Wagga City Wanderers 0 def. by Gungahlin United 6 (Erika Pennyfield 3’, Elke Aitolu 30’, 41’, Jade Brown 52’, Nat De Marco 73’, Niamh Larkin 83’)

Gungahlin United made a successful trip to Wagga Wagga on Sunday afternoon, coming away six-goal winners in a strong performance against the Wagga City Wanderers thanks to three goals in either half.

Midfield pressure lead to the first goal as Elke Aitolu won the ball before dropping it into the box, and Erika Pennyfield robbed a defender of possession before smashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Aitolu took over the scoring as the game ticked over 30 minutes, firing a wonderful strike in from some distance out and grabbed a second four minutes before the break when Ella Brown won the ball in midfield, played it to Stella De Marco who in turn found Aitolu to tuck home the finish.

Aitolu continued to be at the heart of everything Gungahlin did and her wonderful through ball found Jade Brown for Gungahlin’s fourth goal seven minutes into the second half, before she had a shot saved that fell to Nat de Marco to tuck in the fifth.

Niamh Larkin rounded out the scoring when she tapped home a cross from Pennyfield at close range, and the win leaves Gungahlin needing to win just one of their final three games to guarantee a spot in the four.

 

Woden-Weston 2 (Cassia McGlashan 34’, Samantha Briggs 90’) def. Tuggeranong United 1 (Kristy Helmers 15’)

A late, late goal from Samantha Briggs on Sunday afternoon at Melrose kept Woden-Weston’s narrow finals hopes alive and stole all three points from Tuggeranong United.

The visitors got the jump on Woden-Weston and went ahead through Kristy Helmers in her final game before heading back to the United States for the College season. Alice Linn set Helmers though on goal and she beat a defender before calmly slotting the ball past a stranded Cristina Esposito as Tuggeranong took the lead just 15 minutes in.

Almost 20 minutes later though the Wanderers restored parity amidst some confusion; there were shouts for handball from the Woden-Weston players as the ball struck a defender in the box but Cassia McGlashan rode a strong challenge to win the ball before floating it into the far corner to bring her team level.

A disallowed goal after a penalty for Woden-Weston and a temporary dismissal for Zoe Terry were just the beginning of a frenetic final period, and it was capped off as the hosts grabbed all three points when Briggs reacted first to stab the ball home following a corner.

Woden-Weston now take on Canberra Olympic on Sunday, while Tuggeranong face the Academy in a rescheduled clash on Thursday night before meeting Canberra FC on Sunday at Deakin.

 

Canberra Olympic 0 def. by Belconnen United 10 (Nicole Jalocha 7’, 9’, Caitlin Munoz 34’, 45+2’, Jessie Rasschaert 48’, Bronte Pyke 58’, Karen Clarke 61’, Keira Bobbin 67’, 80’, 85’)

Belconnen United took a big step towards locking in a ninth straight Premiership with a double-digit win against Canberra Olympic at O’Connor on Sunday.

Both sides approached the match with key players missing; Alexia Forner, Lauren Keir, Maddy Whittall and Sally James some key outs for Belconnen while Andrew Woodman was without Rosie Wills, Emma Finch and Emily Dillon.

But the Blue Devils started fast, and when Keira Bobbin got possession in the box she squared it to Nicole Jalocha who beat a defender before firing low into the corner, and two minutes later had completed a quick brace as her cross slipped out of the goalkeeper’s grasp and across the line.

Olympic fought back and created chances of their own but their defence was the undoing of them, with two penalties being easily converted by Caitlin Munoz to extend the lead to four goals at half-time.

The second half got underway with Jessie Rasschaert’s thumping header three minutes in and when Bronte Pyke outmuscled Jodie Kirkness ten minutes later to fire in the sixth the scoreline was getting well and truly away from Olympic.

Karen Clarke netted a header of her own three minutes after Pyke’s goal to crown a prolific afternoon for the Belconnen backline and then Keira Bobbin got to work in the remaining half hour. Six minutes after Clarke’s goal she was set free to race away and net her first and as the game entered it’s final 10 minutes she again saw off a defender before finishing tidily inside the near post.

Pyke turned creator for the final goal of the afternoon, sending in a cross that bypassed Jalocha at the near post and found Pyke almost unmarked to sneak home her hat-trick goal and round out the scoring.

Belconnen now travel to Wagga Wagga with the chance to secure the title, while Olympic will host Woden-Weston on Sunday looking for their third win of the season.