Flight Centre Premier League Weekly Preview - RD15
The Westfield FFA Cup qualifiers are over and attention turns to the run home in the Flight Centre Premier League.
With fourteen matches gone, still no one has a clue who will win it. But it’s the teams that WON’T win it which will appear first, perhaps even this weekend. On with the show...
MItchelton vs Ipswich Knights Friday 8:30pm at Teralba Park Mitchelton finally got their catch-up game and coughed up two points against Albany Creek, but the title is still in their hands. This week it gets considerably easier which ensures the pressure is on the teams all around them. The future could become clearer depending on other results and it could make things even more favourable. The Mustangs are still in the box seat. Ipswich Knights are a long way off the pace with their last game being a victory, but only in a penalty shootout against Centenary Stormers from Capital League 2 in the Pig 'N Whistle Canale Cup. Lucas Wilson is capable of some resistance but things might even get worse before they get better. Without a win away from home all season, Teralba Park is not the ideal place to go and even a loss by only two goals would be considered an achievement. The odds on this game will be ridiculous, and it could be a foregone conclusion before halftime. Only a ridiculous outcome can happen. Prediction: Mitchelton 7-0 Peninsula Power vs Logan Lightning Saturday 5pm at AJ “Jock” Kelly Field Peninsula Power will be riding high on their progression to the Westfield FFA Cup national Round of 32 which makes their season a success regardless of where they finish on the ladder, but league form is crucial if they are to keep their run going against the biggest teams in the country. Their schedule is going to get much harder very soon so a solid home win is important at the moment. Logan Lightning have very little to play for anymore which can only be seen as another season of promise falling away midway through the year. Recent results have been just as disappointing. With so many talented players in the team it’s a real shame because when they play really well, they can genuinely beat anyone. They could win this game, but it will have little relevance. Power will have taken a real shot of confidence from the Cup celebrations and being back at home will also help. Prediction: Peninsula 3-1 Holland Park Hawks vs Souths United Saturday 6:15pm at Whites Hill Reserve Holland Park Hawks will still be harbouring title aspirations despite sitting in fifth place and so they should. A solid draw away at Rochedale Rovers is a good result but another goal would have pushed them past their opponents. A penalty shootout victory at Wakerley Park was a handy result in the Westfield FFA Cup so they know how to approach this game but Souths are a better side now. Souths United are finding the consistency which eluded them earlier in the year and come into this game on the back of an excellent 7-0 win over Ipswich Knights. The possibility of a finals appearance looms large on the horizon which will move closer to reality if they can take three points away from Whites Hill. Defence is important but they need to be more positive than they were last time. Game of the round which is sure to give us lots of goals. Whether United can outscore the Hawks remains to be seen. Prediction: 3-3 draw Eastern Suburbs vs Albany Creek Saturday 7pm at Heath Park Eastern Suburbs are everyone’s special to go all the way and add to the trophy cabinet after some truly stunning displays and despite still having played one more game than Mitchelton and Lions. But the loss of Abe Yango is massive and has the potential to derail their season. Of course they have a wealth of talent remaining at Heath Park, the equal of any club in the Flight Centre Premier League. Albany Creek promised so much are still short of the target so many punters were predicting. With games running out, the Tigers must be beaten if they are to overtake them further down the track. An inability to put teams away has been their achilles heel even when they were winning. The impressive thumping of Souths United is what they are capable of, of course. Losing one player shouldn’t make a difference but many people will be interested to see what happens. Tighter than it looks. Prediction: Easts 2-1 Grange Thistle vs Capalaba [POSTPONED]
Lions FC vs Rochedale Rovers Saturday 7pm at Heath Park Lions FC need to win the title to get some kind of redemption for their mid-season crash in form and on current form are considered premiership favourites again by some. Unbelievably, consistency is the key if they are to win three titles in a row, something they usually have in spades. This game is vital. If they win they will almost certainly finish above Rovers on the table. Rochedale Rovers had their own collapse of form which may come back to haunt them (if it isn’t already) and there will be no let-up in pressure from now until semi-final time. Having Lewis Cameron back is a necessity but will he provide enough to beat the Champions on their own patch? Everything is in their own hands and a draw won’t be enough from this game. Lions are back in the hunt and a win here would push them once place further up the ladder. They’ll win. Prediction: Lions 2-0
