Greater Northern League Round 15 Preview

After a highly successful Gai Cross Round Gala Day last weekend, the battle for finals positions will continue in Round 15 of the Greater Northern League Men’s season, with several important contests at both ends of the ladder.

The action begins at McKenna Park, where City Marians host the Queechy Penguins in a crucial match for both sides.

Queechy climbed into a share of second place with South Burnie following a 4-1 victory over Smithton last weekend. With a game in hand and just three rounds remaining after this one, the Penguins are well placed to secure the double chance, but cannot afford to ease up in a tight finals race.

City Marians sit two points outside the top four and also have a game in hand on fourth-placed Smithton, who have the bye this weekend. A victory would therefore see Marians move above Smithton and into the finals places. Their previous clash came all the way back in the opening round of the season, with the Penguins running out 5-1 victors.

At Meercroft Park, West Devonport will host the South Launceston Suns in a contest between two sides hoping to climb away from the bottom of the ladder.

West Devonport were competitive against second-placed South Burnie last weekend but fell to a 2-0 defeat, leaving them three points behind the Suns. South Launceston endured a difficult afternoon against unbeaten ladder leaders Burnie Baptist, suffering a 9-0 loss. The two also met back in the opening weekend of the season, with West Devonport taking the points with a 4-2 win.

Tamar Churinga will look to build on one of their strongest results of the season when they face South Burnie at the Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre.

Tamar climbed into sixth place with an impressive 3-1 victory over Launceston City in Round 14, moving one point clear of both City and the Suns. They now face a significant step up against a South Burnie side sitting second on the ladder, who won the prior clash between the duo 3-1.

South Burnie recorded a professional 2-0 victory over West Devonport last weekend. They enter the round level with Queechy on 26 points, although the Penguins have played one fewer match, making three points vital as the battle for a top-two finish and double chance intensifies.

The final match of the round pits Launceston City against the undefeated Burnie Baptist. City will be eager to respond after falling 3-1 to Tamar Churinga last weekend, a result which saw them slip to eighth place. Their challenge could hardly be tougher, however, with Burnie having won all 13 of their matches this season. The ladder leaders delivered another emphatic statement in Round 14, defeating the South Launceston Suns 9-0. Burnie have now scored 71 goals while conceding only nine and hold a commanding 13-point lead at the top of the table. They will enter as overwhelming favourites to continue their perfect campaign, having won 7-0 back in Round 1.

Round 15 of the Greater Northern League Women’s season begins at the Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre, where ladder leaders Queechy Penguins take on Smithton.

Queechy maintained their unbeaten record with an emphatic 4-0 victory over the South Launceston Suns last weekend. The Penguins have now won 11 of their 14 matches, conceding only 10 goals while opening up a three-point lead at the top of the ladder.

Smithton earned a point from a 1-1 draw with City Marians in Round 14 but with finals out of reach, catching the Suns for a fifth place finish will be their goal from here on out. The last time the sides met it ended in a 3-0 win for the Penguins back in Round 3.

The match of the round will take place at McKenna Park, where City Marians host Launceston City in a crucial top-four contest.

The teams enter the weekend locked together on 25 points, with Launceston City sitting third on goal difference. City strengthened their finals position with a 3-0 victory over Tamar Churinga last weekend, while Marians were held to a 1-1 draw by Smithton to see City move past them.

Both sides hold a seven-point advantage over fifth-placed South Launceston and appear well placed to contest finals, but this result could be highly significant in determining who finishes third. Last time they clashed it was a tight contest that Marians just edged out 2-1.

At Meercroft Park, West Devonport will host the South Launceston Suns, with both sides looking to respond from difficult Round 14 defeats. West Devonport were beaten 5-0 by South Burnie last weekend, while the Suns suffered a 4-0 loss to ladder leaders Queechy. Despite that setback, South Launceston remain fifth and are still within seven points of the top four. A win here would guarantee they can make up some ground on the top four and they were too strong in the prior meeting, triumphing 5-1.

The final match of the round sees Tamar Churinga face second-placed South Burnie at the Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre. South Burnie continued their excellent season with a commanding 5-0 victory over West Devonport, keeping them within three points of Queechy in the race for the minor premiership. Tamar remain at the foot of the ladder after falling 3-0 to Launceston City last weekend. Still searching for their first victory of the season, they face another challenging assignment against one of the competition’s leading contenders, though they did push them in their Round 2 meeting, a match that ended 2-1.

Round 15 Fixtures

Saturday 1 August

Men
City Marians v Queechy Penguins, 12:30pm, McKenna Park
West Devonport v South Launceston Suns, 12:30pm, Meercroft Park
Tamar Churinga v South Burnie, 12:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 2
Launceston City v Burnie Baptist, 2:00pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1

Women
Queechy Penguins v Smithton, 12:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1
City Marians v Launceston City, 2:00pm, McKenna Park
West Devonport v South Launceston Suns, 2:00pm, Meercroft Park
Tamar Churinga v South Burnie, 2:00pm Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 2