Belconnen United v Woden-Weston | 5:15pm, Saturday 16^th June @ McKellar Park

Belconnen United can continue their still perfect start to the season when they host Woden-Weston at McKellar Park for the second time this season on Saturday night. The last outing between these two saw United come out with a one-goal victory in one of their closest results this season. The hosts have not looked back since then though, recording a number of emphatic victories and continuing to blaze a trail at the top of the table. Caitlin Munoz got in on the act as last week as well and her return to first grade is a welcome addition for Antoni Jagarinec heading into the back half of the season. The Blue Devils should have too much depth and firepower to overcome the Wanderers here but need to be wary of allowing Woden-Weston to play the game on their terms again.

For Woden-Weston, they went down narrowly to Canberra FC last weekend, as they continue to struggle against the top three sides. That loss was the second of the season to Mark Risteski’s side, while two matches against the Academy has seen a 13-3 aggregate to the opposition. This will be a tough ask for the Wanderers who are still largely a young side, against the experience of a side that has dominated this league in recent years. The visitors managed to turn this game into a more physical affair last time, breaking up United’s flowing play and forcing them to get stuck in, and more of the same will be required here if they are to push the hosts for the full 90.

 

Canberra FC v Canberra United Academy | 3pm, Sunday 17^th June @ Deakin Stadium & LIVE on BarTV

Canberra FC will host the Canberra United Academy in a massive second v third clash at Deakin Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The hosts are riding a 10-match winning streak after sneaking past Woden-Weston last weekend and will be chasing a win to keep pace with Belconnen United at the top of the standings. The last time these two met saw a thrilling encounter with Canberra FC edging out the Academy by a goal, so this one is sure to be tight. For the hosts Grace Gill is battling illness to be ready for the match, and she has been a key figure the past two weeks with three goals in matches against Olympic and Woden-Weston. But Canberra FC have more depth this season, and can still be confident heading into this match and aiming to maintain their nine-point lead over their opponents.

For the Academy, they came in off the NTC break and put seven goals past Monaro including six from Aoife Colvill so come into this clash with plenty of momentum. The Academy are riding their own four match winning streak and will be looking to extend that here as they head into a tough patch in a few weeks with games against Canberra Olympic and Belconnen United in quick succession. One or two questions marks linger over fitness for this weekend in Ryan Grogan’s squad, and that will undoubtedly have an impact on this game. The Academy play fast but also play a strong brand of football, but against an experienced and older side in Canberra FC they will not have it all their own way. This shapes as a pivotal outing as we head towards the run-in on the back of the season.

 

Tuggeranong United v Monaro Panthers | 3pm, Sunday 17^th June @ Greenway Enclosed

Tuggeranong will take on Monaro on Sunday afternoon with a great chance to pick up their first win of the season. The two met earlier on in the campaign when the Panthers triumphed by just a goal, but United have been on the improve while a number of large losses have dented Monaro’s until-recent steady progress. The prognosis has been the same for both teams so far; scoring not many goals while conceding far too many, but United have really struggled up front, scoring just four times across their 10 matches so far. Against Gungahlin United last weekend Michael Aldred’s side were in the match for large parts of it and created chances of their own but were unable to capitalise, and with chances likely to present this weekend it is important that the final touch is there.

For the visitors they head into the match after a 7-0 thumping from the Academy last weekend, and before that the 16-0 defeat at the hands of Belconnen United. Those two losses form part of a three-match losing streak that snapped a two-game winning run, where the Panthers looked as though they may have turned things around. Wins over Canberra Olympic and then Tuggeranong lifted them back up to six points, but the fall since then has been steep. As it does for Tuggeranong, this match presents a good chance for the Panthers to pick up a win as they head into a stretch of games that they can take some confidence in to.

 

Canberra Olympic v Gungahlin United | 3pm, Sunday 17^th June @ O’Connor Enclosed

Canberra Olympic and Gungahlin United will continue their battle for a hold on fourth spot on Sunday afternoon when they meet at O’Connor Enclosed.

Olympic were beaten soundly by Belconnen United last week and dropped to fifth as a result, and will be looking to bounce back from that loss here. That match was only the second time Olympic have been held scoreless all season, so Eddie Senatore can be confident that normal service will be resumed at least to some degree this weekend. The last time these two met Gungahlin pulled out an important 4-2 victory, so Olympic will be keen to return the favour here. Senatore’s side still have plenty to offer this season going forward and will expect to be in the top four, but a win here is important to jump back into fourth and keep within touching distance of the top three.

For Gungahlin a 3-0 win over Tuggeranong was arguably not as simple as the scoreline suggested, with the hosts putting up a good fight for much of the match. Diego Iglesias spoke afterwards about the importance of getting on the board early with a strong start, and the benefits were clear to his side. His side are nursing a couple of injuries though and he will be hoping to welcome back some talent this weekend to the park. Much the same as Olympic, a win here is important for United to keep a grip on fourth spot, with maximum points taking them four clear of this weekend’s opponents. They must be wary of the firepower and talent that the hosts possess though, and avoid getting caught on the counter if they do look to control the game.