Round
13 of the WPL provided some real surprises, and this weekend’s
fixture has plenty of potential to do the same. With the season
nearly two-thirds of the way through, teams are ever more desperate
for points, whether it be to qualify for finals or to stave of
relegation. Either way, Round 14 promises to deliver plenty of
entertainment.Box Hill Inter and South Melbourne contest the first match of Round 14 tonight at Wembley Park. If the last meeting between the sides is any indication, this should be an entertaining match. That encounter finished 4-3 in favour of Inter, which had lead 4-0 before a spirited come-back by South almost snatched a draw. The sides have enjoyed differing seasons since then, with Inter going undefeated, and South experiencing mixed form. Inter go into the game second, while South is seventh.
Brimbank hosts Keilor Park at the Italo-Australian Social Club on Saturday, hoping to avoid a repeat of the 3-0 defeat it suffered when the sides met previously. Both sides go into the games after victories last weekend, which propelled Brimbank to fifth and kept Keilor third. Both sides will be keen for a win in this match, not only for the obvious need to keep gaining points in order to make the finals, but also because of the rivalry that exists between the teams.
Cranbourne Comets play a Saturday game for the second successive week, this time making the long journey to the La Trobe University Bendigo Athletics Complex to take on Bendigo Vipers. Cranbourne, which was victorious last time these sides met, posted a comfortable 4-1 victory over South last weekend and remains top of ladder. Bendigo will have to recover from the shock of last week’s surprise defeat at the University of Melbourne, and lift itself very quickly if it is to take anything from this match.
The Round 3 meeting between Eastern Lions and Heidelberg United produced a real upset, with the Lions coming from behind to win. However, based on recent form, it would be unlikely to see a repeat this weekend. The Lions suffered the ignominy of being the first team to concede points to Ballarat, when they were held to a draw by the country side last weekend, while Heidelberg had enjoyed a run of good form, prior to its defeat last weekend. However, as several of last weekend’s results proved, the WPL is full of surprises.
Ballarat and District will need to draw on all the positives it found in last weekend’s draw if it is gain anything from its match at Ashburton Park this Sunday. It faces an Ashburton side that vanquished it 7-1 at Trekardo Park in the earlier fixture, and is currently sitting fourth on the ladder. Ashburton narrowly lost out to Inter last weekend, but will be confident of bouncing back against the league’s bottom side.
The University of Melbourne produced the upset result of Round 13, defeating Bendigo 2-1, and has a great opportunity to build on that victory when it hosts Eltham North at Princess Park this Sunday. The University is still eleventh on the ladder, but now only two wins behind Eltham, which lies ninth. Eltham was a comfortable victor when the sides met in March, scoring four answered goals, but it has lost its two most recent matches. With the University’s improved form, and avoiding relegation still a possibility, this match has the potential to provide another upset.