With West Canberra Wanderers missing out in Round 18 of the OPC National Premier League Women’s, Gungahlin United will be relishing the opportunity to put pressure on their fellow top four rivals if they overcome Majura FC at Gungahlin Enclosed on Friday evening.
Marcial Munoz’s team remain well within reach of the finals positions, however the club currently sit fifth in the NPLW after a run of two games without a win, and will undoubtedly be labelling this match as must-win if they want to claw their way back into contention for a high finish.
Despite defeat to Olympic in Round 17, Friday’s home side have a winnable end to their campaign, despite a match against Belconnen United looming, and will be confident that the finals football can be achieved, having put eleven past Majura in two meetings, conceding none.
With this in mind Davide Ruberto’s team will be understandably wary of Gungahlin’s threat going forward particularly, having suffered through two matches where Majura have been penned into their own half.
A point mid-week against Tuggeranong United, while a valuable point on the board in avoiding last place, still saw the then away side perhaps fortunate to escape without defeat, despite late chances to claim victory.
Over at Kambah 2 fourth-placed Canberra Olympic will be looking to maintain a three-point gap on Gungahlin with a victory over home side Tuggeranong United on Sunday’s first match.
Frank Cachia’s team, having sustained a difficult run of losses in the league, bounced back superbly by putting three past the Gunners at O’Connor Enclosed, in a win that will surely restore the confidence of the reigning Champions heading into the final matches of the season.
15 goals in two victories against Tuggeranong this campaign points towards a victory for Olympic, however their opponents’ mid-week showing against Majura will offer some encouragement, despite their inability to create many clear-cut chances on goal.
If Ian Toms’ side want to avoid finishing bottom of the league, points need to be collected before their end-of-season showdown with Majura, making matches like this, particularly at home, that much more significant.
The final match of the round will see arguably the two best sides in the league this season go head-to-head, as Canberra Croatia will look to make a last-ditch effort to catch comfortable league leaders Belconnen United, away from home at McKellar Park.
Musie Elongo’s team have been in superb form since enduring cup final and league defeats to Scott Conlon’s outfit, winning four of their last four in the league, including dominant displays against finals-chasing Olympic and West Canberra.
Despite struggling in those two recent encounters between the two sides, the Round 3 contender for game of the season between the top two saw Croatia come the closest any side in the NPLW have come to defeating Belconnen, having fought back from a 3-0 deficit, before ultimately losing 4-3.
Plenty of confidence will still be taken from that showing, however the Blue Devils’ assurance in their own ability to win games is a difficult team mentality to conquer, having won 15 from 15 in the league, while scoring an incredible 105, and conceding just nine.
It’s a game that cannot be missed, as Croatia mathematically, if they win their games in hand, could sit just five points behind Belconnen, but be left relying on fellow teams to do them some favours.
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 9 | +96 | 42 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 14 | +36 | 28 |
| 3 | West Canberra | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 26 |
| 4 | Canberra Olympic | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 24 | +17 | 24 |
| 5 | Gungahlin United | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 22 | +23 | 21 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 62 | -51 | 6 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 107 | -99 | 3 |
| 8 | ANU WFC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | -42 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
21: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
12: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
11 Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers)
10: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
9: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United)
8: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
7: Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
6: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
5: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)
4: Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers)
3: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
2: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Hannah BOURKE (Canberra Croatia), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Mollie JONSSON (Tuggeranong United), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Audrey MCLAREN (West Canberra Wanderers), Jessica MITCHELL (Tuggeranong United), Abigail MOSS (West Canberra Wanderers), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Saskia NEWMAN (Canberra Croatia), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren WATT (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC), Reilly YUEN (Canberra Croatia)
TOP ASSISTS
12: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
10: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
9: Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
8: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United)
7: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
6: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
4: Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
3: Tiana BOOTS (Canberra Croatia), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United)
2: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Jada LAMOND (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Juliana ROBERTSON (West Canberra Wanderers), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Esperance ANDERSON (Tuggeranong United), Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Layla BARBOUR (Majura FC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Lena CHRISTOPHERSON (Tuggeranong United), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Annaliese GROVE (Gungahlin United), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Stefi LEJINS (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Ariana RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Caitlyn SKILLICORN (West Canberra Wanderers), Ivy STEVENS (Gungahlin United), Sonja TOMANOVITS (West Canberra Wanderers), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
Words: Sam Watson
