All the action is on Sunday in Round 11 of the Women’s National Premier League where, amongst the four intriguing fixtures, the potential standout encounter sees Gungahlin United hosting Canberra Croatia for the game of the round.
The only game to be played at 2.30pm will be at O’Connor Enclosed, Canberra Olympic facing the Canberra United Academy. Both teams came out the right way off a one-goal win last week and are looking to keep their streak alive.
Olympic might have found a new weapon upfront with Madison Cachia, but their area of expertise in 2023 has been the defence. Only five times has Janet King had to get the ball out of the back of her net, and four times it was against a team playing for the title. Against the Academy’s youth, they will try for a third consecutive clean sheet.
Matthew Moore’s troops showed their resilience once again this weekend. For the third time this season, they earned points despite conceding first, their first against a team in the top four. The success obtained late was deserved for a team who seems to come together as the season progresses. Sunday will be a real test.
ANU WFC will play a second consecutive home game at ANU South Oval, this time against the West Canberra Wanderers at 3pm. The team coached by Rob Illingworth gave Canberra Olympic a run for their money on the weekend and were unfortunate not to get a point at the final whistle.
The task might look easier against a wounded Wanderers team on Sunday, but what the University club struggled to do last weekend is what has been their ongoing troubles since the start of the season: scoring goals. The chances are created, and the team plays well together, only the end product seems to be lacking.
West Canberra will come to ANU South with the ambition to bounce back, and show they are not a team worthy of the thrashing suffered against Belconnen. There is enough talent, pride, and character through Rey Castro’s ranks to come back from such defeat and get a result the following week, or at least show a different performance to what was on display at Wanderers Park. Expect a real showdown in Acton.
Tuggeranong United will hope they are not next on the list of victims left behind by Belconnen United, when they visit them at McKellar Park. The Blue Devils have been in great form the past three weeks, with three successes away from home.
Their last game at McKellar, however, ended with a defeat against Gungahlin, something Scott Conlon and his team want to put behind them. Their comfortable win over the Tuggies in Round 5 (6-1) adds a bit more to the narrative that undoubtedly, the Blue Devils are the favourite on Sunday.
Despite the lack of form of the Wanderers, Tuggeranong is still the team at the bottom of the table. Paulo Romero’s players did send shivers down the Deakin side’s spine with a very quick goal in the second half last round, but they were not able to resist the reigning premier.
Against the Cup champions, another daunting task awaits them. At least they will be able to count on Rainey Niles, who scored her team’s lone goal against Belconnen in mid-May, the midfielder available after suspension.
The game of the weekend surely takes place at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, between Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia. The Gunners were surprised at Hawker by the youth of the Academy last Sunday and lost their spot near the leaders in the meantime. Proof, if needed, that things are tight up top, they even dropped two places on the ladder.
Andrew Woodman has led his team to a successful campaign so far and will undoubtedly want them to prove their worth again, and write a bit of history against Canberra Croatia, an opponent they have never beaten since the start of the Women’s NPL in 2017.
Zoran Glavinic will of course try and keep that streak of fourteen undefeated encounters alive and try to consolidate the success obtained at home last weekend. Brittany Palombi is at her usual pace of a goal per game in 2023, and between Tatum Mazis, Charli Mitchell or even Rhiannon Fensom, the attacking threat is manifold in the chequered outfit.
With both teams locked on twenty points before the game, neither will want to lose and see a small gap form behind the top three.
FIXTURES
ROUND 11
Sunday 25 June
Canberra Olympic v Canberra United Academy (O’Connor Enclosed, 14:30)
ANU WFC v West Canberra Wanderers (ANU South, 15:00)
Gungahlin United v Canberra Croatia (Gungahlin Enclosed, 15:00)
Belconnen United v Tuggeranong United (McKellar Park, 15:00)