Monaro Panthers v Tuggeranong United | Sunday, 2pm @ Googong

Tuggeranong United will look to build on their first point of the season when they visit Monaro Panthers at Googong on Sunday afternoon. A morale-boosting performance saw them grab a point and their first clean sheet against Gungahlin last week, and that can give them confidence here. They have still struggled scoring goals but if they are slowly fixing their defensive issues then improving their attack is next on the agenda. This week they take on a team that has struggled to keep goals out in recent weeks, particularly last week and if Tuggeranong can use the ball properly in the final third and create solid chances then they are a great chance to get something out of this game.

An 11-0 loss last week was another tough result in a strange season for Monaro, where they have beaten Canberra Olympic, Woden-Weston and Tuggeranong but hemorrhaged goals at an alarming rate in other matches. They have won both outings against Sunday’s opponents but this time will meet a Tuggeranong side who, despite results, have improved as the season has continued. They need to be more disciplined at the back than they were last week when the Academy effectively just ran through them, although Tuggeranong are not quite so potent in comparison. Ahead of meetings with Olympic and Woden-Weston in the final two weeks this is the beginning of the final stretch of their season and the side will be keen to end it on a strong note.

 

Woden-Weston v Belconnen United | Sunday, 2pm @ Woden Park

Belconnen United can seal the deal on another Premiership on Sunday afternoon if they get so much as a point against Woden-Weston at Woden Park. Once point from the final four games sounds like an easy task but Antoni Jagarinec is unlikely to take his foot off the pedal as the team looks to carry their undefeated momentum into the finals campaign. They were clinical in their dispatching of Olympic last weekend and with a 5-0 win in the books the last time they met Woden-Weston, the Blue Devils will be heavy favourites here. Maddy Whittal’s hat-trick saw her show off her full array of tricks and will test Woden-Weston in this outing. After a slow start to the campaign by her standards, the dynamic forward is peaking at the right time.

The Wanderers challenged Canberra FC well last weekend and pulled back the score line towards the end of the game but still fell 2-1, and their last win was a 3-2 triumph over Tuggeranong United in round 15. In the first meeting against Belconnen this year the Wanderers only lost by a goal but the second clash was a 5-0 loss and injuries are mounting for Diego Elmoudawar. Younger members of his squad and program have filled in admirably over recent weeks but with the Federation Cup coming as well numbers may be stretched across the next week. This will be a tough test but also a good challenge for the young side, and they will need to be at their best against the leading team in the competition.

 

Canberra FC v Canberra United Academy | Sunday, 3pm @ Deakin Stadium

Second meets third at Deakin on Sunday as Canberra FC host the Academy on Sunday afternoon, with the visitors looking to close the four point gap between the two. Ryan Grogan’s side do have a game in hand but it is against Belconnen United and will obviously be a tough outing. The last time these two met was a physical outing, with both sides losing key players through injury in the 1-1 draw and before that it was a Bridget Wright winner in the last few minutes of play that stole all three points for Canberra FC in round five. The Academy have their finals spot locked in and all that remains to change is whether they will feature in the Qualifying or Elimination Final in a few weeks. With four games still to play it is far from game over in terms of second if the Academy fail to win here, but three points would certainly boost their chances of grabbing an extra life come finals.

Since losing to Canberra Olympic in Round 15 Mark Risteski’s side have not lost in their last four contests and are carrying good momentum into the final few rounds. A tough meeting awaits from here as they face Belconnen United next week before hosting Tuggeranong United in the final round. Grace Gill scored twice last weekend as Canberra FC beat the Wanderers by a goal to tighten their grip on second, and a win here is important in that context. Their form has wavered throughout the season but they have the wood over the Academy so far, and with home ground advantage here they will arguably be favoured.

 

Gungahlin United v Canberra Olympic | Sunday, 3pm @ Gungahlin Enclosed & LIVE on BarTV Sports

Gungahlin United face a crunch clash this weekend for the fourth spot in finals as they host Canberra Olympic at Gungahlin Enclosed on BarTV Sports. The two teams are tied on 25 points with Olympic edging ahead on goal difference and this match will go a long way to deciding the last spot in the top four with only two more games each after this weekend. United suffered something of a shock draw last Sunday against Tuggeranong United in a result that cost them momentum and ladder position, unable to take advantage of Olympic’s heavy loss the night before. Diego Iglesias’ side needs to be more ruthless here after creating chances and failing to finish them and come up against a more experienced and disciplined backline this week.

Olympic were beaten soundly by Belconnen United, but it was arguably a result that did not reflect the balance of play. Olympic defended well for the most part and created chances at times, but too many lapses at the back proved to be their undoing. Grace Maher was a late withdrawal in the day before the game and Eddie Senatore will be hoping that she slots back into the team this weekend to provide service from the midfield. Meg McLaughlin will be a big threat to United and they will need to keep an eye on her, but Gungahlin have prevailed in both of their other outings, so Olympic will need to reverse the trend in this clash. Whoever wins in this outing, if anyone does, will take an important three point lead into the final few weeks of the season and reduce their opponent to playing catchup, so this is a big 90 minutes in the context of the season.