Belconnen United 4 (Maddy Whittall 16’, Michaela Day 58’, Jessie Williams 85’, Jasmine Maguire 90+4’) def. Woden-Weston 1 (Laura Vandenbroucke 68’) 

Belconnen United reaffirmed their home dominance in the PS4 NPL Women’s competition on Saturday as a busy second half helped them to a 4-1 win over Woden-Weston. 

United pressed from the start looking for an opening, and found one as Maddy Whittall went racing in behind the defensive line after 10 minutes. However, she was clipped outside the box by Celina Gayer and the defender was sent off with a straight red card in the worst possible start for the visitors. 

The resulting free kick was sent over the bar, and Nat Lacey was on hand minutes later in the Wanderers goal to save well from Jasmine Maguire’s effort. The visitors could only hold out for so long though and it was Whittall who opened proceedings, this time beating the defence before finishing well past Lacey on the angle. 

The difference remained only one goal at half-time, but Whittall was barged over in the box by Iesha De Andrade 12 minutes into the second stanza, and Michaela Day stepped up to hammer home the penalty and double United’s advantage. 

But the visitors were the next to make their mark, and as Laura Vandenbroucke’s effort squirmed through the arms of Elouise Ford in goals it looked as though Woden-Weston might have got themselves back into the match.

The final twenty minutes was poised to be pivotal, and the Wanderers looked to push up the field and pressure their opponents on the ball as they chased an equalising goal. 

But five minutes from time, Jessie Williams delivered what was likely the knockout blow, curling in a fantastic effort from outside the box past Lacey to restore Belconnen’s two-goal buffer. 

And deep in stoppage time Jasmine Maguire netted a fourth to deliver a resounding win on the scoreboard, but one that was not quite so pretty on the pitch.