Round 2 in the WNPL saw an almost perfect levelling of the competition: six teams tied with three points each, with Belconnen United alone in the driving seat, and the West Canberra Wanderers trailing, and yet to score a point.
The action started on Friday at Kambah where Tuggeranong United failed to follow up on their opening weekend win, falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat to ANU WFC who, with the victory, notched up a maiden success on their return to the top-flight.
The University side had seen leads in the first match of the season, and subsequent Federation Cup tie evaporate, and wanted to avoid a third disappointment, the game starting on a good rhythm, both exchanging blow for blow.
Just before the half hour mark, a long, high cross by Sheridan McElligott proved hard to handle for Sammy Emms who, diving backwards, could only parry it inches away from her goal line. Abandoned by her defence, she looked on helpless as Roxie Swart reached the ball first and tapped it in the back of the net.
The home team created half chances but was never able to truly test Claire Joseph and her strong centre back pairing, Ailish McDonagh and Tiana Malnar. ANU was also able to highlight their bench depth, making all five changes without affecting the football played and the intensity put in their press.
Rob Illingworth, his players, and their fans were able to celebrate a deserved first win in the competition and send at the same time a warning to the rest of the competition: this will not be the last.
On Sunday, Belconnen United was playing their first home game of the season at Woden Park against the team that denied them two titles in 2022, Canberra Olympic. The highly anticipated clash had everything you expect when two teams of this level face each other: technique, tactics, intensity, and some remarkable individual performances.
Both teams started on the front foot, but the end-to-end football rarely made it all the way to the respective ‘keepers. Instead, we saw two solid defences nullifying any chance their opponent was trying to create.
In that deadlock, it is often about the tiny details, and scoring when it matters, and it is a game Bessie Riethmuller has mastered at the start of the campaign. Quiet for the first half hour, the striker was unable to find space in the Olympic defence, until Keira Bobbin slalomed into the box to find Riethmuller striker alone in the 6-yard box.
From that range, Riethmuller’s talent and composure always meant she would find the back of the net. Netting her fourth goal of the season already, she gave her team an advantage five minutes before the break they would defend fiercely until the end of the game.
Not helped by injuries, losing Arusha Chew to what was reported to be a potential broken collar bone, Nicole Begg’s troops tried to answer in the second half. After a slow start, Olympic accelerated in the last 20 minutes, creating opportunities but failing to convert them into an equaliser.
Michaela Thornton’s free kicks and Olivia Gurney’s attempts were the most dangerous threats, but the reigning champions ended up conceding their first defeat of the season, still reeling from the 120 minutes of football played in the Federation Cup in midweek.
At Hawker, Canberra Croatia needed to rekindle their love of winning after two difficult defeats against rivals Canberra Olympic. Canberra United Academy had the challenging task of trying to hold down their ambition, and the young squad coached by Matthew Moore resisted for 20 minutes.
This is when the firepower of the Deakin side struck three times in 20 minutes to wrap up the encounter. Brittany Palombi let her left foot do the talking, first from a free kick, expertly taken, whose swerving trajectory surprised the Academy keeper Eliza Evans.
The players in green tried to answer but struggled to get through the experienced visitors’ midfield. They were not helped by an unfortunate handball from Alexandra Nealand in her own box, judged illegal by the referee. Palombi happily recorded her first brace of the season from the spot kick.
Then came the goal of the afternoon: despite a couple of long-range attempts stopped by Evans, Charlie Mitchell persevered. Offered another chance from thirty yards out, the striker launched a rocket in the top right corner, scoring her first Women’s NPL goal for her new club.
Down 3-0 at half time, the Academy had a long way to go to come back into the game. Long range attempts were their main response in the second half, but Maddy Angel rarely felt in danger on Sunday. Canberra Croatia avoided a Hawker trap they know too well to grab their three first points this season.
The 2023 season is not off to a flying start for the West Canberra Wanderers. Their trip North ended with a third loss in as many games. Gungahlin United secured their first clean sheet and their first win in the league in the meantime, by the thinnest of margins.
At Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, the team coached by Andrew Woodman had the best chances early on and were rewarded with the only goal of the game. Sam Briggs, inspired on Sunday, did everything she could to stop the Gunners, parrying a first attempt from Ella Brown, and deflecting the rebound chance by Darby Whiteley, only to see it dipping in the back of her net.
Nikita Perry, Kaitlyn Colwill, and Sarah Whitfield all tried to threaten Kailey Tonini from distance, without success. In a first half where both teams had their chances at adding more names on the scoreboard, it was the keepers and their defence who were decisive.
The Wanderers’ best chance of getting a point came just before the hour mark, with an indirect free kick in the box ending in Lauren Hall’s powerful short crashing on the Tonini’s crossbar. At the other end, Briggs was still doing her job to keep her team in the game, as did her replacement for the last fifteen minutes, Emily Pearce.
The Gunners introduced their two American signings, midfielder Michelle Wienecke and goalkeeper Emily Kelly, the latter showing her safe hands minutes after putting the gloves on.
FIXTURES
Friday 14 April
Tuggeranong United 0 ANU WFC 1 (Swart 29’)
Sunday 16 April
Gungahlin United 1 (Whiteley 12’) West Canberra Wanderers 0
Canberra United Academy 0 Canberra Croatia 3 (Palombi 22’, 34’ (p), Mitchell 41’)
Belconnen United 1 (Riethmuller 42’) Canberra Olympic 0
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 |
| 3 | Canberra Olympic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Tuggeranong United | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Canberra United Academy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 7 | Gungahlin United | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 3 |
| 8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
4 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
2 Kiera BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC)
1 Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United) Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers), Darby WHITELY (Gungahlin United), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy)
