Vodafone Women's Premier League Round 20 Review

By Niki Cook

With just two rounds to go in the WPL and a six-point gap between the top five and sixth-place, it seems that the race for the finals has finally been decided. At the other end of the ladder, however, there are still three teams that could fill the one remaining relegation spot. Box Hill Inter enjoyed a narrow victory over Brimbank on Friday night, with one second half goal enough to settle the tie. The defeat ended Brimbank’s recent run of form, which had seen it chalk up three consecutive victories and establish itself in the top five. It was Inter’s eighteenth success of the season, keeping it within touching distance of leader Cranbourne. Brimbank slips a place to fifth, but is still six points plus goal difference ahead of Heidelberg. Cranbourne’s 3-0 victory over Heidelberg United on Saturday has all but ended United’s chances of making the finals. With two matches remaining, Heidelberg must post comfortable victories in both matches, and hope that either Brimbank or Ashburton lose both their games by considerable margins to have any chance of sneaking into the top five. Cranbourne maintains its position at the top of the ladder, with the two-point advantage it has enjoyed over the Inter for the latter half of the season. A valuable point or an opportunity missed? That was the case for both sides at Gardiners Creek Reserve on Sunday when Eastern Lions and Eltham North played out a goalless draw. The result puts Eastern Lions three points clear of relegation favourite the University of Melbourne, with Eltham a further two points ahead of the Lions. However, things remain extremely tight at that end of the table, with all three sides still at risk of the drop. Ashburton lifted itself to fourth on the ladder and all but confirmed its place in the top five with a 2-1 victory over Bendigo Vipers, which ended the Vipers’ extremely slim finals chances. With a goal difference of plus 23, Ashburton would have to capitulate in spectacular fashion in the next couple of weeks in order to miss out on the finals. Bendigo remains seventh following the defeat. Keilor Park struck four answered goals past the University of Melbourne to put another nail in the coffin of the side seemingly condemned to relegation. The victory was all the more important as it secured third place for Keilor, thus giving it two bites at the cherry in the finals. It was also a welcome victory for a side that has found the going tough in recent weeks. The University remains eleventh, now three points behind Eastern Lions, with time rapidly running out. South Melbourne finally broke its victory drought with a 3-1 win at bottom side Ballarat. It was South’s first success in eight matches, and it moves to within two points of Bendigo as a result. Ballarat now seems destined to finish the season without a win, and this was its nineteenth defeat in a very long season.