With six games remaining in the women’s, and five remaining in the men’s. The next few weeks in football across the Downs is about to become one crazy rollercoaster ride.
FQPL 3 Darling Downs Women
South Toowoomba Hawks remain in the top four after a nervous 1-1 draw with Highfields Green last weekend. Their lead over fifth (USQFC) is a slender one point and a slip up could be prove costly. The Rubies were dealt a hammer blow to their finals aspirations last week by Highfields Gold, but will be eager to finish out the season strongly and have shown in the past they can rebound from losses.
Highfields Green will have a level of confidence coming against the Rovers this weekend, after sharing the points with the Hawks last weekend. Rovers are coming off as loss to Willowburn last weekend and only hold a 3 point lead over fourth. A win is essential to tie down their goal to play finals football.
Despite not getting all three points, West Wanderers could have well played their best game of the season drawing against USQFC last week (3-3). A result like that can do funny things football and it will be interesting if they can back that same performance up as they take on first placed Willowburn on Saturday night.
Highfields Gold were clinical last weekend, and they will be looking to keep pace with the magpies for a shot at silverware and potential promotion to FQPL 2. On the flip side, USQFC
sit just one point outside the top four and whilst they are outsiders to win, an upset win could really flip the women’s competition on its head.
FQPL 3 Darling Downs Men
Highfields are coming off a heavy loss to Wanderers and whilst their hopes of playing finals seem to be dashed, they will should see the next five games as reminder to the rest of the competition that they are no longer here to simply make up the numbers. They take on a Rockville team who sit. 4 points adrift the top four, Rockville will sense it’s now or never if they are going to make a charge for finals football and anything but a win will be considered a massive disappointment.
Both teams equal on points and only split by goal difference. One is coming off a win (Wanderers), the other coming off a loss (Gatton). Both very conscious that Rockville is not far off. It’s high pressure football and it will be a another great battle from the two Winstanley Shield finalists.
It’s 1st versus 2nd this Sunday afternoon, as Willowburn host St Albans. The last time these two met seemed a lifetime ago and Willowburn won 9-0, but after a mid-season winning streak by Saints. It is anyone’s guess as to how this match will end up. Due to the nature of the draw with catch up rounds, these two teams will go head to head two weeks in a row, and in a fortnight’s time we may have somewhat a clearer picture of who is sitting top of the ladder for the minor premiership.
