Tigers' firepower could be lessened by Iannucci's absence

September 5 2008

Shepparton News

Cobram is unlikely to have its star player Clorinda Iannucci on the park when it takes on Shepparton United in the women's North Eastern Soccer League qualifying final on Sunday.

The Tigers will have home-ground advantage for the match, but The News understands that Iannucci, who scored twice when Cobram beat United in round 16, will be unavailable.

Iannucci is one of the favourites to win the women's best and fairest award despite playing just eight of a possible 21 games in the home-and-away season.

United has absentees of its own, with winger Emily Fowler unlikely to travel from Geelong for the match and defender Sarah Theobald fulfilling commitments to Kyabram District Netball League club Nagambie.

United coach Megan Carr said Katerina Dimitriadis was in line to mark Cobram's 18-goal forward Tania Doyle, having contained Tatura's Rosemary Scrimizzi and Cobram Victory's Hayley Cornish in the past two weeks.

Carr said United's previous finals campaigns would hold it in good stead for the pressure game; Cobram, by contrast, has not played finals since a penalty shoot-out defeat to Shepparton South in the 2006 elimination final.

Shepparton is hopeful its star striker Samantha McIntosh will return from her native Queensland to the Goulburn Valley today in time to play Tatura in the elimination final tomorrow.

Reds goalkeeper Rebecca Bowles is also winning her race against time to recover from a hand injury and stand between the sticks.

McIntosh scored all four of her team's goals against Tatura during its two wins and a draw in the home-and-away season.

The 19-year-old was unable to play games at the tail end of the home-and-away season due to work commitments.

Tatura will be without captain Nancy Sciacca this weekend but otherwise has a full-strength team to chose from.