Belconnen United FC 9 (Yuen 12’, Backhouse 15’, 37’, Carnegie 21’, 28’, 48’, Bomford 52’, Thornton 59’, Hewen (og) 87’) v Tuggeranong United FC 1 (S. Daisley 62’)

Belconnen secured a solid win at home against bottom of the table Tuggeranong United on Saturday.

The round of observation between both teams did not last long. With a high press from the get go and all intent to disturb the well-oiled Belconnen machine, Tuggeranong created half opportunities early on, but were not able to take advantage of the surprise effect. Belconnen started showing their teeth at the 10^th minute, but Sophia Bui, covering as a keeper on Saturday, was able to deflect a point blank effort by Katie Woodman. She was unable to stop Reilly Yuen’s attempt a minute later however, when the young striker resisted three defenders to pick the bottom corner and score the first goal for the Blue Devils. Minutes later, Leah Carnegie crossed the ball from the right, and Talia Backhouse cut it before Bui to score her first on the day. An acceleration from Michaela Thornton on the left wing was at the start of the third goal. After running into the box, the skipper’s cut back pass found Carnegie, who added her name to the scoreboard. She scored her second goal in a similar position seven minutes later, before Backhouse put her name for a second time on the scoreboard as well, with a precise shot from 25 meters away. 5-0 at half-time, the fate of the game seemed sealed.

Leah Carnegie was lucky to record a hat trick when three minutes into the second half, her cross dipped behind Bui in the top right corner. There was no luck involved in the seventh goal however, and Carnegie and Backhouse’s one-two that ended in Olivia Bomford’s tapping in the ball in the back of the net. Thornton scored her goal just before the hour mark, with a left-footed effort from the edge of the box. Five minutes later, Sarah Daisley offered a timid response for the visitors. She took advantage of a scramble in the Blue Devils’ defence to score her first goal for Tuggeranong in 2021. Bui was able to prevent her team from conceding more goals several times in the second half, but had to get the ball in her nets one last time in the dying minutes, when her defender Katelyn Hewen, attempting a clearance, pushed the ball in her own goals. The scoreboard showed a severe defeat for Tuggeranong, who fought hard as usual but were no match for Belconnen on Saturday.

The Tuggies, after two missed opportunities against CUA and West Canberra, could not hope for much more against the Blue Devils, but will try and get something out of their next game against Canberra Olympic. For Belconnen, still three points behind Canberra Croatia after the weekend, will travel to Melrose to face West Canberra, a team they were not able to beat at home in the first round.

 

 

West Canberra Wanderers FC 2 (Chaverra 20’, 43’) v Gungahlin United FC 1 (J. Brown 75’)

It was a crucial win for West Canberra in their fight for a spot in the top four against a rival on the table. Gungahlin tried all game, but could not break the deadlock and are still unable to win two games in a row since their good series early this season.

Gungahlin saw most of the ball early on, but the dense defensive unit at West Canberra needs no more introduction, and the Gunners offense just could not get through the red and black wall on Sunday. Often the Wanderers bent, never they broke, and their transition game, with Alex MacKenzie and Sofia Chaverra upfront kept Diego Iglesias’ side busy. Ten minutes into the game, Michelle Heyman’s goal was denied for off-side, which seemed to wake up the Wanderers. The home team scored, somewhat against the grain of play 10 minutes later, when a corner kick flew over Kailey Tonini, and Chaverra, like a real poacher, anticipated it and tapped the ball in the empty net at the far post. The main answers from the Gunners came on set pieces, but the numerous corner kick always found an army of Wanderers in the box able to put head, leg, foot in the way to prevent Gungahlin from equalising. At the end of a hard fought first half, Chaverra even offered a second goal to her team, with a fantastic strike from 25 meters away that dipped under the crossbar and left Tonini no chance.

Back from the locker room, Gungahlin started all guns blazing. Heyman’s teammates started finding openings in the Wanderers’ defence, yet still found obstacles on their way. Erika Pennyfield met an inspired Janet King to deny what looked like a done deal. King would have the same reflexes in front of Ella Brown a few minutes later, but by then West Canberra had increased their defensive intensity again, and were battling every ball. Every time the Gunners were getting through the half way line, nine Wanderers were near their own box defending tooth and nail. When Elke Aitolu makes into the box after a smooth one-two-three with Heyman, a last second tackle denies her shot. When the ball gets back to Pennyfield, it’s the post that saves King. The reward finally came for the visitors via Jade Brown. Launched in the back of the defence by Natalie de Marco, the young striker picked the opposite side net with her left foot, and had enough strength to put it past King. The deadlock broken, Iglesias’ team kept pushing, but despite their domination, were not able to equalize.

Fourth win in a row and three important points for West Canberra, who put their opponents four points behind before hosting Belconnen on Sunday. Bouncing back won’t be an easy task for Gungahlin, who will be hosting ladder leaders Canberra Croatia.

 

Wagga City Wanderers FC 0 v Canberra Croatia FC 8 (Palombi 11’, 23’, 41’, 43’, 58’, Fogarty 49’, Chao 56’, Berkeley 62’)

Canberra Croatia answered Belconnen’s comfortable win on Saturday by getting all three points in Wagga on Sunday, with Brittany Palombi, and her manita, the star of the show.

Under the sun at Gissing oval, the Wanderers tried to stop the visitors’ offensive armada as well as they could, but Brittany Palombi still managed to find an opening just after the 10 minute mark. Launched by Sharon Chao in the back of the defence, Palombi showcased her technique with a superb, chipped ball over Samantha Emms with the exterior of her left foot that ended in the top corner. Ten minutes later, it’s Emms’ bottom corner that the goal scorer picked, with a similar result. The Wanderers tried to respond and bring the ball forward, but every time they would expose themselves to a counter-attack. Palombi would add two more goals to her tally just before within five minutes of the break. Twice, the left footed forward was found by Olivia Fogarty in the middle of the Wanderers’ defence and twice, she left Emms no chance from point blank range. With a four goal advantage at half time, the visitors had made the game easier for themselves.

And the Deakin side would not give the Wanderers an opportunity to bounce back. Back from the break, an uncharacteristic error from Emms offered Fogarty her eighth goal of the season within the first five minutes. Sharon Chao added her name on the scoresheet three minutes later with a volley in the middle of a scramble, following a corner kick. Palombi then scored her fifth and last goal on the day, her 20^th in 12 games this season (!), her 135^th in 134 career Capital Football NPLW games (!!!), with a volley from short range at the receiving end of a Grace Gill’s cross. Jamie Berkely was at the end of another cross, and alone in the box, to score the eighth goal for her team on Sunday.

Nik Brozinic’s side remains three points clear at the top of the table, before a complicated trip to Gungahlin next Sunday. Sam Gray’s troops will in the meantime visit Hawker to face the Academy.

 

Canberra United Academy 3 (Grove 9’, Hunt 26’, Perry 28’) v Canberra Olympic FC 2 (Vandenbroucke 58’, Sykes 64’)

Canberra United Academy resisted until the very end to secure a precious win against a direct rival for a spot in the top four. Vicki Linton’s squad bounced back after four winless weeks.

The first half was a one-sided affair, the Academy keeping most of the ball against an apathetic Olympic squad, lacking aggression on and off the ball. Meg Roden was the first one to really bring danger on to Aurelia Haynes’ goals, with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that crashed on the crossbar. In the follow-up, Sasha Grove inherited the ball 25 meters away from goals and her attempt, despite lacking power, bounced before and over Haynes, for the first Academy goal. Olympic relied on their most threatening asset, Ashleigh Sykes, to lead the charge. A couple of runs, and a shot from distance blocked by Chloe Lincoln, from the visitors’ most prolific striker seemed to put the Blues back in the rhythm for a minute, but their hopes were about to be cut short. A near-perfect sequence from Canberra United brought them from Chloe Lincoln to Anna Hunt in six passes, and the goal scorer did not waste her one-on-one with Haynes to put her name on the scoresheet. A minute later, a ball lost by Olympic’s midfield was recovered by Christopherson, whose cross was fumbled by Haynes. Nikita Perry accepted the offering, tapped the ball into the empty net, giving her team a three-goal advantage. Canberra Olympic did not seem to be able to respond, and the half time break was a welcome opportunity for Nicole Begg to remobilize the troops.

They started the second half with better intent and the intensity necessary to make this Academy side doubt. Anna Vandenbroucke, one of the best Olympic players on Sunday, led the way with a goal 13 minutes into the second half. After a struggle to get out of Jensen’s marking, the former Wanderer found herself facing Lincoln alone, and picked the bottom left corner to start her team’s momentum. Sykes happily picked up the torch five minutes later, and at the end of fantastic solo run, found Anna Bennett into the box. Sykes and Bennett played a one-two, the former W-League player left Lincoln no chance when she opened her left foot to score her 15^th goal in 2021. Back within a goal to the Academy, Olympic pushed for another five minutes, before falling a bit flat in the last 15 minutes. Rarely able to bring the danger to Lincoln again, the visitors could also thank Ellie Summers, the keeper who subbed in just before half time, for preventing the home team from scoring a fourth goal. The score remained unchanged, offering the three points of this thriller to the Academy.

Great success for Canberra United on the table, who climbs to the fourth spot, two points ahead of their opponent, before hosting Wagga City next week. Olympic will host Tuggeranong, who will need a win to stay in contact with the top four.