Belconnen United FC 1 (Backhouse 56’) beat West Canberra Wanderers 1 (Stanbury pen. 42’)

There are only so many upsets a team can cause before they are considered a real contender. The Wanderers clearly showed their intent for the rest of the season with this point taken at McKellar.

The Blue Devils had bounced back from their 2 losses against Canberra Croatia with a win in Kambah last week, but knew the match-up on Saturday would be a challenge. Zakoski’s players started on the front foot and were the first dangerous, on set piece by Karen Clarke or with that inspired volley by Talia Backhouse that flirted with Janet King’s left post. Emma Stanbury had her team setup defensively for the first 10 minutes, dense in the middle of the park to avoid leaving too much space to the home team. After conceding a couple of corner kicks, West Canberra turned it up a notch and prevented Belconnen from playing their football. Clarke, Bella Tammaro and Jazmine Zabel too often had to resort to long ball to get out of their own half, making the job easier for Sarah Whitfield and her teammate on the other end. The game became a cagey affair where both teams tried their luck from long range or on set pieces, without really causing trouble to the goalkeepers. The Blue Devils seemed to lose a bit of composure towards the end of the first half, overcommitting to some challenges and committing a couple of dangerous fouls around the box. Unfortunately, 3 minutes before the break, it was in the box that Sarah Johnston’s charge on Stanbury was deemed irregular by the referee. The player/coach decided to face Cristina Esposito herself, and wrong footed the keeper to score her second goal of the season. Instead of being a wake-up call for the Blue Devils, the goal gave the visitors wings, and they finished the last 4 minutes of the half in their opponents’ box, without being able to find the target.

The game started with the same physical input in the second half, both teams answering to each other blow for blow. West Canberra would be the first to make a mistake. A long ball in the box by Olivia Bomford was misjudged by both the central defence and Janet King, but not by Talia Backhouse, who pounced and headed it over King to equalize. The momentum was Belconnen’s, and Bianca Kimpton’s shot from the edge of the box a minute later was inches away from being her team’s second goal of the day. West Canberra dropped lower to try and disrupt the Belconnen offense, turning to counter attacks to bring the danger near Esposito’s area. On one of them, Whitfield addressed a perfect ball in behind the Blue Devils’ defence for Ana Chaverra. The Wanderers’ leading scorer saw her shoot crashing on the post and cleared on the line by Tammaro. The home team answered shortly after by Michaela Thornton who could not head a long cross by Clarke on target. Kimpton, again, found a way into dangerous areas but her shot was beaten away by King. With under 10 minutes left, Belconnen, just like last week, got lucky to have all 11 players on the pitch until the end, when Thornton, already on a yellow, fouled Chaverra who was going to enter the box. The whistle was blown but no card for the captain, and the following free kick landed just wide of Esposito’s left post. Despite both teams giving it their best go, the score remained unchanged until full time.

The draw at McKellar Park was one of the most physical game of the season so far, and the Blue Devils will be more disappointed than the Wanderers probably. A trip to the Riverina awaits Belconnen next Sunday, while West Canberra goes to O’Connor to play against Canberra Olympic.

 

Canberra Croatia FC 2(Palombi 28’, Jones 82’) beat Gungahlin United FC 1 (N. De Marco 40’)

Another week, another win for Canberra Croatia, who had to fight long and hard for this one, at home against the Gunners. Nik Brozinic’s team remains undefeated this season and 3 points clear of second place Belconnen on the table.

The game in Deakin was high in intensity, and the home team was dangerous first on set pieces in the opening 10 minutes, with Krista Hagen’s header over the crossbar the biggest warning for Kailey Tonini. Gungahlin had to wait patiently at first, dropping a bit deeper and looking for solutions in transition. Canberra Croatia kept pushing and getting closer to Tonini’s area. At the end of a good sequence, Olivia Fogarty inherited the ball at the edge of the box and her powerful shot was beaten away by the Gunners’ keeper. The following corner kick ended up in a scramble in the box and a penalty given to the home team, a bit harshly, for an involuntary handball by Ruby Gambale. NPLW leading goal scorer took the matter in her own hands and scored her 11^th goal of the season from the spot kick. The goal was a bit of a wake-up call for Gungahlin who had been solid until then defensively but too timid on the other end of the pitch. The solution would come from set piece, and thanks to Natalie De Marco, on her 100^th game in NPLW. A long-range free kick by Elke Aitolu bounced right in front of Ally Hinson who could only push the ball away, straight at De Marco who buried it from point blank range. The Deakin side tried to respond before the break but Palombi’s volley from just inside the box, contested by Brigitte Sander, was off target.

The game restarted in a similar fashion 15 minutes later, with Gungahlin United trying to play short out of defence but giving away the ball too cheaply, too often. Their defensive effort was a real work of resilience and determination however, and an issue for Canberra Croatia, rarely able to find space in and around the box. The Gunners had the most dangerous opportunity of the opening 10 minutes with a great sequence of play initiated and ended by Aitolu, whose cross ran along the goal line with none of her teammate able to tap it in the back of the net. Every time Canberra Croatia though they could put a shot on target, the visitors would have a foot or a leg in the way to defend Tonini’s goals. Gungahlin started to play, and press, higher up the field in the last 20 minutes to try and get more than a draw away from home. The plan almost worked out when Ella Brown’s free kick from a distance landed inches away from Hinson’s right post. The answer came from the home team’s new entrant, Chantel Jones, who followed up a shot by Krista Hagen deflected by the Gunners and found herself facing Tonini alone. The striker took her time and chipped the ball over the keeper’s shoulder to give her team the win. The Gunners called for offside, and it was a very close call, but the goal was allowed.

Despite the loss, Diego Iglesias’ team will be able to build on the defensive solidity they have shown in Deakin, but they will surely show a much more offensive face in Kambah next week when they visit bottom of the table Tuggeranong. Canberra Croatia, in the meantime, will play the only team they were unable to beat in round one, in-form Canberra United Academy, on their turf at Hawker.

 

Wagga City Wanderers 2 (Cameron 44’, Castle 60’) def. By Canberra United Academy 6 (Roden pen. 8’, 28’, A. Grove 33’, S. Grove 37’, Hunt 57’, Christopherson 89’)

The Academy keeps their run alive with a 5^th undefeated game. In the Riverina, it took Vicki Linton’s team less than a half to take a comfortable lead over the Wanderers.

Between two teams who have shown almost unlimited reserves of energy and a preference for high press all season, the intensity was high from the get-go. The Academy had the first opportunities early in the game, but neither Nikita Perry’s, nor Anna Hunt’s efforts found the target. The first goal of the game came a minute later, thanks to a penalty generously given to the visitors. Meg Roden faced Sammy Emms wrong footed the keeper to get an early lead. Wagga City tried to have a rapid answer but besides set pieces, had a hard time getting behind the Academy’s defence. The task was made harder when the Wanderers found themselves with only 10 players on the pitch for 10 minutes, with Cristina Grauer-Kompos sent in a sin bin for dissent. The Academy would not let the opportunity pass and score twice in that time. Roden, again, found the back of the net after a great ball through by Perry in behind the defence, and minutes later Annie Grove, in the box for a corner kick, needed two attempts to volley the ball past Emms from close range, despite calls for a handball. Hunt almost made it 4-0 3 minutes later, but Emms smash the striker’s attempt up in the air first, then out of danger, just as Grauer-Kompos was coming back on the field. Unfortunately for the home team the very next offense Academy attack would be that 4^th goal, with Hunt taking the right wing and crossing the ball close to Emms, for Sasha Grove to volley it from point blank range, leaving the Wanderers’ keeper no chance. By that point the Wanderers had barely tested Chloe Lincoln, but would still find a goal just before half time. Megan Castle, in the middle of the park, saw Kirrilee Cameron’s run and launched perfectly behind the defence. Running at Lincoln alone, the midfielder took her time and found the bottom right of the goals to make it 4-1 before half time. Sasha Grove tried to answer straight away but her shot was deflected just wide by the Wanderers’ defence, on the half time whistle.

The second half started on the same tempo, with Canberra United Academy still going forward. A run from Hunt on the right wing early ended up in a shot without enough power to really worry Emms. The Wanderers’ high line of defence trapped their visitors offside a few times, but offensively they were not able to build up play to bring the danger up, resorting again to set piece to put the ball in the box. Another combination Cameron-Castle almost led to a second goal, but latter’s touch in the box was a bit too long and Lincoln could pick it up and clear the danger. A scramble in the other box, following a free kick by Latisha Babic, benefitted Hunt who tapped the ball in to put her team 4 goals up again with 30 minutes left to play. This time the Wanderers would answer immediately, with a penalty given for a handball by Alyse Jensen. Megan Castle placed the ball, and her powerful strike found the bottom left corner. Her team could not capitalize on the momentum unfortunately, and the Academy took over the end of the game, circulating the ball well and forcing Wagga City to defend lower. Despite several attempts, the visitors were not able to make the score worse until the dying moments of the game, when Sofia Christopherson facing Emms for the second time in 2 minutes, finally got through the keeper with the help of the post, making the final score 6-2.

Solid performance after solid performance, the Academy consolidates their status of finals contender in 2021, and a real test awaits them on Sunday, when they host undefeated Canberra Croatia. For Wagga City, the first round has not been easy, with only 1 win in 7 games. Hosting Belconnen this weekend in the Riverina could be the moment Sam Gray picks to make a coup and really launch the season.

 

Tuggeranong United FC 0 def by Canberra Olympic FC 4(Cook pen. 7’, pen. 33’, Sykes 49’, Garriock 90+2’)

The last game of the weekend saw Canberra Olympic confirming their good form of late, with a third game undefeated. For Tuggeranong, the first round of 2021 has been tough, but we see glimpses of light at the end of the tunnel.

Kambah was once again the stage of wasted opportunities for the home team, dominating at times but showing week in week out their lack of experience in front of goals. The better start was for Paulo’s Romero’s squad, with a high pressure early on. 3 times in the first 5 minutes, they could have taken advantage of some fragility in the Olympic defence. The Tuggies were able to recover the ball close to the visitors’ 16 yard box and increase pressure on Aurelia Haynes, forcing the keeper to make mistakes that could have been costly. Nicole’s Begg defence bent but did not break, and on one of their first dangerous counter attack, Ash Sykes used her pace to dribble Sophie Rolfe, only to shoved in the back by Steph Coates. The referee did not hesitate to point at the spot kick, and Ally Cook, 7 minutes in and against the run of play, gave her team an advantage they would keep until the end. Slowly, Olympic took over possession in the first half, Raechel Hardwicke and Lara Burdett finding more space than they needed to organize the play against a Tuggeranong team less organized in the press. Ash Sykes was a constant poison for their defence, who saw Coates coming back but was without Ashley Condon, a standout this season. Unfortunately for the former, another contact in the box with Sykes, clumsy, led to a second penalty for Olympic. Ally Cook was happy to bury it in the bottom left corner, just like the first one, to score her 6^th goal of the season – the 3^rd from the spot. The last 10 minutes saw Tuggeranong waking up and finding space in behind their opponents’ defence, Jacquelyn Freeman failing to convert a 1v1 opportunity into her team’s second goal of the season.

The second half started with the entrance of Heather Garriock in Nicole Begg’s line-up, and the former Matilda had an instant impact. It took her 4 minutes to launch Sykes in the box and see the striker wrong footing Rolfe for the third goal of the day. Olympic had killed the hopes of the home team early and would just manage the second half to keep their advantage untouched. Several times, Anna Vandenbroucke, Raechel Hardwicke, Ash Sykes or Heather Garriock thought they would add another goal to their tally, but the Tuggies defence stood firm. The dynamic shifted in the last 20 minutes, with the entrance of Melinda Reavell bringing energy and spirit to the Tuggeranong offensively. More opportunities came their way, but again, the lack of execution in the last third, plus some solid work from Olympic’s back 3, would get in a way of a goal. It would be Garriock that would score the last goal of the day instead. After a clever one-two with Sykes, the midfielder faced Rolfe alone and opened her left foot to find the opposite side net. It was almost all positive for the visitors, who unfortunately lost Anna Bennett and Iesha De Andrade on injury, the latter being carried away on a stretcher.

Canberra Olympic ends this first round with 3 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses, but with a team slowly finding their strength week in week out. They will start round next week against West Canberra at home. Tuggeranong, in the meantime, will host Gungahlin, not the best team to face, to try and get their first points of the season.