NPLW Round eight review: Three teams share the top
It’s a three horse race at the top of the NPLW ladder at the moment, but round eight showed the mid-table has the ability to snap at the heals of the front-runners.
By Darren Lutton and Rowan Schindler
Wet weather yet again infiltrated and disrupted our competition as our Friday night featured match between Capalaba and Souths United was postponed. Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast also had to re-schedule their game to Tuesday night.
Despite this, all other matches proceeded as scheduled.
Logan Lighting | 3 - 5 | Western Pride FC
Cornubia Park
Lightning strike but Pride withstand the storm
Logan Lightning hosted Western Pride in a match that both teams would have expected points from. There was a crazy four minute period in the first half where the Pride scored goals either side of a Logan reply.
A red card to Charlotte Taylor, six minutes after she scored a goal, meant Logan were down to 10 players in the 67th minute. The Ipswich side ended up being too strong and left Cornubia with the three points and a 5 - 3 victory.
The Lightning have shown potential but consistency eludes them and confines them to 12th place as they languish on three points. Western Pride’s win moves them up to seventh.
Eastern Suburbs | 2 - 1 | Mudgeeraba Soccer Club
Heath park
Wallabies taken down by Tigers
Mudgeeraba continued to show their improvement as they ventured to Heath Park to tame the Tigers. Goals by Susanne McKeen and Shelby White squared the ledger at 1-1 at the break.
In the second half a Georgina Amos goal in the 50th minute was enough for Easts to seal a 2-1 victory in a tightly contested affair.
Easts climb to sixth on the ladder while the Wallabies sit in 11th. Both teams will take heart from the fixture result as the Tigers keep pace with the top half. Mudgeeraba will be disheartened they fell just short, but their competitiveness continues to impress as they go from strength-to-strength after a horror start to the season. A brilliant story in itself.
Lions FC | 8 – 0 | SWQ Thunder
Lions Stadium
Lions continue to roar
Things weren't so tight at Lions Stadium as Lions FC ran away with an 8-0 victory over SWQ Thunder. Tegan Riding helped herself to four goals and rockets back into golden boot contention.
SWQ Thunder will go back to the drawing board and reassess over the Easter break. Lions are a side who continue to impress with quality in every position. Lions FC have now set up a mouth-watering encounter with The Gap in round 11. Both teams currently sit on 18 points, with Souths United, and share a very similar goal difference.
Mitchelton | 2 – 3 | Brisbane Roar FC/NTC
Teralba Park
Pass-move, repeat.
The upset of the weekend occurred at Teralba Park as the Roar NTC secured a big scalp by defeating Mitchelton. Despite scoring early the Mustangs were out-passed by their plucky opponents and could only narrow the deficit in injury time. Indiah-Paige Riley notched her eighth goal in six games for The Roar, while Mitchelton captain Katie McDonald scored in the 90th minute, which was also her eighth of the season, albeit from seven matches.
Mitchelton’s loss will hurt as they were one win away from sharing the top of the table with the ladder-leaders, which features Lions FC, The Gap and Souths United. For now, they sit in fourth on 15 points. Brisbane sit two points behind but wait with baited breath.
The 2-3 victory for Brisbane Roar FC/NTC is further vindication of the outstanding work by David Da Silva and his young squad. Can Brisbane make the top four, or do the Mustangs have the legs to outpace the young Roar cubs?
Gold Coast United | 3 – 4 | The Gap FC
Walton Bridge Reserve
The Gap prove their mettle
The final game was a back-and-forth affair as Gold Coast United faced The Gap. Ruth Blackburn scored all four goals for the Gators in a match that ebbed and flowed. There were four lead changes in this match requiring The Gap to call on all their experience to get the result. Gold Coast’s American import Anjelyka Brown led the assault for the home team, grabbing a brace. However, Blackburn was the ace in The Gap's sleeve, as she scored her and her side's fourth goal in the 93rd minute to claim the win.
If the sign of a great team is the ability to come from behind, then The Gap have proven they have that in their already impressive repertoire. A frightening team who are consistently showing their talent.
On the opposite side, Gold Coast United proved they have the ability to mix it with the best and pushed The Gap all the way. Time and experience will harden the Coast into a team who will challenge the top three in the future.
Capalaba Bulldogs | vs | Souths United
| Live stream fixture |
John Fredericks Sportsfields | Tuesday, March 27 | 7.30pm
Bulldogs look to take down Souths
Tune in at 7.30pm to the FQ Facebook and YouTube to watch Capalaba take on Souths after their rain-effected Friday night fixture was rescheduled. Capalaba have shown glimpses of real quality this season but they face a Souths United side who share the top of the table.
Moreton Bay United | vs | Sunshine Coast Wanderers
Wolter Park | Tuesday, March 27 | 7.30pm
Jets aim to keep pace with top half
With any luck, the rain will stay away tonight and we'll complete the round as Sunshine Coast travel south to face Moreton Bay United. The Wanderers will look to find some form while the Jets will push for three points and continue their search for form and consistency.
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