West Canberra Wanderers 0 def by Canberra Croatia FC 5 (Palombi 7', Berkeley 38', Gill 47', 68', Jones 75')

 

Canberra Croatia FC has claimed a 5-0 win over the West Canberra Wanderers in Round 2 of the NPLW at Melrose Synthetic.

It took less than ten minutes for Croatia to open the scoring. A great run down the right-hand side flank from Krista Hagan, saw the ball lobbed across goals to star striker Brittany Palombi who finished the job superbly.

Within the next few minutes, the guests gave it their best shot to get their second goal for the afternoon but the West Canberra Wanderers displayed strong defensive effort.

In the 25^th minute, Croatia’s number 18 Jennifer Bisset went for a long range shot which caught a few Wanderers off guard. Fortunately for the Wanderers, it hit the cross bar and went out.

Only one goal up at this point, the Wanderers had a good chance to equalize at minute 29 but player/coach Emma Stanbury was unable to find any help up the business end to reward her great run towards goals.

The West Canberra Wanderers’ goal keeper Janet King was kept extremely busy from here in on, making an incredible save in the 38^th minute only for her efforts to go to waste. After King punched away an attempt, Croatia’s Jamie Berkeley found the flying ball and nudged it in the left hand side to get Croatia up by 2.

Into the second half and Croatia was clearly in it to win it, with Grace Gill using great control to score in the 47^th minute.

Just one minute later and it would have been 4-0 if it weren’t for a brilliant save from King who flicked the ball up over the cross bar.

The Wanderers were unable to match Croatia’s intensity and experience, with Grace Gill earning a brace, scoring again in the 68^th minute.

Within ten minutes of Chantel Jones subbing on, she solidified the win with the side’s 5^th goal for the afternoon, using her skill and experience to nudge a trailing ball past King, into the back of the net.