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mid-table movement in the WPL as Round 14 produced some tight games
but few upsets. Cranbourne remains on top of the ladder, with Box
Hill close behind, but Keilor Park lost ground on the top two after
suffering a surprise defeat.For the second time this season, South Melbourne pushed Box Hill Inter all the way, but left the game empty-handed. At Wembley Park on Friday night, South ran out to a two-goal lead, but Inter fought back to takes the sides in level at half time. A single goal in the second half was enough to secure the points for the home side, and inflict South’s second successive defeat. Inter remains second, two points behind Cranbourne, while South has slipped to eighth.
Brimbank continued its recent good run by recording its third straight victory, defeating Keilor Park 3-2 in a tight game. The result was somewhat surprising, given Keilor’s position on the ladder, and the relative comfort of its previous victory over Brimbank. However, the rivalry between the sides usually makes for an entertaining battle, and this was the case on Saturday, with Brimbank just edging out the visitors. Keilor remains third, but is now six points adrift of second, and Brimbank holds onto fifth position.
It was a case of déjà vu at La Trobe University Bendigo Athletics Complex as Cranbourne Comets defeated Bendigo Vipers with the same score as their previous meeting, 2-0. The result is only Bendigo’s second home defeat of the season, but it has now slipped to seventh on the ladder after two consecutive defeats. Cranbourne remains at the head of the ladder, following its thirteenth victory of the year.
Heidelberg United picked up its fourth victory in five games and climbed to sixth on the ladder, with a 3-0 result at Gardiners Creek Reserve. The win over Eastern Lions enabled United to put its earlier surprise defeat by the same opposition behind it, and marked a quick return to winning ways after last weekend’s defeat. The Lions season is going rapidly downhill, as it has now not won a game since Round 5.
Ashburton produced another comprehensive victory over Ballarat and District to maintain fourth position on the ladder, and ensure Ballarat’s resurgence was a brief one. The 6-1 result was Ashburton’s seventh victory of the season and one again makes it the league’s highest scoring team. Despite managing a draw last weekend, Ballarat could not build on that result, and it remains at the foot of the table, ten points adrift of the safety of tenth.
The University of Melbourne went extremely close to producing another upset victory, but was edged out of the point by Eltham North in a seven-goal thriller. Buoyed by its victory over Bendigo last weekend, the University produced another spirited display but could not hold off its ninth-placed opponent. Eltham emerged victorious by four goals to three, putting daylight between itself and tenth-placed Eastern Lions.