Drag flick: Multitude of scenarios possible for women's Central West Premier League Hockey top four

The Central West Premier League Hockey women's season comes right down to the wire this Saturday as six teams battle for the last four spots in the table.

Here's all the big stories heading into a chaotic round of hockey this Saturday...

IT'S time to channel Doctor Strange and come up with all the possible outcomes for a scenario - namely this Saturday's last round of the women's Central West Premier League Hockey season.

Thankfully there aren't 14,000,605 arrangements for what the final ladder could look like, but six arrangements is still a pretty big number to go through.

Let's break them all down.

In every scenario Lithgow Panthers finish as minor premiers. Nothing will be changing that.

St Pat's have a fair bit to play for against Bathurst City.

A victory for the Saints locks them into a second place finish and a major semi-final meeting with Panthers.

However, a loss leaves them in danger of dropping back to third place if their other cross-city rivals Souths can get the job done against defending premiers CYMS.

Souths can't drop outside of the top four and a draw will be good enough to see them stay in third place.

But if Souths lose to CYMS they'll surrender their right to a home elimination semi-final, should Orange United beat Parkes.

The fight for fourth place is where things get a little wilder.

Orange United hold onto that spot with a draw or win. A loss opens the door for either CYMS or Parkes to leap them.

A United loss and a CYMS win of any margin means they swap spots on the ladder.

A win for Parkes alone isn't good enough though - they have to win by four goals against United while hoping that Souths can hold CYMS to a draw or loss.

Got all that? Enjoy your last round of madness!

HOLDING your fate in your own hands - it's a feeling that St Pat's coach Bec Clayton is both relieved and happy to have.

Heading into this Saturday's final round, the Saints know that if they beat Bathurst City they'll remain in second, play in the major semi-final and have a chance to earn a home grand final.

"It is nice to have our fate in our own hands, worrying about other results is never cool, that's something extra at the back of your head," Clayton said.

"If all you have to focus on is yourself, you don't have to focus on anything else, where other teams are going to fall or anything like that, it is so much better. It's good to be in control of our own destiny."

Though Clayton feels her Saints will be focussed on the task at hand rather than keeping one eye on other results, she knows beating Bathurst City is not the easiest of missions.

Bathurst City upset the Saints earlier this season and though now out of finals contention, are hungry to avoid the wooden spoon and have one final say on the ladder.

"We don't know what's going to happen .. City can't make it now, but losing 4-3 in Lithgow is still pretty good," Clayton said.

"Obviously knowing they played well and put goals away in Lithgow means they're probably going to be on song against us."

THERE'S six sides who can still fill out the top four of the women's Central West Premier League Hockey competition but the one team who can't make it is feeling positive.

Just a month ago Bathurst City were in a strong position to finish inside the top four but a tough run of results has pushed the team to the bottom of the ladder leading into the last round of the competition.

That can be a crushing situation for a team to deal with at the end of a season but for a young City team still developing their game it's not a scenario that eats away at them.

Instead, it gives them encouragement for the future.

On the back of a cruel 4-3 loss to minor premiers Lithgow Panthers last week the team will look to transfer the same level of hockey into their last game of the season against St Pat's.

The City squad also have a mental edge going into the match, having beaten the Saints 1-0 earlier this season.

City coach Mal Willott said it's great to see his side determined to play out the season in full.

"The girls, as we were leaving, were saying 'Let's smash Pat's next week'," he said.

"That's their mindset. They're ready to go for their next game. They're still a very young side. They're getting better and better, and next year who knows what could happen."

City still have motivation for the game this Saturday, as a victory could still take them as high as fifth spot if CYMS and Parkes both go down on the weekend.

IT'S always a good feeling to win a local derby and it's even better when your local rival is the defending premiers.

But that's not where the goodness ended for Orange United last Saturday, in beating Orange CYMS it also moved into fourth spot on the ladder.

There is still another hurdle for United to overcome to retain fourth and be part of the finals series, but it was a performance that highlights the Orange side is one to keep an eye on.

"The game against CYMS was a testament to our patience, composure and belief," Fiona Reith said.

"CYMS are an extremely hard team to compete against and we earned the victory."

Prior to Saturday, Orange CYMS had won four of its last five matches and was sitting ahead of United on the ladder.

The result added to an already long list of season 2022 upsets.

"We are definitely taking it one game at a time this season," Reith said.

"We have not had our full side except for three-four games due to injury and representative duties.

"[But] I think the girls believe that as a team unit we will always give 100 percent and back each other."

Having won the derby United is now in the position that if it beats Parkes this Saturday, it will not be dislodged from the top four.

But given Parkes is still an outside hope of cracking the four and Reith is not sure if her side will be at full strength, she's taking nothing as a given.

"To stay in the top four we have to win against Parkes this weekend," she said.

"I'm unsure if we have our full complement of players for the game so I am not sure who will be taking the pitch for the last game.

"But we are training well and gelling together as a team and that has transcended to our games. We are having a lot of fun this year, which is sometimes more important."

ST Pat's men have almost wrapped up the minor premiership and can make it official this Saturday.

A win in their game against Orange Wanderers this weekend, on home turf, would give them a pressure-free last round clash against the Lithgow Storm the following Saturday.

Saints coach Niel Howard expects a determined Wanderers side will arrive to try and spoil the party.

"If we lost our next two games we could still lose the minor premiership. I expect Wanderers to be strong every time we play them, and just a few years ago they came from fourth spot to play us in the grand final," he said.

"They've got the ability, it's just about who turns up on the day.

"We still have a couple of boys away on representative duty, Tyler [Willott] and Andre [Rossitt], but outside of that we should be full strength.

"We'll strange structurally a little bit, look at putting some players in different positions over the last few rounds. My plan is to give a couple of the juniors a bit of extra time as well."

An upset win for Wanderers would keep their finals hopes alive.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: