Kanwal v Kincumber
The Bulls will look to make amends for their biggest defeat of the season and secure their second win of the year when they welcome the Kincumber Roos to Wadalba this Sunday for the WPL Match of the Round.
It hasn’t been a dream start for the Bulls in 2024 who record just one win and one draw after their opening six fixtures. With a change of key personnel leaving their side this season as well as head coach Jen Tatum retaking the reigns of the Bulls, Tatum and her squad knew this season would serve as a rebuilding phase.
Kanwal, who made finals football last year after finishing inside the top four, have proved this season that despite their current place on the ladder, on their day they can compete with any team which was evident in their 3-3 draw with reigning premiers East Gosford.
Tatum’s side were able to do what no other team has done yet which was claim points against the Rams. After going behind multiple times in that fixture, Kanwal continued to fight until the very end and were rewarded with a goal with the last kick of the game.
Unfortunately, Kanwal was unable to back that performance up against the reigning league champions Terrigal in their rescheduled round 3 fixture at Pluim Park as the Bulls saw defeat.
Last weekend Kanwal were able to record three goals in a single match for the third time this season, but it still wouldn’t be enough for Tatum’s side to walk away with the win as Killarney claimed a 4-3 victory over the Bulls to hand them their fourth defeat of the season.
For the second consecutive week, Kanwal will enjoy playing on their home turf as they search for a ninety-minute performance against Kincumber who emphatically defeated Kanwal 5-0 in their opening round fixture.
After quite a disruptive start to the season caused by the wet weather, Kanwal have had to play their washed-out fixtures mid-week which has made for a tough two weeks for the Bulls and other WPL sides.
After four games in fourteen days, Kanwal’s relatively new playing squad will be building those connections and chemistry as they search for a turning point in their season.
A win this weekend in front of a home crowd will see Kanwal go just one point behind Kincumber who currently occupy the fourth spot on the ladder as finals football is still extremely achievable despite their below-par start to the season.
Kincumber also welcomed a new coach to their ranks in 2024 with the appointment of John Jiggins who was able to get his campaign off to a fantastic start when they hosted Kanwal and claimed a 5-0 victory.
In their six games since, Kincumber finds themselves with a record of 2 wins, 2 draws, and 3 defeats and currently sitting in fourth on the ladder with 8 points.
2023 was Kincumber’s inaugural year in WPL and the club has devoted a lot of time and resources into making their women’s program a success which is one of the main factors for their great start so far in 2024.
After 7 games in 2024, Kincumber have already got half of their total competition points compared to last season as the signs of improvement are more evident each week.
Kincumber have only lost against the three teams above them on the ladder but were a formidable opponent in each meeting and were unlucky not to walk away with a result against league leaders Terrigal despite going down 3-0.
Kincumber are now enjoying their best run of form all season having not seen defeat since their round 1 rescheduled match against Umina where the Roos were leading 2-0 and failed to hold onto the lead as the E-Gals recorded a 3-2 victory.
Since then, the Roos have recorded two draws and one win to go unbeaten in their last three games as they look to do the double over Kanwal and repeat their opening-round result over the Bulls.
Kincumber will once again look to the attacking threat of Charlotte Heath who has banged in five goals for the Roos already this season as she will be determined to close the distance on Golden Boot leader Laura Mundy who sits on nine goals.
Sunday also marks a great opportunity for Kincumber to jump into the third spot on the ladder if they can secure a win and if unbeaten Terrigal can do them a favour and record victory over Umina.
With finals football a goal for both teams who meet at Wadalba Sports Complex this Sunday, expect a much closer fixture compared to the start of the season.
Match Official – Michael Tohme
All Round 9 Fixtures –
