Round 13 Preview – NPL Women’s NSW
Round 13 of the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW competition will see the action kick off on Saturday with the final six matches set for Sunday.
The first half of the season comes to an end with the Mt Druitt Town Rangers currently top of the league.
With teams recruiting a number of A-League Women’s stars set to play this weekend, the suspense and thrills will only further amplify with fireworks expected to go off in round 13.
NWS Spirit v Mt Druitt Town Rangers @Christie Park, Saturday 3pm
What a game to open up round 13 as NWS Spirit take on the Mt Druitt Town Rangers at Christie Park at 3pm.
Having lost only one match in May, Tony Candy’s team come into this game full of confidence. Across that period they have held three clean sheets and scored nine goals, Skye Halmarick on the end of seven of them!
A victory for Spirit will put them only one point off the league leaders Mt Druitt and in real contention for Premiership glory.
Mt Druitt had the week off as their match against Sydney Olympic was washed out giving Ben Gough more time to work with his squad and the incomings.
After five clean sheets in their first six games, the Rangers have started to leak a few goals, conceding nine in their last five.
Bulls FC Academy v APIA Leichhardt @Northbridge Oval, Sunday 2:40pm
The opening game on Sunday throws up another spectacle as Bulls FC Academy host APIA Leichhardt from 2:40pm.
Five straight wins and the Bulls continue their march up the ladder, just outside finals football and even potentially challenging for top spot.
They showed some character coming back from two-down at the break on the weekend to win 3-2, Amber Luchtmeijer with the winner in stoppage time.
It seems as though Brad Attard has steadied the ship at APIA and the competition favourites are heading in the right direction.
They were held to a scoreless draw against the Illawarra Stingrays on Sunday but would have felt they could have pinched all three points with some late chances.
A win here for either team could see them enter the Top Four.
UNSW v Northern Tigers @The Village Green, Sunday 5pm
At The Village Green on Sunday night, UNSW welcome the Northern Tigers.
UNSW has picked up some form across May, only losing one game during that period and moving into seventh position.
They secured all three points last weekend on a tough away trip to Cromer Park, scoring two goals in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Two straight wins for the Northern Tigers and they have put to bed their little slip up where they lost two consecutive games.
A win here for the Tigers will create a buffer between themselves and UNSW, one of those trying to catch them.
Macarthur Rams v Sydney Olympic @Lynwood Park, Sunday 5pm
The Macarthur Rams take on Sydney Olympic on Sunday from 5pm at Lynwood Park.
It’s a bottom of the table battle at Lynwood Park on Sunday with both teams desperate for points.
The Rams have won only once in their last five but have strengthened with the window opening and will be looking for a more consistent squad lining up.
Vic Guzman would have been disappointed with last week’s defeat against NWS Spirit and will be expecting a response.
Sydney Olympic will have a number of games in a short period of time with a number of washouts.
The first of those is on Thursday night as they take on the Newcastle Jets before this big clash at Lynwood Park on Sunday.
George Beltsos will lead his first game from the dugout upon his return to Peter Moore.
Manly United v Sydney University @Cromer Park, Sunday 5pm
Sydney University travel to take on Manly United on Sunday night at Cromer Park.
Only one win for Manly United in May and they have dropped out of the Top Four for the first time this season.
They will be looking to turn their form or risk falling further away with teams around them registering positive results.
Uni scored a much needed win on Sunday, a comprehensive 4-0 win over the Newcastle Jets.
The win goes a long way for not only the confidence of the team but also in their fight to remain in the top tier.
Illawarra Stingrays v Gladesville Ravens @Macedonia Park, Sunday 5pm
Down the south coast, the Illawarra Stingrays are at Macedonia Park as the Gladesville Ravens come to town.
A good point for Illawarra on Sunday against an in form APIA Leichhardt meant that they held on to second place on the ladder.
They are now four games without defeat and will be confident they can take points against a wounded Gladesville Ravens.
It was almost like a horror movie for the Ravens on Sunday, 2-0 up at half time, only to collapse late on and allow the Bulls Academy to score three unanswered goals.
Positives for the Ravens were that Alyssa Ng-Saad and Lexie Moreno both got on the scoresheet again.
WSW v Newcastle Jets @Wanderers Football Park, Sunday 5pm – MOTR
The match of the round takes us to Wanderers Football Park as the Western Sydney Wanderers face off against the Newcastle Jets.
It’s the academy derby on Sunday with both teams desperate to find a win.
The Wanderers have not won since the 21st of April, losing five consecutive games up until this weekend’s game.
They put up a strong performance against a tough Northern Tigers teams last weekend but it wasn’t enough to come away with any points.
The Jets have really found the going tough in recent weeks.
They have suffered successive heavy defeats since their fantastic double win over APIA Leichhardt and Mt Druitt.
A response is needed, starting with their mid-week clash against Sydney Olympic which could really determine their season.
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-By Nikola Pozder
