Greater Northern League Round 13 Preview

In the Women's GNL, Queechy took another step towards finishing on top with an emphatic 11-0 victory over Tamar Churinga in Round 12. The undefeated Penguins face another road trip this weekend against West Devonport and will be aiming to extend their unbeaten season. West Devonport earned a valuable point against Launceston City last weekend and will be hoping to produce another strong performance when they host the competition leaders. While finals may be out of reach, they have shown they are capable of frustrating higher-ranked opposition.

South Burnie remain firmly entrenched in second place but were forced to share the points in a 2-2 draw with South Launceston last week. While the result saw the gap to Queechy widen, it kept South Burnie six points clear of the chasing pack. Their Round 13 clash with Smithton presents another opportunity to consolidate second position. Smithton, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after suffering an 8-0 defeat at the hands of City Marians last weekend.

City Marians produced arguably the performance of Round 12 with that commanding victory over Smithton, moving level on points with Launceston City in the battle for third place. Although Launceston City currently hold the position on goal difference, City Marians know victory over Tamar Churinga would keep the pressure on heading into the closing weeks of the campaign.

Launceston City were held to a 1-1 draw by West Devonport in Round 12, missing the chance to pull clear of the Marians. They now face South Launceston in what shapes as one of the most significant matches of the round. South Launceston remain fifth after their draw with South Burnie and trail the top four by four points, making this a pivotal encounter in shaping the final four.

In the Men’s competition, Burnie Baptist extended their perfect record to 11 wins from 11 matches with a 3-1 victory over South Burnie in their top of the ladder Round 12 clash. This week they face another finals rival as they take on third-placed Smithton, who will be eager to bounce back after slipping to a 5-1 defeat against City Marians last weekend.

South Burnie remain second despite their loss to Burnie Baptist, but only on goal difference from Smithton and with Queechy Penguin also sitting on 20 points with a game in hand it’s a tight battle for the finals double chance. They face seventh-placed Launceston City in Round 13, with the visitors full of confidence after a 5-3 victory over West Devonport. South Burnie know victory is crucial if they are to maintain their grip on second place.

Queechy Penguins had the bye in Round 12 and return this weekend with the opportunity to make up ground on the teams above them. Sitting fourth but with a game in hand, the Penguins travel to face bottom-placed West Devonport and will be aiming to strengthen their finals position.

City Marians produced one of their best performances of the season last weekend, defeating Smithton 5-1 to move within five points of the top four. They now take on Tamar Churinga, who picked up a valuable point in a 1-1 draw with South Launceston Suns. The Marians will see the clash as an opportunity to continue their late-season charge, while Tamar will be looking to build on their improved performance.

Round 13 Fixtures

Men

South Burnie v Launceston City, 12:30pm, McKenna Park

West Devonport v Queechy Penguins, 12:30pm, Meercroft Park

Tamar Churinga v City Marians, 12:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre

Burnie Baptist v Smithton, 2:00pm, McKenna Park

Women

South Burnie v Smithton, 11:00am, McKenna Park

West Devonport v Queechy Penguins, 2:00pm, Meercroft Park

Tamar Churinga v City Marians, 2:00pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre

Launceston City v South Launceston, 3:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre