Round 18 of the NPL NSW Women’s competition kicks off this weekend as we enter crunch time for the last finals football places.
Emerging Jets v Blacktown Spartans
The Blacktown Spartans will travel north on Sunday to take on the Emerging Jets at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
Two teams in similar form, struggling to break their negative runs with a victory will be keen to do so here.
The Spartans have not won a game since mid-June when they come from behind to defeat Sydney Olympic. From then until today they have not been outplayed by any stretch of the imagination but rather struggled to convert chances and close games out.
It has seen them slip well outside the top four and their finals hopes are at the minimum at the moment. Brad Attard’s team will continue to fight with preparations for 2023 perhaps starting earlier than desired.
The Jets on the other hand are still searching for their first win of the campaign. They have no doubt improved in recent weeks and their excellent performance a few weeks ago against one of the competition heavyweights will be one to go from.
If there was a time to step up, this would be the moment for the young team as a depleted Spartans come to town.
It was the Spartans that took the spoils last time with a confident 5-1 victory.
Congratulations are also in order for the seven Blacktown Spartans players selected into the Young Matildas World Cup team.
Macarthur Rams v Illawarra Stingrays
At Lynwood Park late on Sunday afternoon the Macarthur Rams host the Illawarra Stingrays.
If last week’s match for the Rams was a six-pointer, this one is no different. They didn’t perform as well as they have and were caught napping for the second straight week early on.
Playing from behind isn’t easy and two games in a row now, the Rams could not turn the result around. Stephen Peters will definitely be looking for a reaction from his team with three points being imperative.
The Stingrays suffered a set back of their own on Sunday, dropping important points at home against NWS Spirit.
It’s been a tough season due to reasons written about earlier but the Stingrays have given the competition a proper run. Their finals hopes are still alive and kicking but they must take points from this one to make a run for it in the final weeks.
When they met back in May, the teams could not be separated in a 1-1 draw.
Sydney University v Sydney Olympic
What a clash we have in store at Sydney University Football Ground on Sunday afternoon as the league leading Sydney University host Sydney Olympic.
Currently, 15 points separate University and Olympic but do not be fooled by what you see. Olympic has three games in hand on the league leaders and still a catch up to play between these two. It may be a mammoth task, but Olympic incredibly could still pinch the Premiership should they win every game until the end of the season.
But first, you must beat the current best team in the competition, twice, to have any chance. Uni is on an unstoppable run and the stats are jaw dropping. 14 games without defeat, seven wins in a row and only six goals conceded in 16 games!? They have hit the right note and have just not looked back.
Added to that, Rola Badawiya is enjoying herself at the moment, scoring at will and notching up 10 goals for the season. The American has come alive and her partnership with Holly Caspers is blossoming.
Sydney Olympic were pre season favourites but having lost a number of players to Matildas and AFF Championship duty, dropped off the pace.
They lost the fantastic Taylor Ray to a season long injury on that Matildas tour which was a massive dent on the title hopes. In the mean time though, Mackenzie Hawkesby, Cortnee Vine and club captain and extraordinaire Teresa Polias have all returned to the squad.
Vine and Polias both came on off the bench at the weekend while Hawkesby was at the centre of everything for George Beltsos’ team.
This one is definitely one to watch and could all but seal the premiership for the Students in their first clash of the season.
NWS Spirit v Bankstown City
NWS Spirit return to Christie Park on Sunday night as they welcome Bankstown City.
Tiana Gauci and Spirit have come alive. Finals have gotten away from them but it does not mean they can’t end the hopes of others. Their sucker punch to the Stingrays could be repeated in this one and Bankstown’s finals hopes extinguished if they can find some points here.
Sophie Harding really has found form at the right time and another goal at the weekend has taken her season tally to four goals. Harding is definitely one that Gauci will look to build her team around in the future, especially if she can bring out all of the talent the pacey attacker has.
Bankstown really took last week’s defeat against the league hard. They were in fine form and making a push for finals at just the right time. Confidence was high they could cause a shock but three goals in quick succession broke them.
There is still some hope of that finals dream coming alive but it would mean they would need to win all of their games until the end of the season and hope for things to go their way.
Nevertheless, it’s been a much-improved season for Bankstown with lots of positives to come from Jensen Park in the future.
Spirit won the clash between the two earlier in the season and would be keen to do the double over Bankstown.
APIA Leichhardt v Manly United
The final match of the round takes us to Lambert Park on Sunday night as APIA Leichhardt host Manly United.
11 points off the league leaders and you feel as though the Premiership has gotten away from the inner-west side. Results have improved over July and it has meant that Spencer Prior’s team has all but secured a finals spot.
Having lost a number of players also to international duty over the last few months, things seem to be coming together nicely now for Prior’s team.
A home final will be in the sights of APIA though and they will call on competition top scorer Shea Connors to continue her fine form in front of goal.
Manly United have been one of the standout performers this season sitting in 5th spot on the ladder. They sit in fifth though having only won four matches all season with an incredible 10 draws.
You have to feel for Tom Hopley and his team though because had half those draws been win, they would be in second place on the competition standings right now.
Emily Minett is their go to and been in good form of her own but keep an eye out for Japanese import Yuka Honda who is a phenomenal footballer.
These two drew 2-2 in a topsy turvy encounter earlier on in the season.
Congratulations to both APIA’s Sarah Hunter and Manly’s Kahli Johnson on their inclusion in the Young Matildas World Cup team.
Northern Tigers v Football NSW Institute PP
-By NPL NSW Women’s Chief Writer and Commentator Nikola Pozder