Football South Coast Women’s Division 1 League Champions, Tarrawanna Blueys Soccer Club, last Sunday played Dunbar Rovers (Eastern Suburbs) for the right to be crowned NSW Champion of Champions at Valentine Sports Park in Sydney’s north-west.

Although Tarrawanna was defeated 2-1, the match will go down as one of the closest, hard-fought matches of the 2016 Women’s football season.

Interviewed before the match Tarrawanna’s coach, Sean Maloney said: “It’s been a long, hard season for the team and a string of injuries have caught up with us now, but we have several players from Tarrawanna’s Division 3 team stepping up to the higher grade to assist us again.

“Beside our players the Division 3 substitutes have also played well in getting us this far in the Champion of Champions Cup.

“Injuries have also meant a reshuffle of some positions on the field but, we are certainly going to give it our best shot at winning!”

To prove his point, the Tarrawanna team came out attacking with blistering runs forward and were rewarded with a seventh minute goal by Kahlia Muilwyk who slotted it into the corner of the opposition’s net.

But, this early goal stirred Dunbar Rover’s to answer it with impressive attacking and defence. With Tarrawanna’s defence and goal-keeper, Kylie Leyland, covering her goal well, the match then settled into a classic arm-wrestle until half-time with both teams giving no quarter.

Into the second half of the match with Tarrawanna’s players carrying some injuries and with limited rotation players to come off the bench it started to tell on them and Dunbar Rovers scored the equaliser.

But Tarrawanna was not giving up and continued to battle for a match winner without conceding a goal themselves.

It was a close contest, and only something special could break the deadlock, but what eventuated was unexpected and somewhat controversial.

With about 15 minutes to go, and Dunbar attacking the Tarrawanna goal, the Tarrawanna keeper came out to nullify an attack but, the Dunbar attacker still managed a shot on the Tarrawanna goal and in the ensuing defensive line scramble, Tarrawanna only managed a weak clearance straight into the path of the returning goal-keeper who then handled it.

Was it a deliberate pass to the keeper or an attempted ball clearance?

Under the rules, this is a decision for the referee and after appeals from the Dunbar players and supporters a free-kick was awarded inside the box which was duly converted for Dunbar Rovers to take the lead.

Tarrawanna respected the referee’s decision and got on with the match applying renewed vigour and determination and in true fighting spirit were unlucky not to score at least two more goals in the time remaining.

At the Cup Presentation function after the match both team captains complimented their opponents on the way they played and both proclaimed it as the toughest game they have played this year.

So the Dunbar Rovers 2 Tarrawanna 1 result will go into the records as one of the greatest games that Women’s Football has produced in New South Wales.

After the match Tarrawanna Coach, Sean Maloney was asked about the future for this outstanding team and said: “The girls need time off now for rest and recuperation so I’ll give them a complete break and then talk to them after Christmas about plans for 2017.”

 

Report by: Noel Wynn and Eric Gray

Photo courtesy of: Noel Wynn