We’re getting closer and closer to the midway mark as we get set for Round 10 of the Women’s Premier League this weekend. First up, there’s a tasty rematch between heavyweights Box Hill United and South Melbourne WFC on Friday night, while Sandringham take on unbeaten Bundoora FC on Monday evening. The Corner Flag reviews every single fixture ahead of this exciting weekend’s action.
Box Hill (3) vs South Melbourne (1)
8:30pm, Friday 21st June 2013 Wembley Park, Box Hill South
Form:
Box Hill – DWWWW
South Melbourne – WWWWW
Head to Head:
26 May 2012 – South Melbourne 0 Box Hill 3 (Lakeside Stadium)
26 Aug 2012 – Box Hill 3 South Melbourne 1 (Wembley Park)
In all likeliness, there will only be one unbeaten record left standing after Friday night as Box Hill and South Melbourne do battle at Wembley Park. There will be no love lost after a feisty Knockout Cup semifinal meeting between the two sides saw South Melbourne emerge 5-1 victors last month, and Box Hill will be keen to set the record straight. The hosts narrowly defeated Bulleen last Friday to keep their unbeaten streak intact, but will surely up their game for this game against the league leaders. South Melbourne are in the middle of a tough three match series after beating Bundoora on Sunday (they host Sandringham the following week) but will have to do without the services of top scorer Laura Spiranovic.
Key Players:
Jessica Humble (Box Hill) – Box Hill’s defensive leader can play in central defence or just in front of the back four, but she will be influential no matter where she starts. Humble had to step up following Yvette Muscat’s retirement and has done so admirably despite a few early hiccups.
Natalie Martineau (South Melbourne) – There are few more energetic pocket rockets in the Premier League and Martineau has proven quite a handful since touching down on these shores. The blonde Canadian midfielder is hard to miss with her courage and verve and just like the energiser bunny, she’ll keep going as long as there’s time on the clock.
Ashburton (6) vs Casey (5)
3:00pm, Sunday 23rd June 2013 Ashburton Park, Ashburton
Form:
Ashburton – WLWLD
Casey – WWLLW
Head to Head:
20 May 2012 – Ashburton 1 Casey 3 (Ashburton Park)
12 Aug 2012 – Casey 0 Ashburton 0 (Comets Stadium)
On paper, this looks like a simple mid-table clash though in reality it is anything but. Ashburton looked to be cruising with a 2-0 lead against EAP last weekend, then suddenly found themselves staring down the barrel of defeat till Maria Patrikis saved them with a last gasp corner kick goal to grab a point. On the other hand, Casey recovered from two consecutive losses by handing Sandringham a convincing loss at Comets Stadium. This was a Sandringham which had beaten South Melbourne to clinch the Knockout Cup competition a week ago and yet Casey put three goals past them while keeping a clean sheet. This match up truly hinges on which side wants it more on Sunday – which incarnations of Ashburton and Casey will turn up? Only time will tell.
Key Players:
Ingrid Philippe (Ashburton) – Ashburton goalkeeper Philippe has been in good form recently, but knows that her deputy Madeline Hince is breathing down her neck for the no. 1 spot. It’s still hers for now, but Philippe will have to start translating good performances into game-winning ones. There’s no doubt she has the ability.
Naomi Eaton (Casey) – Eaton doesn’t grab any headlines most weekends. The full back knows her job and does it well and it is this dependability that makes her invaluable to a hardworking Casey outfit. Ashburton will be hoping to capitalise with speed down the flanks and Eaton will know that winning her personal battle might lead to a favourable outcome overall.
Preston (10) vs EAP (8)
3:00pm, Sunday 23rd June 2013 B.T. Connor Reserve - Genis Steel Stadium, Reservoir
Form:
Preston – LDLWL
EAP – LLLLD
Head to Head:
06 May 2012 – EAP 1 Preston 4 (B.T. Connor)
22 Jul 2012 – Preston 0 EAP 2 (DISC)
It was a much improved showing for EAP as they almost stole a win from right under Ashburton’s noses, but it’s back to the drawing board for Preston after a 6-0 reverse against Heidelberg. The Lionesses were looking strong for more than an hour, and just missed a chance to take the lead through Sharnoah Hurley but that was as close as they got as Heidelberg turned on the afterburners. EAP’s Houdini act almost paid off as Beattie Goad led a second half revival and they will surely fancy their chances against the 10th place team in the league. They won’t be able to count on the services of either Goad, Eleni Fakos or Madeline Stockdale this week though as the trio will be away on international duty. Preston will be trying to replicate their defensive solidity from the last game, but this time they’ll have to make it last an hour and a half if they want to to get anything out of this encounter.
Key Players:
Diana Piculovski (Preston) – Last year’s captain is an important part of the Preston midfield. Piculovski fights tooth and nail for every ball that comes her way, offering plenty of run and carry through the middle of the park. What she lacks in stature, she more than makes up for in heart as she drives her team onwards.
Alex Natoli (EAP) – Natoli will be looking to consolidate herself as one of the premier centre back options in the NTC setup following her W-League stint in Adelaide. The young defender has had a promising return from injury in recent weeks, and will be hoping to build on a good performance against Ashburton last time out.
Cairnlea (7) vs Heidelberg (9)
3:00pm, Sunday 23rd June 2013 Cairnlea Park, Cairnlea
Form:
Cairnlea – WLWLW
Heidelberg – LLLWW
Head to Head:
29 Apr 2012 – Cairnlea 1 Heidelberg 3 (Cairnlea Park)
14 Jul 2012 – Heidelberg 7 Cairnlea 3 (Olympic Village)
Both Cairnlea and Heidelberg had matches against teams in the bottom third last weekend, and there wasn’t too much fuss as both obstacles were negotiated successfully. Cairnlea managed to put five goals past Altona while Heidelberg took an hour to break Preston’s resistance before recording six quality strikes. It’s not as straightforward this Sunday though as the two teams face up against each other. The league table has Cairnlea two points ahead of Heidelberg, but it is the Bergers who have started to find their feet recently, with American import Leigh Gray looking dangerous up front. The Cairnlea defence will have to be wary if they don’t want to continue their recent trend of alternating wins and losses.
Key Players:
Bridie Kean (Cairnlea) – The Cairnlea forward is a tireless worker up front, leading the line without complaint and putting in the hard yards every weekend. While Kean’s goal output might not be anything too flashy, her hold up play and forward runs are vital to Cairnlea’s game plan.
Stefanie Galjar (Heidelberg) – Galjar’s elevation to first team full back has not come out of the blue, as the youngster has backed it up with some fine performances. While she might not provide too much in the way of overlapping runs, with Heidelberg’s tactics requiring their wingers to do most of the legwork, Galjar’s ability to doggedly track opposition runs has been quite handy this season.
Sandringham (4) vs Bundoora (2)
8:30pm, Monday 24th June 2013 Kingston Heath Reserve, Cheltenham
Form:
Sandringham – DWWWL
Bundoora – WWWWL
Head to Head:
14 Apr 2012 – Bundoora 4 Sandringham 2 (Harvest Home)
25 Jun 2012 – Sandringham 1 Bundoora 1 (Kingston Heath)
Both teams will have something to prove this coming Monday, as Sandringham were brought back down to earth with a thump following a 3-0 defeat against Casey while Bundoora fell just short in a 2-3 loss to South Melbourne. South Melbourne have drawn away from their three closest pursuers, but only a point separates Bundoora, Box Hill and Sandringham. The team that wins this match up will get some much welcome breathing space and of course the bragging rights to go with it. Bundoora will have to do without the unflappable Gulcan Koca though, while it remains to be seen if Nicola Prins will make a return to the Sandringham starting lineup.
Key Players:
Emma Runnalls (Sandringham) – Sandringham were shut out against Casey last week, but Runnalls was among their best on the day despite their inability to put anything in the net. The striker worked hard all game for little reward but when she gets going, she can carve up any defence in the WPL. Her team will hope that this Monday contest is one such occasion.
Stephanie Galea (Bundoora) – There is a minimal of fuss in the way Galea goes about things on the flanks for Bundoora. She runs up and down, cuts in when she sees the opportunity and scores goals. A coach can’t really ask for more and when “Bob” comes off for a rest, it’s usually after the job has been done. The winger will be doubly important now given the sparse forward line.
Bulleen (11) vs Altona (12)
8:30pm, Monday 24th June 2013 Veneto Club - David Barro Stadium, Bulleen
Form:
Bulleen – LDLLL
Altona – LLLLL
Head to Head:
[Fixtures are from State League Division 1]
03 Jun 2012 – Altona 2 Bulleen 2 (Kim Reserve)
27 Aug 2012 – Bulleen 1 Altona 0 (Veneto Club)
It’s the clash of the newly promoted teams in the last of this round’s match ups. Both Altona and Bulleen have had little to show for their efforts after nine rounds, though Bulleen have fared marginally better with two draws. A win and three magical points still eludes both teams though, and Bulleen coach Adrian Drury will no doubt have been telling his charges that three points is the absolute minimum this time round. Altona have still only scored two goals all season and it is hard to see them turning it around anytime soon but stranger things have happened in football and given Bulleen’s luck so far, you wouldn’t want to bet against an unlikely win for the underdogs.
Key Players:
Elise Manassa (Bulleen) – Manassa is hard as nails, an admirable quality which serves her well during any game. The Bulleen full back gives no quarter when face to face with opposition wingers, nipping at their heels till they run out of space on the touchline or lose the ball.
Catalina Saavedra (Altona) – Altona’s current goalkeeper has the thankless task of playing back to back games every week, fronting up for the Reserves before completing another 90 minutes for the seniors. It doesn’t seem to affect her performances though, with her agility and mid-air acrobatics astonishing for someone her size. A massive performance again this week will go a long way to digging Altona out of the hole they’re in.
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