By Joan Grey
Fencibles United, Franklin United, and Onehunga Sports refuse to budge at the top of the Championship table.
They all won their matches in the previous round and now sit on 19 points each, separated only by goal difference once again.
In the last round, big scorelines indicate a divide between the top and bottom teams in the Championship. The top five teams are tightly clumped together, while the bottom three battle to close the gap.
Game of the week
Onehunga Sports cross paths with Franklin United in a top-of-the-table battle in the tenth round of the competition.
Franklin United continue to boast the tightest defence in the competition, securing five clean sheets and conceding just six goals across their nine league games this season.
Franklin remain the only unbeaten team in the league.
Onehunga, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning streak, notably winning against tough adversaries Fencibles United and Otumoetai.
Player to watch
Franklin United’s Chloe Marthe continues her reign as the top goalscorer in the Women’s Championship. Her impressive 10-goal tally accounts for nearly half of Franklin’s total goals this season.
With a recipe of skilful dribbling, precise ball control, and long-range shots, Marthe is dangerous in the final third.
Bold prediction
The Otumoetai and Tauranga City match will be another hard-fought local derby.
The stakes are high, and a single point separates the sides. If triumphant, Tauranga can leapfrog Otumoetai into fourth position.
Otumoetai has had a tendency for high-scoring games this season, scoring on average 2.4 goals and conceding 2.5 per game.
I’m sitting on the fence, predicting a 3-3 draw.
Fixtures
Games to be played on Sunday June 11, 2023
Central United v Fencibles United
Nixon Park, Kingsland, 1pm
Onehunga Sports v Franklin United
Waikaraka Park, Onehunga, 1pm
Otumoetai v Tauranga City
Fergusson Park, Otumoetai, 1pm
Te Atatu v Manukau United
Te Atatu Peninsula Park, Te Atatu, 1pm
Joan Grey
Friends of Football writer Joan Grey loves playing and writing about football. She plays football for Franklin United.
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