Premier League Round 8 Preview

Round 8 of the Women’s Premier League season gets underway with NWG taking on Derwent. The Bulldogs suffered their first defeat of the season last week, undone by a late deflection. Despite that setback, they remain top of the table and should be confident of bouncing back against a Derwent side that will be hoping for an improved scoreline against the competition heavyweights the second time through the fixture. Last time around, NWG ran out 9-0 winners.

The biggest game of the round will see DiamondBacks take on OHA in a second-versus-third clash. The sides could not be separated when they met earlier in the season, playing out a thrilling 2-2 draw, and this encounter shapes as another tight contest. They enter the round locked on points, with DiamondBacks’ superior goal difference keeping them in second place. With just two points separating the competition’s top three sides, the margins remain razor-thin. Importantly, none of the top three teams have dropped points against the bottom three so far this season, making these head-to-head clashes a vital opportunity to gain ground on the ladder.

Finally, Canterbury and University will meet in what looms as a massive contest in the battle for fourth spot and the final place in the finals. University claimed a 3-0 victory when the sides met in Round 3, and repeating that result here could provide a crucial edge in the finals race, despite it still being relatively early in the season.

The men’s competition begins with OHA taking on DiamondBacks. The Snakes appear to be finding form in recent weeks, moving up into third place and when these sides last met, it ended in a 7-0 thrashing as Oscar Pritchard scored 3. The Ships rediscovered some scoring touch last week, but were unable to contain a rampant Oscar Sproule, who scored four goals in University’s 6-3 win that leaves the ships rooted to the foot of the ladder with just the 1 point.

Next up, Canterbury face University in a top-of-the-table clash. The Stueys have been in ominous form over the past fortnight, seemingly scoring goals for fun, but the Lions boast the league’s stingiest defence. The two sides played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in Round 3, with Canterbury scoring twice late to rescue a point. The Lions have now won three of their past four games to climb into second place on the ladder, overcoming several key offseason departures to put together a strong campaign so far.

Finally, NWG and Derwent will both look to snap losing streaks when they meet to conclude the round. Two heavy defeats in the past fortnight have seen the Bulldogs slide to fifth place, with their goal difference taking a significant hit in the process. The Strikers sit one place above them on goal difference alone and also enter the contest on the back of consecutive defeats, albeit by much narrower margins. As a result, both sides will be desperate to secure all three points.

Round 8, Saturday 30 May

Women

Saturday 30 May

Derwent v NWG, 11:45am

OHA v DiamondBacks, 1:15pm

Canterbury v University, 2:45pm

Men

OHA v DiamondBacks, 11:45am

Canterbury v Diamondbacks, 1:15pm

Derwent v NWG, 2:45pm