Football SA NTC vs West Adelaide
Venue: VALO Football Centre
Date: Friday 3 September, 6:15 PM
Round 17 of WNPL action kicks off tonight with finals hopefuls NTC taking on the might of first-placed West as both sides vie for a big three points.
NTC’s barren run of results continued last weekend as they were defeated by last-placed Fulham 2-0, with their previous four matches yielding one point and their spot in the finals out of their control thanks to Metro’s game in hand.
The ladder leaders kept up the pace as they eased to a 3-0 win over Comets, with Nicole Tilley’s incredible cross-turned-shot near the corner flag that sailed over the head of the keeper icing the contest early in the second half.
The young talent of NTC have been unable to make a top four spot their own in recent weeks, so a win here would go a long way towards doing just that, while West know that Inter are hot on their heels and ready to pounce on any slip-ups.
Football SA NTC line-up: 2. Abbey Burns, 3. Michaela Belmonte, 4. Zoe Tolland, 5. Katie Bowler, 6. Ella Tonkin (C), 8. Nicola Scalzi, 9. Anastasia Willoughby, 12. Libby Davy (GK), 13. Lily Barber, 14. Ella Smith, 15. Lily Di Cola, 16. Madeleine Wright, 17. Abby Middleton, 23. Erin Kontoutsikos, 24. Victoria Costanzo, 26. ELYSHIA OGSTON (GK), 34. Claire Scarpin
Coaches: Michele Lastella, Mark Lobianco, Michael Moularas, Anthony Breaden
Team Staff: Sharee Mcnamara, Jason Collins
West Adelaide line-up: Khatima Sultani, Georgie Nicola, Nicole Tilley, Erin Murphy, 2. Emily Hodgson, 3. Alison Atkins, 5. Christie Hillyer, 6. Elena Psaroulis, 9. Harriet Burnett, 11. Laura Johns, 13. Maddie DuRieu, 19. Zoe Haralampopoulos, 22. Lucy Adamopoulos, 23. Sarah Willacy (GK), 24. Mawa Sumaoro
Coaches: Tracey Jenkins, Alice Gorman, Alex Macdonald, Leanne Davis
Team Staff: David Lewis, Lachlan Hall
Adelaide City vs Adelaide Comets
Venue: VALO Football Centre
Date: Friday 3 September, 8:15 PM
Last season’s minor premiers and Cup winners City find themselves in the unusual position of one win in their last five, so they’ll be keen to set that straight tonight against finals hopefuls Comets.
City fell to a 2-0 home defeat against fellow high-flyer Inter last weekend, which put a massive dent in their top two aspirations by expanding their deficit on second place to nine points (with Inter holding a valuable game in hand).
A 3-0 defeat to West last week meant that Comets were unable to gain any ground on their fellow finals challengers NTC and Metro, while Uni inched a point closer thanks to their draw to now sit just two points behind.
The Black and Whites are comfortable in third but mustn’t get complacent, which isn’t the case for a Comets side in desperate need of wins to push further up the ladder.
Adelaide City line-up: 1. Kendall Jenner, 4. Daniela Di Bartolo, 5. Alyce Macauley, 7. Tiarn Powell, 8. Alanah Ursino, 10. Chelsie Dawber, 11. Isabel Hodgson, 13. Sophie Leszczynski, 14. Chrissie Zikos, 15. Bianca Gray, 16. Isobel Dahlen-Flight, 18. Alana Fitzsimmons, 19. Shae Blackwood, 20. Abbey Lucas, 23. Natalie Frantzis, 28. Anastasia Nuttall
Coaches: Jamie Dunning, Nicholas Whiteside
Team Staff: Seymour Di Bartolo, Alexander Tan
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Claudia Jenkins (GK), 3. Chantelle Reed, 4. Emily Gale, 7. Valeria Guajardo (C), 10. Esther M Heywood-smith, 13. Elyse Moon, 14. Pirrie Weeks, 16. Inana Toovey, 19. Hannah Jenkin, 22. Nicole Robertson, 27. Kate Seaton, 28. Kiara O'Sullivan, 31. Joanna Katsabis, 33. Nanako Sasaki, 40. Yuka Sasaki, 46. Clare Davey
Coaches: Andres Obieglo, Joshua Mcloughney, Brian Gale
Team Staff: katerina gatsios, Jade Conlon, Kieran O'Sullivan
Fulham United vs Adelaide University
Venue: Adelaide Shores Football Centre
Date: Saturday 4 September, 5:00 PM
While it may be a fixture between the bottom two clubs on the table, both Fulham and Uni enter tomorrow evening’s clash off the back of some vastly improved recent form.
Fulham notched their second victory in the space of three weeks in a 2-0 triumph over NTC, with Fiona Worts’ sizzling strike that crashed into the roof of the net capping a memorable performance.
Uni picked up a point in their 1-1 draw against Metro last weekend, with Margarita Fitzharris’ inch-perfect strike between the keeper’s legs helping extend their unbeaten league run to four matches.
A win for Fulham would see them claw to just two points behind their opponents, while three points in the opposite direction would give Uni a real crack at leapfrogging Comets.
Fulham United line-up: 1. Natalie Hayman (GK), 2. Siobhan Eastham, 3. Charlotte Waters, 4. Natasha Vella, 5. Olivia Bramley, 6. Josephine Trimboli (C), 7. Georgina Toome, 8. Laura Niejalke, 10. Hannah Doyle, 11. Mia Lundquist, 12. Angela Mills, 13. Hannah Freer, 14. Amielia Ebbs, 16. Susan Roberts, 17. Elizabeth Cufari, 19. Fiona Worts, 26. Francesca Queale (GK)
Coaches: Ayoub Hassine, Ali Ali, Masoud Teymouri, John RUSSELL
Team Staff: Adam Mortimer, Maggie Smith, Yacine Grar
Adelaide University line-up: 2. Elle Pirintzis, 3. Gemma MacFarlane, 4. Mabel Day, 5. Sasha Coorey, 6. Alysia Panagakos, 7. Velvet Klass, 8. Stella Rigon, 10. Georgia Iannella (C), 11. Ellie Sparrow, 12. Georgia Box, 16. Milano Venter, 17. Tanaye Morris, 20. Aimee Benton (GK), 21. Sophie Burke, 23. Hayley Needs, 25. Tahlia Curnow, 39. Elisa Karas (GK), 77. Margarita Fitzharris
Coaches: Kosta Jaric, Luke Gill, Paul Peilschmidt, Bodi Love
Team Staff: Giorgio Profiris, Mark Bosio, Ebony Charles, Alex Flood
Metro United vs Salisbury Inter
Venue: TK Shutter Reserve
Date: Saturday 4 September, 5:15 PM
The final match of the round promises to be an exciting one between two very recent rivals who are both looking to cement their positions in the top four.
Laura Stockdale’s unbelievable long-distance strike near the by-line that flew over the keeper’s head and nestled inside the far post wasn’t enough to drag Metro to victory against Uni, missing the chance to move into outright fourth with a game in hand.
Inter put some much-needed breathing room between themselves and third-placed City with a valuable 2-0 win, as Cote Rojas and Erin Hood’s second-half strikes sealed a big three points to stay within five points of West with one fewer match played.
Metro will be desperate to avoid a repeat of the Cup final result from a couple of weeks ago and earn all three points, but a win to Inter would see them mathematically lock in their spot for the 2021 finals series (though they’ll be aiming much higher than that).
Metro United WFC line-up: 1. Melanie Comyns (GK), 3. Emma Cotgrove, 4. Talia Bilardo, 6. Laura Stockdale, 7. Millie Scott, 9. Roxanne Dodd, 11. Lauren Steer, 12. Rochelle Draper, 13. Vanessa Reed (C), 14. Annie Green, 15. Mirella Scalzi, 18. Isabella Scalzi, 20. Chanel Todino, 26. Michaela Hadaj, 27. Amber-May Smith, 29. Jessica Signoriello, 99. Olivia Bunge (GK)
Coaches: Antonio Scalzi, Brenton Ellul, Emilio Librandi
Team Staff: Terry Kyriacou, Andreas Zacharia
Salisbury Inter line-up: 1. Matilda Comley, 2. Khal Adam Khan, 5. Isabella Kouimtzis, 6. Nicole Calder (C), 7. Maria Jose Rojas Pino, 8. Emily Condon, 10. Chrissa Pavlomanolakos, 11. Nicola Frazzetto, 12. Chantelle Ryder, 14. Emily Heazlewood, 15. Sharni Tansell, 17. Dragana Kljajic, 20. Erin Hood, 23. Anna Pritchard, 24. Mina Nishitani
Coaches: Simon Catanzaro, Brad Donovan, Colin Bajkusev, Arnouluck Sirisay
Team Staff: Tamara Simeoni, Shreya Modi