Southern & Ettalong v Kanwal
The round 15 match of the round marks the third time these two teams will meet this season with Kanwal currently boasting two wins over the Lionesses and looking to make it three away from home this Sunday.
Last year’s grand finalists, Southern & Ettalong, have had quite the opposite year in 2023. The Lionesses were a force to be reckoned with in 2022 but their squad saw multiple experienced players leave at the end of last year which has been a big part of their struggles in 2023.
The Lionesses opened their year with a 2-1 win over Killarney. However, six straight losses saw them drop to second last where they have remained since.
The only other point this side has been able to record to their name was in their second fixture against the Terriers as neither side could find the back of the net and the game finished 0-0.
With only six games and seven rounds remaining, now is Southern’s chance to end their season on a high note as they play every side for the third and final time.
Southern have the ability to enter their remaining fixtures with no pressure on them at all which may see them play their best football of the year and upset a few teams looking to secure a place inside the top four.
Southern still possesses plenty of quality and talented individuals that can change any game in an instant as the Southern coaching squad will be hoping it can all come together in their final few games.
Despite not securing a victory since their opening game, Southern have fought hard until the final whistle in all of their fixtures this season. This mindset of battling until the final whistle is what will give them a chance against a final’s bound Kanwal side this weekend as they meet at James Browne Oval.
Kanwal will be determined to get back to winning ways this weekend as the Bulls look to lock in their spot in the final four.
Despite coming from 1-0 down to take a 2-1 lead against East Gosford last weekend, four unanswered goals saw the Bulls go down 5-2 and record their fourth loss of the season.
A win last weekend would have seen the Bulls jump into second place but despite the loss, Ben Raychaudhuri’s side still maintains third position on the ladder, one point ahead of last year’s winners Umina.
With Umina scheduled for the bye round this week, a win for Kanwal will see them go four points ahead of the E-Gals which could prove crucial coming into the later rounds of the season.
As for Kanwal’s goals for 2023, head coach Ben stated “Our goals for the remainder of the season are simple. To consolidate our position in the top four, to keep building on combinations and to try and build momentum leading into semi-finals.”
Coming into the weekend, Kanwal currently records a positive goal difference of 17 goals over the Lionesses after their two wins this year coming in round 1 (10-0) and round 8 (8-1).
Despite winning by a significant margin in both games, Ben spoke on Southern’s playstyle and what they do to make things tough during the game. “In the two times we have played, we have struggled to deal with their high defensive line. It is something we will work on this week at training to try and overcome it.”
One player in particular who will be looking to expose Southern’s high line is former golden boot leader Jordan Evans. Jordan was overtaken by East Gosford’s Tahlor Thackray in the golden boot race last weekend as Tahlor sits on 16 goals while Jordan remains only one behind with a tally of 15.
Coming up against the statistically worst defensive side in the league, Jordan will be hoping she can expose Southern’s high line and re-claim the number one spot on the golden boot standings.
“Southern are a difficult team to play because they don’t give you any room in the midfield to play with their high line and combative midfield. We will need to be at our absolute best to come away with the points,” stated Ben.
A win this weekend could even go a huge way toward Kanwal finishing in the top two as the Bulls look to finish the third round of fixtures unbeaten as they head into the 2023 finals series.
Match Official – Nathan Boler
All Round 15 Fixtures –
