NPLW Round 15 Preview
Wagga City Wanderers v Gungahlin United | Sunday, 3pm @ Gissing Oval
Gungahlin can take another step towards sealing off the top four when they travel out to face the Wagga City Wanderers on Sunday afternoon. A disappointing goalless draw with Canberra Olympic last weekend was a set back and would have allowed them to lock finals in this week, but Diego Iglesias will be looking for his side to rebound. Whether Stella De Marco plays will depend on how she pulls up from a big week at NTC, while Rachel Corbett could return this week after a week off. That would be a big boost for the midfield and somewhat welcome after they struggled to break down a resolute Olympic team last week. After this week they take on Monaro before facing the Academy and Canberra FC to finish the season so grabbing some momentum is important.
Wagga City now sit on the bottom of the table, level with Monaro on points but well behind on goal difference. After scoring four against Tuggeranong in round one they have scored just 10 times in 11 games but have conceded almost five a game on average and will look to tighten that up here. The Wanderers have been plagued by injuries and players missing games during the year, and may have some absentees again this weekend following NTC. Mick Godbier’s side have been consistent during the year, and apart from a couple of big losses to the top two they have never been too far off. To Gungahlin they fell 4-0 earlier in the season but on home ground now they have a chance to prove themselves and stymie the visitors’ run at finals.
Woden-Weston v Tuggeranong United | Sunday, 3pm @ Melrose Synthetic
A forfeit to Belconnen United last week may prove to be the final nail in the finals coffin of Woden-Weston, now seven points behind Gungahlin United for fourth with only 12 points left on offer. This weekend they host Tuggeranong United, who they beat 6-1 in round six earlier on in the campaign. A number of their players have had excellent experience over the last couple of weeks with time at NYC and NTC, and whether or not Alex McKenzie plays this round remains to be seen after a big week of games at the AIS. If they are to remain in the hunt for finals, the Wanderers will need Wagga City to triumph over Gungahlin in Wagga Wagga and pick up a strong win here.
For Tuggeranong, this game is their last with Kristy Helmers and Sophie Bui before they head back to the United States for college football. Helmers and Bui have been instrumental in helping United go on a strong run that has them sitting pretty in sixth spot on the table, a far cry from their one point and last spot finish in the 2018 season. Three of their four wins have come since that big loss to Woden-Weston earlier in the season so this is set up to be a very different matchup and Michael Aldred will be confident that his side can make a game of this, and they will be well rested after a couple of weeks off.
Canberra Olympic v Belconnen United | Sunday, 3pm @ O’Connor Enclosed
Belconnen can move within a couple of points of securing the Premiership this weekend if they pickup a win against Canberra Olympic at O’Connor Enclosed. A win would leave them five points ahead of Canberra FC and still with a game in hand, with a visit to Wagga Wagga and two home games to finish the season ahead. Belconnen will be understrength to some degree this weekend, Lauren Keir is out with a hamstring strain and Antoni Jagarinec may look to rest some players who have been involved with NTC this week including Alexia Forner. Dropping points here would not be the end of the world against an Olympic team that is improving as the season goes but given the 12-goal gap between these sides earlier this year, Jagarinec will be expecting a win from his team.
Olympic surprised many as they ground out a draw against fourth-placed Gungahlin United last weekend, and it would be a result they were far happier with than the opposition. This week is a whole different challenge as they take on the only undefeated side in the competition. Olympic have gotten better as the season has gone on and last week represented their strongest result to date and one that they will want to build on. Points here would move them further ahead of Monaro and Wagga City in eighth and ninth, and close the gap to sixth placed Tuggeranong dependent on their result.
Canberra FC 2 (Brittany Palombi, Jamie Berkeley) def. Canberra United Academy 0
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