By Lachlan Onions
APOLLO v MILLICENT UNITED
LIMESTONE Coast women’s soccer returns this weekend and Apollo will look to continue its strong 2023 campaign.
Apollo will host Millicent United on Saturday in what will be the match of the round.
Action will kick-off at 2pm in the clash between two sides expected to be in finals this year.
Last year’s runners-up have been the benchmark of the competition this year and hold a six-point lead at the top of the table after nine rounds.
Apollo has won seven games this season and lost just the one game back in Round 1.
Looking at Millicent, it is currently fourth on the ladder with four wins from nine.
After winning three of their first four games, United have for form in the second half of the season with just one win frm their last five games.
This clash will see the league’s two leading goal-scorers do battle with Apollo’s Deni Atkin and Millicent’s Lana Shepherd set to face-off.
Both players have been pivotal members of their sides and have both found the back of the net 12 times this season.
Looking at the last time these two teams met, Apollo claimed a thrilling 3-2 victory at McLaughlin Park in Round 5.
In that clash, a goal in the final 10 minutes of the contest from Daylia Daylia proved to be the difference.
As for this weekend’s contest, the girls in blue and white will head in as favourites and should claim all three points.
BLUE LAKE v GAMBIER CENTRALS
Gambier Centrals will make the trip to Malseed Park to take on Blue Lake on Saturday.
Both sides have not quite been at the levels they would have hoped for, with the Rangers currently third on the ladder, while Centrals are sixth with just five points from the opening nine rounds.
For the Rangers, Aimee Brooks, Chelsea Frost and Jasmine White will be the key players in attack.
The trio have combined for 15 goals this season.
For the Lions, Bronwen Mitchell will be a pivotal player in between the sticks, while Rose Irakoze and Isla Dickson will also be players to watch.
When these twp sides met in Round 5, Blue Lake claimed a 2-1 win at MGA Park.
During that game, it was White who proved the difference as she scored a brace to guide the reigning premiers to victory.
A similar result will be expected when these sides meet this Saturday, with the Rangers heading in as favourites but as this season has proven, they are not invincible and the Lions will have a chance at pulling off an upset.
NARACOORTE UNITED v INTERNATIONAL
International will make the trip north to take on Naracoorte on Sunday afternoon.
Naracoorte will head into this clash still buzzing from its drought-breaking win in Round 8 and will be eyeing off another victory.
Inter has once again been a team to watch this season and after a difficult patch, has now won its last two games and is second on the ladder.
The girls in black and blue have won five games this season and drawn once, which came against Naracoorte in Round 5.
When these sides met at Casadio Park earlier in the campaign, there was nothing to split the two sides as the game ended 3-3 after an end-to-end contest.
Lauren Mather and Sile Legoe scored the goals for United in that contest and will be pivotal players once again.
Looking at Inter, Evany Rex, Leonie Robertson and Tess Andrews will be the players to watch.
Rex and Robertson have combined for 14 goals this season with the former the set-piece taker for Inter, while Andrews has been a focal point in the middle of the park.
Inter should head into this clash as favourites but a draw or even a win for Naracoorte is not out of the realms of possibility as it has shown it has what it takes to compete with the top sides.
