Image Credit: Sal Giovinazzo/Soccer Snaps by Sal

Belconnen United 8 (Maddy Whittall 22’, 30’, Bronte Pyke 37’, Alexia Forner 38’, Leah Carnegie 49’, 56’, Samantha Price 77’, Michaela Day 80’) def. Tuggeranong United 0

Belconnen United continued their undefeated start to the league with an 8-0 win over Tuggeranong United at McKellar Park on Saturday afternoon.

The teams exchanged possession in a midfield battle early, with neither side really establishing dominance until the hosts took a 22^nd minute lead through Maddy Whittall.

Eight minutes later Whittall scored again, as Tuggeranong protested whether the ball crossed the line, and Belconnen then broke the game open with two goals in a two minute span through Bronte Pyke and Alexia Forner.

That left the score at half-time, with a Tuggeranong side hit by injuries and unavailable players struggling to make their mark on the game.

The game was essentially killed off four minutes into the second half as Leah Carnegie scored directly from a corner, and she added her second seven minutes later, burying an effort into the corner from distance after receiving the ball from Michaela Day.

Tuggeranong kept the hosts scoreless through the next 20 minutes, but Antoni Jagarinec’s side grabbed two more goals before the end as Samantha Price and Day found the scoreboard late.

Belconnen will welcome Woden-Weston to McKellar Park this weekend, while Tuggeranong face the Canberra United Academy at Hawker.

 

Monaro Panthers 0 def. by Canberra United Academy 4 (Hayley Taylor-Young 12’, 27’, Sasha Grove 40’, 81’)

By Jakob Gisik

The Monaro Panthers officially opened their refurbished Riverside Stadium on Saturday evening, but couldn’t mark the occasion with a win, falling 4-0 to the Canberra United Academy in front of a strong home crowd.

Dynamic duo Hayley Taylor-Young and Sasha Grove scored a brace apiece for the Academy, who also welcomed back midfielder Bella Barac from an ACL injury sustained during the 2018 season.

The match was an arm-wrestle in the opening 10 minutes, with both Taylor-Young and Monaro’s Chris Yip-Au trading opportunities to grab an early lead for their side.

But the Academy didn’t have to wait much longer to hit the scoreboard, as Taylor-Young volleyed home an Isabel Mulhall cross after finding herself totally unmarked inside the penalty area.

Taylor-Young could have doubled her tally in the 24th minute after she was played through on goal by Grove, but her close range shot was well seized by Monaro goalkeeper Liana Hall.

There was nothing Hall could do about Taylor-Young’s next effort though, as the Academy striker received the ball just inside the area before turning her defender and curling a left-footed strike into the top corner.

Grove extended the visitors lead to three shortly before the break, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner after being released on goal by a lovely long-range pass from Demi Nikias in midfield.

The second-half started much the same way as the first, with the home side tightening the screws on the Academy strikers.

Barac was brought on by Heather Garriock just past the hour mark and received a rousing ovation from her teammates and crowd.

Hall was kept busy in goals and was well supported by fullback Kaitlyn Joy, who blocked a 71st minute shot by Grove that looked destined for the bottom corner.

But Grove wouldn’t be denied a second time, scoring 10 minutes later after getting the slightest of touches on a Barac cross that trickled into the back of the net.

Monaro had one final chance to steal a late goal, as a strong effort from Alicia Meuronen out wide appeared to catch Academy goalkeeper Alex Hinson off guard, but the ball was denied by the crossbar.

The match petered out from there to end 4-0 in favour of the Academy, a result which sees them consolidate second spot on the ladder.

They’ll be looking to make it four Premier League wins in a row when they host Tuggeranong United next week, while it doesn’t get any easier for Monaro as they take on league leaders Canberra FC.

 

Canberra FC 13 (Mel Bunker 5’, Krista Hagen 20’, Grace Gill 29’, Brittany Palombi 31’, 44’, 60’, 82’, 89’, Jamie Berkeley 36’, 79’, Rachael Goldstein 51’, Jordan Ujdur 71’, Sharon Chao 72’) def. Wagga City Wanderers 2 (Tess Vaccari 24’, Brooke Gayler 56’)

Canberra FC delivered a thumping win against the Wagga City Wanderers at Deakin Stadium, finishing 13-2 winners to shore up their spot on top of the table.

Mel Bunker opened proceedings with a well-taken finish just five minutes in, but Wagga City held out for the next 15 minutes until Krista Hagen doubled the lead.

That goal was cancelled out quickly though through a stunning goal from Tess Vaccari in the 24^th minute, as she broke away down the left before beating a defender and firing over Nat Vasta from way out.

The hosts pushed the lead back to two goals just before the half-hour mark through Grace Gill before Brittany Palombi, Jamie Berkeley and Palombi again added goals ahead of half-time to leave Canberra FC as 6-1 leaders at the break.

It took just six second half minutes for Rachael Goldstein to get her goal and five minutes later the Wanderers pulled one back, again in stunning style as Brooke Gayler mirrored Vaccari’s goal down the other end.

Palombi completed her hat-trick four minutes after Gayler’s goal and she grabbed two more amongst strikes from Berkeley, Jordan Ujdur and Sharon Chao as time wound down.

Canberra FC take on Monaro at Riverside on Saturday while Wagga City will sit out the round with a bye.

 

Woden-Weston 3 (Annica Schoo 4’, Cassia McGlashan 37’, Anna Vandenbroucke 62’) def. by Gungahlin United 4 (Freyja Jacobsen 3’, Erika Pennyfield 28’, Elke Aitolu 86’, Ella-Rose Brown 88’)

Two goals in the final five minutes at Melrose helped Gungahlin United to a 4-3 win over Woden-Weston in round four.

The game began at a busy pace, with Erika Pennyfield intercepting a Woden-Weston pass at the back and setting up Freyja Jacobsen to score, before Annica Schoo equalised just moments later down the other end after Alana Bain managed to keep the ball in around a defender.

Things calmed briefly from there, but it was just before the half hour mark that Pennyfield put United back in the lead with a deft chip of Cristina Esposito in goals.

Nine minutes later parity was restored for the hosts, a corner finding Cassia McGlashan who had time to control the ball before firing her side into a share of the contest at half-time.

The second half kicked off at a frenetic pace too but this time it was Woden-Weston who would strike the first blow as Anna Vandenbroucke was left unmarked to score from inside the area.

Time wore on and it looked as though Woden-Weston might hang on, until the loose ball fell to substitute Elke Aitolu on the edge of the area with four minutes to play for her to smash home off the inside of the post.

Two minutes closer to full-time Jacobsen turned provider, dropping a lovely cross onto the head of Ella-Rose Brown that she converted to secure her team all three points.

Woden-Weston will head to McKellar Park to take on Belconnen in round five, while Gungahlin are up against Canberra Olympic at O’Connor.