Both the Boomerangs men’s and women’s team have finished in the top four to secure their spot in the finals for season 2014.
The Women’s competition went right down to the wire, and any one of three teams (Scorpions, South Brisbane and Boomerangs) could have taken the minor premiership at the opening of the final round. As it panned out, South Brisbane out-gunned both the Canberra teams on Saturday, and the Scorpions did exactly enough to hold on to the top spot. The remaining finals spot was decided on Sunday with Dural pipping Vic Vipers.
Saturday sees top spot Scorpions take on fourth placed Dural Warriors and the Boomerangs will have another shot at South Brisbane in order to determine the two teams to match off on Sunday in the Grand Final.
For the Men, Dural Warriors had already sewn up top spot, and the interest was around whether they could go through the season undefeated – which they duly obliged by soundly beating both Sydney Scorpions and Vic Vipers. The other point of interest of course was whether the Boomerangs could steal fourth place from the Scorpions who started the weekend three points ahead, and with a significant (12) goal difference advantage.
As it was, the Boomerangs spanked the hapless Capital FC on Friday night to the tune of 14-3, while Scorpions went down to the powerful Warriors 0-6. With the goal difference issue sorted, all the Boomerangs needed to do was to record a solid win over South Brisbane, and it would not matter whether Scorpions defeated the Vipers in their final match for the season. As it was the Boomerangs 7-4 victory, did enough so that the 3-1 victory by the Scorpions meant that fourth place was sealed by the Boomerangs – with a great deal of credit going to the Friday night 14 goal romp.
So with both teams back into familiar territory playing finals futsal – for the second year in succession – the teams now go through the planning process of how to turn around earlier results to earn victories. It’s gratifying to note that only Dural Warriors and the Boomerangs have both their men’s and women’s teams playing finals for season 2014.
For the women, they have not beaten South Brisbane in two games this season (although they did defeat them twice in season 2013); the matches though have been close, and with some tactical adjustments, and a lift of intensity to ‘finals-level’, the game is definitely winnable and would see the ladies make their second successive Grand Final. The Boomerangs have the experience from playing a semi-final and Grand Final last season, while the South Brisbane team have yet to encounter the pressure of finals futsal at this level.
For the men, a semi against top spot matches last year when they were only narrowly defeated by eventual champions Vic Vipers. The Boomerangs have yet to defeat the Warriors in any F-League match over four years, however they can take some solace from the fact that in Round 1 of the 2013/2014 FNSW Premier League, they did defeat the strong Sydney team 3-1. They know they can defeat this team, and with the final not being played at Dural, it removes the home court advantage that Dural have recently had in finals.
The Football NSW hummel F-League Reviews for Round 10 are now online.
Men’s Review click here: http://goo.gl/qNicME
Women’s Review click here: http://goo.gl/RMYvWq