The rained out round four encounter between the ANU WFC and the West Canberra Wanderers, played on Thursday night at the Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, ended with a 1-1 draw that left everyone frustrated.
Respectively sixth and seventh on the table before kick-off the two teams remained that way after Thursday’s stalemate, in which both protagonists started the game on the front foot. Unfortunately for the visitors, the University team was the first to strike, just before the ten-minute mark.
Three minutes after having a goal disallowed, Isabella Tobiano sweeping home a loose ball only for the Assistant Referee to rule that there was an illegal challenge by ANU WFC forward Roxie Swart on Wanderers goalkeeper Samantha Briggs, Swart exacted revenge as she was served on a platter by Edith Fordyce-Croker.
The ANU’s most prolific forward did not hesitate and placed a right footed effort in the bottom right corner, out of reach of a still-recovering Briggs.
A goal down, the team coached by Rey Castro turned up the intensity, settling in the University Club’s half for the next twenty minutes. Despite some well-built phases, Sarah Whitfield and her teammates up front struggled to find the solution in the last third, mainly due to some solid defensive work from centre-backs Ailish McDonagh and Aoibheann MacLochlainn.
ANU WFC were patient in their approach, the players coached by Rob Illingworth choosing to operate in counter attacks to try and surprise their opponents, but the lone goal scored by Swart remained the difference at half time.
Back from the locker room, the Wanderers finally got their lucky break nine minutes in. Following a corner kick taken by Nikita Perry, a clumsy, if not slight, shove from Isabella Hopkins on Alyse Jensen forced referee Karla Martin to point for the spot kick.
For the first time this season, West Canberra would score a Women’s National Premier League goal before the last ten minutes, with Lauren Hall taking the opportunity to wrong foot Claire Joseph, casually stroking home the penalty for her first goal in Wanderers colours.
From there, both teams pushed to get the winner, unsuccessfully. Illingworth and Castro did make a few changes to try and force a result. At times, the intensity and the nerves transpired through a few rough duels, but in the end, both teams would regret the missed chances and the draw stood.
ANU WFC let yet another lead slip away, four days after conceding a late equaliser to the Canberra United Academy. They remain four points behind CUA (who still have a game in hand) on the table after this third consecutive draw.
The Wanderers can see the positive in this result, getting points for the second game in a row after a long draught, and are now a point clear of last place Tuggeranong United.
RESULT
ROUND 5
Wednesday 1 June
ANU WFC 1 (Swart 9’) West Canberra Wanderers 1 (Hall 54’ (p))
TABLE
P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
1 | Canberra Croatia | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 8 | +14 | 17 |
2 | Canberra Olympic | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 5 | +14 | 17 |
3 | Belconnen United | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 7 | +15 | 16 |
4 | Gungahlin United | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 14 |
5 | Canberra United Academy | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 10 |
6 | ANU WFC | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 16 | -8 | 6 |
8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 21 | -15 | 4 |
7 | Tuggeranong United | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 25 | -20 | 3 |
TOP SCORERS
7 Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
5 Kiera BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic)
4 Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC)
3 Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELY (Gungahlin United)
2 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS