Victories
for the top five teams in Round 19 means that things are looking
increasingly settled in terms of finals positions in the WPL. At the
opposite end of the ladder, defeats for Eastern Lions, the
University of Melbourne and Eltham leaves them all yet to secure
their safety in the league.Bendigo Vipers kept its slender finals hopes alive with a thumping 6-0 victory over Eastern Lions on Saturday. The win, Bendigo’s seventh of the season, moves it to 25 points, but it remains seven points adrift of the fifth and final qualifying position. Eastern Lions could not build on their Round 18 victory, and suffered their thirteenth defeat of the year to remain tenth.
South Melbourne’s winless streak continues as it went down 4-1 to Ashburton on Saturday. It has now gone seven games without a victory, and has lost its last three matches in succession. Ashburton maintained fifth spot on the ladder with the win, and remains three points ahead of Heidelberg, which is sixth. With three games left, Ashburton’s presence in the finals is not yet guaranteed, but it has the benefit of a slightly more favourable run-in than fellow contender Heidelberg.
Box Hill Inter recorded another strong victory over the team that sits one place behind it on the ladder, scoring three unanswered goals against Keilor Park. Inter has now scored seven times against Keilor without reply this season, which does not bode well for Keilor, which seems destined to face Inter again in the finals. Inter is now guaranteed to finish at least second as it has opened up a twelve point gap between itself and Keilor. By contrast, Keilor could find slip out of the top three, as it is only five points ahead of Brimbank, and still has to face Cranbourne.
No surprises at Comets Stadium where Cranbourne produced a 3-0 victory over bottom side Ballarat and District. The win ensures Cranbourne remains an increasingly important two points ahead of closest rival Box Hill Inter. Ballarat now has the unenviable honour of being guaranteed twelfth and bottom place on the WPL ladder, to cap off a miserable season for the top-flight debutantes.
Heidelberg United kept itself in the hunt for a finals berth with a 3-0 victory over the University of Melbourne, which puts another dent in the University’s chances of dodging the drop. Heidelberg remains three points behind Ashburton, but has a tougher three matches remaining, so will need to pull out all the stops if it to overtake it. The University is still two points behind Eastern Lions and the safety of tenth, and it faces the current top three sides in its three remaining games.
Brimbank consolidated its hold on fourth place with a 3-0 victory over Eltham North to stay three points clear of Ashburton. It can also set its sights on potentially catching Keilor, which has faltered in recent weeks, and is now just five points ahead. Third place would give Brimbank a double chance in the finals, and with Keilor still to play Cranbourne, it isn’t out of the question. Eltham is still yet to guarantee its WPL status for next year, but it faces two of the three sides below it in its remaining games, so its fate is in its own hands.