By Warren Olson
A legacy of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup is the upgrade to Wellington United’s Newtown Park, enabling football fans to enjoy floodlit games this season.
United host Petone in the Women’s Central League this Friday, giving the women’s football community to enjoy a top match before the footballing weekend gets fully underway.
The ground was also re-turfed before the World Cup — international sides used it for training — and it was upgraded to the same standard as Sky Stadium, a project undertaken by the same contractors.
There’s little chance that Friday’s match will be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, which was the fate of last weekend’s scheduled top-of-the-table clash between Waterside Karori and Wellington United.
While the rivalry between Karori and United is intense, the competition between United and third-placed Petone is not far behind.
Friday’s match between the clubs could well be a significant factor in helping decide the two Central League teams to qualify for the 10-team Women’s National Legaue.
Adding more spice to the fixture is Petone’s summer signings of attacking stalwarts Pepi Oliver-Bell and Dani Ohlson who crossed the harbour to bolster Petone’s attack.
With their perennial leading scorer and another Futsal Fern in Libby Boobyer playing a more central role and an in-form Rebecca Otte suffering an injury, the addition of Oliver-Bell and Ohlson has been a godsend for Petone, and sees them right in the hunt for a top two spot this season.
For their part, United will not be keen to relinquish the narrow lead they hold in the competition at the halfway stage, but having shared the spoils with Petone in round 1 they are well aware it won’t be easy and will need to retain that high level of intensity they had built up for last weeks cancelled game.
With imports Hannah Pilley, Misha Koyari and Anna Green now slotting comfortably into coach Guille Schiltenwolf’s playing style, United will hope to better the opening round’s 2-2 result.
Waterside Karori are expected to keep up the pressure on United with a visit to Victoria University.
Palmerston North Marist host Taradale, while bottom side Seatoun get another chance to earn their first competition point when they host midtable Moturoa.
Golden Boot
6 — Hope Gilchrist (Wellington United), Danielle Ohlsson (Petone)
5 — Ruby-Aroha Gurnick (Palmerston North Marist), Natalie Olson (Wellington United), Pepi Olliver-Bell (Petone), Sasha Rasmussen (Moturoa), Kya Solomon (Taradale)
4 — Nikki Furukawa (Waterside Karori), Maddison Hughes (Taradale)
3 — Kennedy Bryant (Waterside Karori), Phoebe Gray (Petone), Misha Koyari (Wellington United), Grace Smith. (Palmerston North Marist)
Fixtures
Games to be played on Friday July 26, 2024
Wellington United Diamonds v Petone
Newtown Park, Newtown, 7pm
Games to be played on Saturday July 27, 2024
Palmerston North Marist v Taradale
Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North, 11.30am
Victoria University v Waterside Karori
Boyd Park, Kilbirnie, 12pm
Seatoun v Moturoa
Seatoun Park, Seatoun, 12.30pm
Warren Olson
Warren Olson is a Wellington-based enthusiast for and long-time follower of women’s football.
This story was first published on July 26, 2024.
More football stories
