By Joan Grey
Two mid-table clashes this weekend will help shape the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership race for the two remaining national league qualification spots.
Western Springs (5th) host Hibiscus Coast (6th) on Friday night, while Fencibles United (3rd) face Eastern Suburbs (4th) on Sunday afternoon.
Women’s National League qualification is within grasp of Fencibles, Suburbs and Springs. But with only two slots and three strong contenders, one team will fall short.
Also on display this weekend are top-dog versus underdog matches between Auckland United (1st) and Hamilton Wanderers (8th) and West Coast Rangers (2nd) against Ellerslie (7th).
Game of the week
Third-placed Fencibles host fourth-placed Suburbs in a high-stakes East Auckland fixture.
Last weekend, Fencibles broke free from Suburbs on the Premiership table, capitalising on Suburbs’ 1-2 defeat against Springs.
In the following five rounds of the Premiership, Suburbs have a more favourable ride with matches against the bottom three teams.
By comparison, Fencibles face a tougher final stretch, pitted against frontrunners Auckland United and West Coast Rangers.
Pressure weighs heavy on Fencibles to secure vital points this weekend ahead of their challenging upcoming matches.
But history favours Suburbs. The Lilywhites have won both league encounters with Fencibles this season: a commanding 6-0 in April, followed by a 1-0 in May.
Can Fencibles buck the trend, pull further away from Suburbs, and take a step closer to the national league? Or will Suburbs prevail and pull the sides level on points once again?
Player to watch
Auckland United’s star-studded lineup is further bolstered by New Zealand U-20 International and rising Football Fern Ruby Nathan.
Nathan (18) has been playing for Auckland United after a season in the Liberty A-league with Canberra United, where she made 21 appearances.
A standout forward, Nathan won the Golden Boot playing for New Zealand at the 2023 U-19 OFC Championship.
She represented the Football Ferns in their friendlies against Colombia in December 2023 and, more recently, in the OFC Women’s Qualifying tournament in February.
Bold prediction
Springs have netted two goals per game in four of their last five matches.
If this curious trend continues, expect the green and white hoops to score two against Coast on Friday night.
Golden Boot
13 — Danica Urlich-Beech (Hibiscus Coast), Shannon Henson (West Coast Rangers)
11 — Zoe Benson (Eastern Suburbs)
10 — Bree Johnson (West Coast Rangers), Sofia Garia (Eastern Suburbs)
9 — Rene Wasi (Auckland United), Charlotte Roche (Auckland United)
8 — Alexis Cook (Auckland United)
6 — Lily Brazendale (Hamilton Wanderers), Megan Lee (Western Springs)
5 — Chloe Knott (Auckland United), Rosie Missen (Fencibles United), Millee Loxton (Fencibles United)
4 — Anelise Karakostas (West Coast Rangers), Angela Pivac (Auckland United), Catherine Smith (West Coast Rangers), Emily Lyon (West Coast Rangers), Maia Lythe (Western Springs), Rina Hirano (Western Springs), Talisha Green (Auckland United)
Fixtures
Game to be played on Friday August 2, 2024
West Coast Rangers v Ellerslie
Fred Taylor Park, Whenuapai, 7.30pm
Western Springs v Hibiscus Coast
Seddon Fields, Westmere, 7.30pm
Games to be played on Sunday August 4, 2024
Auckland United v Hamilton Wanderers
Keith Hay Park, Mt Roskill, 1pm
Fencibles United v Eastern Suburbs
Riverhills Park, Pakuranga, 1.30pm
Joan Grey
Friends of Football writer Joan Grey loves playing and writing about football.
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