PREVIEW: Waterside Karori get chance to take lead in Women's Central League

By Warren Olson

With the Futsal Ferns’ Oceania games and the University Futsal championships impacting this week, only two games go ahead in the Women’s Central League.

With a reduced round of games, second-placed Waterside Karori get the opportunity to take the lead in the competition, with title rivals Wellington United having no fixture.

Postponed games to be played in early September appear likely to become the season’s ultimate deciders.

This weekend’s two games are:

Victoria University v Petone

Petone, who were challenging for the title not so long ago, have dropped points and form in recent rounds, allowing the rapidly improving Taradale to join them on 18 points, and in a tustle for third place on the table.

This is then a good time for the Blues to take on a Victory University side who have conceded 20 goals in their last four games.

It’s time for Petone’s attack players Pepi Oliver-Bell, Danielle Ohlsson and Sydnie Williams to step up.

Prediction: Victoria University 1 Petone 3

Moturoa v Waterside Karori

What may have seemed a straightforward trip to the ‘Naki to pick up a vital three points now looks a tad more daunting for Waterside Karori.

Moturoa, like the other Central League team faced with eight-hour round-trip away games, Taradale, have really developed during the season as their squads come to grips with playing at a higher, faster and more physical level.

Moturoa’s shot-stopper Harriet Muller impressed last week, bringing off a string of fine saves against leaders Wellington United, who were slow to realise long-range shots were only going to turn over possession.

Though Karori kept up their current freescoring run last week (20 in the last four games) they only put only four past cellar-dwellers Seatoun and didn’t look to be fully in control for periods of the game.

This game may be closer than the title-chasing Magpies expect, and they will certainly be looking for Golden Boot leader Nikki Furukawa to continue her trait of getting into the right position at the right time to poach another brace.

Prediction: Moturoa 1 Waterside Karori 2

Golden Boot

10 — Nikki Furukawa (Waterside Karori)
7 — Hope Gilchrist (Wellington United), Natalie Olson (Wellington United), Ruby-Aroha Gurnick (Palmerston North Marist)
6 — Maddison Hughes (Taradale), Danielle Ohlsson (Petone), Kya Solomon (Taradale)
5 — Pepi Oliver-Bell (Petone), Sasha Rasmussen (Moturoa)
4 — Fernanda Toscani (Moturoa), Renee Bacon (Waterside Karori), Kennedy Bryant (Waterside Karori), Bella Cartman (Wellington United)
3 — Phoebe Gray (Petone), Misha Koyari (Wellington United), Grace Smith. (Palmerston North Marist), Tessa Brownlie (Victoria University), Libby Boobyer (Petone), Jemma Catherwood (Wellington United), Melissa McKenna (Palmerston North Marist), Hannah Pilley (Wellington United), Kendall Pollock (Waterside Karori), Isabella Yarwood (Palmerston North Marist), Rihanna Houghton (Waterside Karori), Misha Koyari (Wellington United)