Vodafone Women's Premier League Round 21 Review

By Niki Cook

One eye already on the finals, or an exploitable chink in the armour? That’s the question the top teams must be asking after Cranbourne was held to a draw by Keilor and now leads the WPL only on goal difference. The top five was also confirmed, as those playing in the finals opened up a nine point gap over the rest of the competition. The University of Melbourne’s relegation battle will come down to the final match of the season, following its 2-0 defeat at Box Hill Inter on Friday evening. It remains three points behind Eastern Lions, but would need a good win and a sizeable loss by the Lions to prevent a return to Division One. Inter now has a share of the lead of the WPL, as it is level on points with Cranbourne, but trails on goal difference. Inter can snatch the minor premiership next weekend, but only if it betters Cranbourne’s result by eight goals. Brimbank bounced back from the previous week’s defeat and cemented its position in the finals with a narrow 2-1 victory over battling Eastern Lions on Saturday. Eastern Lions, while defeated, will be pleased with the narrow margin, as it means that even if they lose their final game, and the University of Melbourne wins, it is unlikely that the Lions will be relegated, thanks to a superior goal difference. Brimbank can finish the season fourth, depending on next weekend’s result, but it would be solely a boost to morale, as it will have no bearing on the finals draw. Bendigo Vipers again demonstrated its supremacy over its regional rival Ballarat and District with a 3-0 victory at Strathfieldsaye Sports Complex on Saturday. The result lifts Bendigo to within a point of Heidelberg, its opponent next weekend, and so the Vipers can round off their debut WPL season in sixth position if successful in that match. Ballarat again suffered defeat, and will no doubt be glad to see the back of a season that has provided valuable experience but brought little in the way of success. Cranbourne Comets failed to pick up three points for just the second time this season when they were held to a draw at home by Keilor Park. A goalless first half was followed by a frenetic second, in which both sides scored twice to share the points. The draw will provide a major boost for Keilor on the eve of the finals, as prior to this game it had failed to take any points off the teams above it on the ladder. Despite the draw, Cranbourne remains at the head of the ladder, but now must match or better Box Hill’s result next weekend to secure the minor premiership and a more advantageous finals draw. South Melbourne made it two wins in a row for the first time since May with a 2-0 victory over Heidelberg United, ending United’s slim hopes of making the finals in the process. The defeat was also the first time Heidelberg has lost successive games since April. South remains eighth, a point behind Bendigo and a further two adrift of Heidelberg, which is sixth. Other results proved favourable for Eltham North, with defeats for the University of Melbourne and Eastern Lions ensuring that Eltham will compete for another season in the WPL, despite its 3-1 loss to Ashburton. Eltham remains five points ahead of the relegation zone with just one game to go, so at least it had something to smile about despite suffering its twelfth defeat of the year. Ashburton maintains fourth position on the ladder, ahead of Brimbank on goal difference, and it faces a psychologically important match against that side next weekend, given that the two will again face each other in the finals.