Belconnen United 0 drew. Canberra FC 0

By Jakob Gisik

Belconnen United and Canberra FC opened the 2019 NPLW season with a goalless draw in wet and windy conditions at McKellar Park on Saturday afternoon.

New faces were on display for both sides with goalkeeper Sally James and Alexia Forner playing their first games for Belconnen, while former Gungahlin United striker Mel Bunker made her debut for Canberra FC.

The rematch of last season’s grand final was physical from the outset, with neither side willing to give their opponent an inch.

The first scoring opportunity of the match came in the 14th minute, when Bunker got on the end of a long-range ball from Ivana Galic, only to see her volley fly straight into the arms of James.

Belconnen slowly worked into the game and a passage of sustained pressure nearly led to a goal just prior to the half-hour mark.

Returning Westfield W-League player Maddy Whittall found herself in space out on the right flank, and her lovely ball across the penalty area narrowly missed the outstretched boot of Ellie Raymond at the back post.

The Blue Devils’ best chance of the match though came on the stroke of half-time, when Forner forced Canberra FC’s goalkeeper Natasja Vasta to make a difficult save direct from a corner kick.

However, the parried ball fell to Whittall, whose quick shot pin-balled around the goal line before eventually being cleared by Galic.

The second half began much the same as the first, as neither side troubled their opponents’ goal.

That was until the 64th minute, when Canberra FC captain Grace Gill went on a solo run through the Blue Devils defence, but couldn’t get enough purchase on her shot to trouble James in goals.

The match wasn’t without its controversy though, when, just six minutes later, a header from Bunker in the box ricocheted off a Belconnen defender and into the hands of James.

The Canberra FC bench immediately began pleading for a penalty, believing the ball had hit the arm of the Belconnen player, but the referee waved play-on.

With just five minutes to play, Belconnen had one final chance to win it whn a pass by Whittall was deflected into the path of Bronte Pyke just outside the area, but the left-back couldn’t keep her shot below the crossbar.

Both sides held firm in the dying stages to share the opening round points.

Belconnen can now enjoy a week off with a bye in round two, while Canberra FC will play Woden-Weston FC at Melrose.

 

Monaro Panthers v Canberra Olympic | Game Postponed

 

Canberra United Academy 1 (Own Goal 90’+) def. by Woden-Weston 2 (Cassia McGlashan 9’, Shaquille Chong 35’)

Two first half goals helped Woden-Weston get off to a perfect start in the 2019 NPLW as they finished 2-1 winners over the Canberra United Academy at Hawker on Saturday afternoon.

Woden-Weston got on the front foot early and they found a way through just nine minutes in as Cassia McGlashan finished from almost on the goal line, finding herself all but unmarked from a corner.

The Academy went on the offensive but couldn’t find a way through, and the visitors doubled their advantage just ten minutes before half time.

Alex Hinson threw the ball out of her area to begin a quick counter-attack but Woden-Weston were alert to the danger.

The ball was picked off from a defender’s touch and fed through to Shaquille Chong who made no mistake in finishing past Hinson in her first game with the Wanderers.

That put Woden-Weston up by two at half-time and they never really looked back in the second half until an own goal in stoppage time cut the deficit.

Hayley Taylor-Young broke down the left and skirted the defence to the byline before cutting the ball back, and Sarah Whitfield tried to clear under pressure but could only slice the ball past her own keeper and in.

It mattered for little though as the final whistle went shortly after to put Woden-Weston on the winners list early.

 

Wagga City Wanderers 4 (Tess Vaccari 16’, Madeline Harris 19’, Raechel Lyon 44’, Sarsha Smith 88’) def. Tuggeranong United 1 (Sonya Sheedy 64’)

Wagga City announced their arrival to the NPLW Capital Football on Sunday with a 4-1 win over Tuggeranong United at Rawlings Park, thanks in large part to a three-goal first half.

The Wanderers opened the scoring 16 minutes in as they began a counter-attack after a Tuggeranong foray forward broke down.

Raechel Lyon was fed the ball in midfield and she played it out in front of Tess Vaccari, who race towards goal unmarked before firing an effort past the diving Ashley King in the Tuggeranong goal.

The hosts doubled their advantage just three minutes later to leave Tuggeranong reeling when Lyon was provider again, swinging in a corner that Madeline Harris met with a thundering header into the top corner.

The momentum swung back and forth as the game went on but Wagga Wagga broke it open just before the break when Lyon was played through with a lovely ball over the top and made no mistake tucking her finish beyond King to give the hosts an unassailable advantage at half-time.

Tuggeranong pulled a goal back just before the 20 minute mark of the second half when Sonya Sheedy was set free by a long ball over the top and beat her defender to the drop.

The goal keeper got a touch to her finish and Wagga City initially played on with some conjecture about whether the ball had crossed the line, but the referee eventually pointed back to the middle to give Tuggeranong a fighting chance.

They could not make further chances count though, and the hosts made them pay in the 88^th minute as Sarsha Smith volleyed home after a free-kick from the left was headed down initially into the middle of the area.

The win leaves Wagga City on top of the table to finish round one, while Tuggeranong sit last ahead of a meeting with Gungahlin United on Sunday at Kambah.

Fixture Edit: Monaro & Wagga City’s games this weekend have been postponed until the 11^th May.