Premier League Round 19 Preview

The penultimate round of the Premier League competitions sees the battle for the fourth place and the double chance coming firmly into focus across both leagues.

The Men’s competition will see the top three sides take on the teams placed fourth to sixth. Derwent, OHA and Canterbury can all still snare the final spot in the top four, but time is running out.

The Ships’ second-half rally has been an impressive turnaround after a difficult start to the season, but they will likely need to win both of their remaining games. A draw here followed by a victory over Derwent next week would leave them level on 15 points, but the goal-difference gap currently sits at 19. Barring the Strikers suffering a catastrophic defeat this weekend, OHA are extremely unlikely to bridge that gap, making this fixture against the Bulldogs a must-win game.

Graduates, meanwhile, need to win their final two games and hope DiamondBacks lose one of theirs to move back into second place and secure the double chance.

North West Graduates have won the past two clashes against the Ships, including an 8-5 result that was one of the games of the season, after the sides drew 3-3 in their first meeting.

That will be followed by Derwent and University, with the Strikers certainly having more to play for than the Stueys, who have locked away the minor premiership and reached the 100-goal mark they had been chasing.

University will undoubtedly be eager to storm into the finals on an extended winning run, but the Strikers have a greater need for the points, with their hold on fourth place just a solitary point ahead of Canterbury. They managed a draw in their Round 4 meeting, but the two subsequent clashes have resulted in heavy University victories.

Canterbury then take on DiamondBacks, with the Lions winless in their past 11 outings and desperately needing a result as their finals hopes dwindle.

DiamondBacks cannot afford to let up if they want to secure the double chance, with the Bulldogs breathing down their necks and waiting to pounce on any slip-up. The Lions won the first meeting between the pair before DiamondBacks claimed the next two, the most recent of which was a closely fought 1-0 scrap.

The Women’s Premier League action gets underway with DiamondBacks meeting Canterbury in an important match for both sides.

DiamondBacks remain firmly in the mix for the double chance but are currently on the outside looking in. The Snakes need to win both of their remaining games and, depending on what happens in the North West Graduates v OHA clash, goal difference could prove decisive. They will therefore be eager to win big here.

DiamondBacks have won all three matches against the Lions this season without conceding a goal.

That will be followed by the match of the round, as OHA take on North West Graduates with the minor premiership and the double chance firmly on the line.

The points are arguably more important for OHA, as a draw could lead to a final-day goal-difference battle between them and DiamondBacks for the double chance. A defeat would leave them needing either Canterbury or University to upset the Snakes to prevent them from slipping to third.

A win would send OHA into the final day on top and knowing that victory over Derwent would secure the minor premiership.

For North West Graduates, a win here would leave them needing just a point from their final match to secure first place, while a draw would keep them on top and able to clinch the minor premiership with a final-day victory. Even with a defeat, they would remain in a favourable position to secure the double chance unless DiamondBacks record a huge victory over Canterbury earlier in the day.

All three results appear very possible, as these sides have been incredibly evenly matched throughout the season. Both have registered a 2-1 victory, while their other meeting ended in a 1-1 draw. Expect nothing different this time around.

The round concludes with University looking to lock away a finals berth with a win over Derwent. Depending on what happens earlier in the day, a point may be enough, with last week’s victory over Canterbury leaving the Stueys firmly in the box seat.

The most recent meeting between the sides saw Derwent break through for their first point in multiple seasons, so they will be filled with belief that they can match it with University once again. Their other two contests this season were also close, with the Stueys ultimately prevailing on both occasions.

Round 19 Fixtures

Saturday 22 August

Men

NWG v OHA, 11:45am, THC 1

Derwent v University, 1:15pm, THC 1

DiamondBacks v Canterbury, 2:45pm, THC 1

Women

DiamondBacks v Canterbury, 11:45am, THC 2

NWG v OHA, 1:15pm, THC 2

Derwent v University, 2:45pm, THC 2