South Canberra Swift can confirm their place in the Capital Futsal League semi-finals should they manage to secure at least one win from their two scheduled matches this weekend and, by the time they take the pitch on Saturday evening, their need might be for one point should Queanbeyan-Palerang fail to defeat high-flying West Canberra Lightning.
The first test for the Swift is a tricky assignment against UC Stars who are already qualified for the final four and will finish either second or third. Both teams are capable in the red zone and have been defending resolutely and, whilst Stars are favourites, the Swift are certainly well in the mix.
After the Swift-Stars match, there’s a double-header in store on Sunday as the Swift will aim to collect the points, they need should they miss out against Stars, when they meet the Power who will be backing up from the Friday evening clash.
With both teams having played earlier on the weekend tiredness might be an issue and, dependent on numbers available for selection, that might play into the end result. Swift, on table position alone, will be fancied to claim the points and secure a place in the top four at the conclusion of the weekend.
ANU Apex have slim hopes of making the top four should the Swift slip-up, but would need a win over the North Canberra Fire in order to do so.
Apex pushed the Fire all the way last weekend, falling to a 4-6 defeat, but showed plenty of character in that match. They grabbed their first CFL points with a victory over the Power, a match in which Roxie Swart struck five.
Fire looked leggy after their two matches in the Round 5 rearranged games, but still came away with the maximum haul of six points from six. Edging towards finals, Fire will end second or third. A win here could push them towards the higher placing of the two.
WOMEN
Friday 27 January
Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 0 West Canberra Lightning 5 – Queanbeyan-Palerang Power forfeited
Saturday 28 January
South Canberra Swift v UC Stars (17:00)
Sunday 29 January
South Canberra Swift v Queanbeyan-Palerang Power (15:00)
ANU Apex v North Canberra Fire (17:00)
TABLE
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Lightning | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 9 | +57 | 24 |
| 2 | Stars | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 20 | +27 | 16 |
| 3 | Fire | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 19 | +15 | 13 |
| 4 | Swift | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 9 |
| 5 | Apex | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 48 | -25 | 3 |
| 6 | Power | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 96 | -83 | 0 |
LEADING SCORERS
15 Jennifer BISSET (Lightning)
14 Brittany PALOMBI (Lightning)
12 Reilly YUEN (Stars)
9 Amy MCLACHLAN (Lightning), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Fire)
8 Rebecca KITING (Lightning)
7 Stella DE MARCO (Fire), Becky RIZZO (Stars), Roxie SWART (Apex), Own GOALS
6 Cara CERUTI (Swift), Natalie DE MARCO (Fire), Krista HAGEN (Lightning), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (Apex), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Stars), Sofia PALYWODA (Swift)
5 Nicole JALOCHA (Fire), Mikayla VAN DEYK (Stars), Dianne WILSON (Lightning)
4 Justine ARMSTRONG (Power), Talia BACKHOUSE (Swift), Jamie BERKELEY (Lightning), Emily DANIEL (Stars), Tayla HAMPSON (Stars), Nikita PERRY (Fire), Samantha PRICE (Swift), Madeleine STEINACKER (Stars), Sabrina TOUFEXIS (Swift)
3 Maia CAMERON (Power), Isabella HINDMARSH (Swift), Renee KITE (Power), Ginger OLIVER (Swift), Alexandra SERRAS (Apex)
2 Leah CARNEGIE (Swift), Kaitlyn COLWILL (Swift), Grace DAVEY (Apex), Cassia MCGLASHAN (Stars), Kate WALKER (Stars)
1 Elke AITOLU (Fire), Phoebe FRASER (Apex), Emily JENSEN (Apex), Sally KISS (Power), Stefi LEJINS (Fire), Holly MCPHERSON (Power), Karen MILEWSKA (Apex), Clare MOLONY (Apex), Maya OSMOND (Fire), Erika PENNYFIELD (Lightning), Lauren QUACH (Power), Shayma TAWEEL (Apex)
