Round 10 Preview – NPL NSW Women’s
We’re at the penultimate round before the halfway mark in the #NPLWNSW competition and still only five points separate the top five with those from second to fifth with a game in hand.
Manly United v Bankstown City
A massive clash in regards to finals football takes place at Cromer park on Sunday afternoon as Manly United host Bankstown City.
Both of these two sides have played their full quota of games in 2022 and a loss could put them just that little bit too far from post season football.
Manly have only one defeat this season, a fantastic stat. The one that hurts though is in the draw column, six draws from nine games is not a great return and has pushed them outside of the top five.
Maddie Zahra has been the star for Manly United and they will need her to continue her goalscoring form as well as Japanese import Yuka Honda and club favourite Emily Minett.
Bankstown secured a huge win last week against one of the competition favourites. We spoke about Matthew Costantini and his side being the dark horse in 2022 and they’ve proved that, taking points from APIA, Northern Tigers and Sydney Uni.
But consistency has been an issue at Jensen Park and something that could cost them when we get to the pointy end of the season. Daisy Arrowsmith was brought in to score goals and she is starting to deliver while Paige Hayward has been one of Bankstown’s best.
This should be a fine game with a victory for either seeing them potentially jump into the five.
Macarthur Rams v Sydney University
A blockbuster at 5pm awaits us at Lynwood Park on Sunday night as the Macarthur Rams host Sydney University.
The Rams have found their grove again and at the perfect time, after three games without a win, it is now three games without a loss. They knocked off the league leaders on Sunday in what looked a fairly comfortable victory.
Is it just coincidence that form has turned with the return of Patty Charalambous? Two goals since her return and Charalambous has picked up right where she stopped.
Added to that, the veteran has got her first goal of the season. If Leena Khamis is in the mood, opposition defences better be ready.
Only one defeat this season and going about their business in a quiet fashion, Sydney Uni sit in second place on the ladder.
Since that mid-week defeat to the Spartans at the end of April they haven’t tasted defeat, notching up six games without defeat. Holly Caspers has been in fine form this season, leading the club charts with six goals while at the other end, Taren King has been a rock in the league’s best defence.
Who will come out on top here, one of the league’s most potent attacks, or the competition’s best defence?
Northern Tigers v Illawarra Stingrays
The league leaders Northern Tigers welcome the Illawarra Stingrays on Sunday evening to North Turramurra Rec Area.
The Tigers are flying at the moment and the only team yet to taste defeat this season. They were rocked with devastating news that star winger Aideen Keane will miss the rest of 2022 with an unfortunate season ending ACL injury.
Nevertheless, her teammates have stepped up and current golden boot leader Ash Brodigan can’t stop scoring. Added to her prowess in front of goal is the creativity of Maddie Bart and Hannah McNulty in behind.
Currently two points in front of their closest rival having played a game more, the Tigers will need to continue with the wins to stay in front of the chasers.
It has been an incredibly difficult season for Stingrays new boss Anthony Guido who hasn’t had the opportunity to play a game at JJ Kelly Park in 2022. They have played only seven games this season and should they get positives results in those catch ups, they’ll close the gap to finals football.
It’s the veterans that have been getting the job done for the Stingrays with both Michelle Carney and Caitlin Cooper leading by example. They will look to their experience to help them get over this difficult task this week.
APIA Leichhardt v Emerging Jets
The Emerging Jets face a difficult trip to Lambert Park on Sunday night as they take on APIA Leichhardt.
A wounded APIA Leichhardt team. After a fantastic win against the Blacktown Spartans, Bankstown City brought them right back down to earth with a defeat. APIA has not been able to notch up two straight wins all season and thus lie in a disappointing 8th position on the competition ladder.
The competition favourites should be in a much higher position and with the squad at Spencer Prior’s disposal, these results are not acceptable. Should APIA not win here on Sunday, more questions will be raised as to where it is going wrong for a team who set out to win the competition.
The Jets were right on their way last week, heading to win number one of the season. They fell apart to two extremely unfortunate goals, one coming in the dying embers of the game.
They can take positives from their performance and even performances of recent weeks. If they can jag any result here it would be an incredible achievement for the young squad. Claire Adams has found some form and could be key to a positive result.
Sydney Olympic v Football NSW Institute
Football NSW Institute travel to Sydney’s inner-west to take on Sydney Olympic.
The Institute finally managed to score their first win of the season with an odd-goal victory over the NWS Spirit. When you say that, you’d say the Institute have been disappointing this season but on the contrary, they have pushed every one of their opponents to the limit.
Their four losses this season have all been by the odd-goal and this will not be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination for Olympic. They will be without a number of players due to Young Matildas duty but the factory that is at the Institute will have a new youngster ready to step up.
At the other end, George Beltsos’ team has been rampant this season. The league’s best attack was held to a draw on Sunday and currently sit in fourth on the ladder, having only played seven games.
It’s difficult to pick super stars in this team when they are all playing as good as each other. The attacking trio of Vine, Hawkesby, Rule has been lethal. They will be without the latter this week as Charlie Rule represents the Young Matildas on their New Zealand tour.
NWS Spirit v Blacktown Spartans – PP
NOTE: Football NSW and the football community wishes Aideen Keane a speedy recovery and all the best with her surgery and rehab.
-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder
