently sit in fifth place on the ladder with a record of four wins, one draw, and six losses at this stage of the season.
Kanwal enters this weekend coming off a 4-0 loss to current league leaders East Gosford. In their 11 fixtures so far this year, Jen Tatum’s side has only failed to score in three of them including that defeat against the Rams.
As they now find themselves out of the top four on goal difference, claiming a win over Killarney this weekend will see the Bulls overtake the Terriers who currently occupy the third spot.
But that task is something the Bulls are yet to complete this season as they have come up short in their two previous meetings, recording a 1-3 defeat in round 1 and a 3-4 defeat in round 8 against Killarney.
Kanwal has been in some battles this season as they have been involved in three separate 4-3 fixtures and only lost one. Not only that, all four of their wins have come in extremely close games which has seen the Bulls win by a single goal.
With the second-worst defensive record in the league currently, Tatum will be hoping to lead the squad to their first clean sheet of the season as they look to build momentum as we enter the final stretch of games in 2024.
Despite their ebbs and flows in form, Kanwal are still in an extremely promising position to make finals football but will need to find some rhythm of form if they wish to challenge for any titles this season which they are capable of.
Kanwal are only one of two sides who have been able to take points away from the current league leaders and the reigning premiers East Gosford in 2024.
Their 3-3 draw with the Rams back in round 7 shows this side has the quality and experience to match it against the heavyweights in this competition.
Kanwal will hopefully look to show that quality in front of a home crowd come Sunday and get the best of the Terriers in their final meeting of the winter season.
It was back to winning ways for Jai Menser and his squad who defeated the stern opposition of Umina last weekend. A maiden WPL goal for Jorja Roach was enough for the Terriers to claim a 1-0 victory over the E-Gals and jump into third place.
That win showed Killarney’s strong mentality as they were able to bounce back to winning ways after recording a loss to Woongarrah the weekend before who were winless before claiming the three points over Killarney.
Head coach Menser stated how critical that win could play in the success they have as a team this season. “Last weekend was crucial for the girls, they put it in and got rewarded. This coming weekend again like any weekend it’s crucial points for us.”
Menser also touched on the depth at the club and how important calling players up has played a role in recent weeks. “It’s allowed us to use the depth we have and is allowing some 18s girls to step up and make their mark in senior football.”
“Without depth in your squad, it creates a lot of uncertainty and unnecessary stress on the squad.”
With eight games still to play in the season, there are plenty of points up for grabs as Menser looks to take Killarney from the bottom of the ladder last season to finals football this season.
Menser has done an incredible job within his short time at the club, recruiting quality players with senior football experience which has proved vital at stages of their season.
In their last five games, Killarney have taken home the win four times as this side looks to be improving and getting better as the year goes on.
Despite entering the weekend with two wins already against the Bulls, Menser is well aware of the dangers they possess and if you switch off they will punish you.
“These Kanwal girls have been playing together for a number of years, very little turnover in players so they’re very connected with each other and understand how each other play. They like to punish mistakes and when teams lose their focus in moments they take advantage.”
For Menser, recording victory again this weekend will mean sticking to their game plan at all costs. “It’s been evident all year, soon as we sway away from our principles we get messy and get a little lost.”
“It’s still early doors for these girls playing together, there’s so much more potential in these Terriers which will shine brighter every week.”
Match Official – Stephen Wrightson
All Round 15 Fixtures –
