Early goals on Sunday helped the two best teams in the league secure crucial successes against Croatia and Gungahlin. They increased their advance on top, and the Premiership might be decided when they meet at McKellar, at the end of August.
West Canberra Wanderers were the first to celebrate on Sunday, with a dominant five-goal win at home against the ANU WFC. The team coached by Steve Rohan-Jones displayed their intent from the start of the game.
Efficient in the build-up, quick to find themselves in attacking positions, the home team managed to bring the danger in their opponents’ 18-yard box half a dozen time in the first ten minutes. The best answer from the visitors came from a shot on target from Sofia Chaverra, safely parried by Amy Wiggan.
The Wanderers were finally rewarded at the 21st minute, when Lauren Hall, found in the box by Alex Gidis at the end of a convincing run on the left wing, saw her effort cut short by Ritchie. Audrey Ward inherited the ball and her left-footed half volley ended in the empty net.
Ward and Gidis were involved in the second goal as well, 12 minutes later. The former launched the latter on her favoured left wing. Seeing Ritchie anticipating a cross, Gidis took her chance from the edge of the box, expertly swerving the ball in just past the near post.
Riding the momentum, West Canberra remained dangerous until, and after the break, but would only find their third goal at the hour mark. An attack coming from the right side caused a scramble in the box, during which both Hall and Gidis hit the crossbar, and Zoe Halpin finally managed to find the back of the net with a third attempt.
The fourth goal from Allegra Senti at the 80th minute was a sheer display of her speed. After Ward recovered the ball, the new entrant inherited the ball in her own half at the centre circle. In three strides, she had overtaken the whole ANU defence and sped all the way to Ritchie, winning her duel with a glancing effort in the bottom left.
Another defensive effort from Ward at the 90th minute, this one in her opponents’ box, led to an assist for Gidis, who engulfed in the box before her powerful left shot found the opposite side net, and close the curtain on a successful afternoon for West Canberra.
Canberra Olympic earned an important 2-1 success at home to Canberra Croatia despite a late scare. The game still felt in its round of observation when Ella Brown scored arguably one of the goals of the year. We were playing the sixth minute and Brown took a corner kick so perfectly, that it dipped in, in the opposite top corner, surprising Ellie Summers.
Brittany Palombi tried to respond with a set piece of her own, without success. The second goal for Olympic came just before a quarter of an hour played. A cross from Brown took a deflection, causing confusion between Summers and Nadia Zakman. Tianah Miro, between the two Croatia players, was happy to see the ball bouncing on her leg and rolling in the back of the net.
Trailing by two this early, the visitors had to get into offensive gear, playing into Olympic’s strength. Cachia’s team is disciplined and rock solid when defending this season, the only team to concede less than a gaol per game in 2024. The visitors barely found an opening in the final third for the rest of the first half, with their best a shot off target from distance by Palombi.
The second half started on a good rhythm, with Olympic domination interrupted five minutes by threatening incursions from Croatia. On one of these, six minutes in, Palombi missed an opportunity she rarely missed in her career, slicing her attempt wide after dribbling the ball past Janet King.
Chances at both ends ensued, with an important save from Summers in front of Miro keeping her team alive. Tatum Mazis, Bella Barac or Megan Castle tried to find a way back in the game, but the home team’s defence, although looking panicked at times, always found a way to clear the danger.
Castle eventually helped reducing the score, when a corner taken by Jamie Berkeley was deflected high by Leah Carnegie, and fell between the forward and King, entering the net after seemingly a touch from the keeper. Carnegie blocked a last attempt from Barac a minute later, and Olympic could be relieved the top spot at the table would remain theirs.
This was a show of force for Belconnen United at home on Sunday, with four unanswered goals against Gungahlin United at McKellar. An early brace for Keira Bobbin, a goal from Alina Roberts and Alyssa Di-Campli’s 13th goal of the season were the difference.
Three minutes in, Sofia Palywoda recovered a ball at the halfway line, and saw Bobbin starting her run. Launched in space, the pacey forwarded eliminated a defender in the box, before sending a powerful shot Samantha Emms could do nothing about.
The intensity of the game rose instantly. The Gunners were patient in build-up but offered a couple of timid responses. Belconnen tried to strike with more speed every time they went forward.
Isabella Hindmarsh tested Emms just after the tenth minute, but the keeper was able to deflect the powerful shot on her crossbar. On the following corner, Emms again denied Bronte Pyke, and Hattie Cram hit the crossbar as well on the next opportunity. The pressure paid off seconds later when another corner taken by Hindmarsh was only cleared towards Bobbin, whose left footed half volley ended in the top corner.
The rhythm settled in a bit, and Gungahlin offered some long-distance responses without really threatening Monique Pinkiewicz. The home team would instead further their advance five minutes before the break.
In two passes, the ball went from Hindmarsh in her own half, to Alina Roberts winning her duel with the keeper. Between the two, a superb through ball from Pearl Tein, perfectly weighed to offer her teammate a chance to challenge Emms alone and show the extent of her talent and calm.
Gungahlin tried to be more dangerous in the second half, and twice found themselves threatening Pinkiewicz within five minutes. Emms still had work to do and won her duel with Bobbin just before the hour mark. The final nail in Gungahlin’s coffin was credit to the league’s leading goal scorer Di-Campli.
A quick free kick on the right side between Alyse Jensen and Tein ended with the ladder sending a powerful cross in the middle of the box, and Di-Campli’s header finding Emms’ net. The Blue Devils reassured themselves in style, and remain only three points behind Olympic, before facing Croatia next week.
RESULTS
ROUND 16
Sunday 28 July
West Canberra Wanderers 5 (Ward 21’, Gidis 34’, 90’, Halpin 61’, Senti 80’) ANU WFC 0
Belconnen United 4 (Bobbin 1’, 11’, Roberts 38’, Di-Campli 81’) Gungahlin United 0
Canberra Olympic 2 (Brown 6’, Miro 14’) Canberra Croatia 1 (King 90+1’ (og))
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 11 | +25 | 37 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 55 | 14 | +41 | 34 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 35 | 21 | +14 | 29 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 15 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 36 | 26 | +10 | 23 |
| 5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 31 | -15 | 11 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 13 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 45 | -37 | 5 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 13 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 41 | -38 | 2 |
TOP SCORERS
13: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
11: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
10: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
7: Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
6: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United)
5: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United)
3: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers)
1: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (ANU WFC), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Elvein IBRHAIM (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Canberra Olympic), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Matylda WELLS-SHEATHER (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Nadia ZAKMAN (Canberra Croatia)
Words: Jeremy Magan
Image: Anthony Caffrey Photography
