The UC Stars moved a step to securing second place on the Capital Futsal league as they recorded a sixth win of the season with a narrow 5-4 victory over South Canberra Swift on a hot and humid evening at Daramalan College.
Stars didn’t take long to stamp their authority on the contest, finding the lead after only 24 seconds with an impudent improvised finish from Tayla Hampson. And they increased their lead thanks to a double from the alert Emily Daniel.
Sabrina Toufexis pulled one back for Swift, but Stars restored their three goal lead at the interval as Becky Rizzo struck for the eighth time this season. And when Kate Walker made it five early in the second half, the game appeared done.
However, the Swift responded magnificently and goals from Sofia Palywoda, Kaitlyn Colwill and Ginger Oliver made it a nervy ending for the Stars.
West Canberra Lightning were awarded a 5-0 win over Queanbeyan-Palerang Power who forfeited the match that was scheduled to be played on Friday evening, keeping Lightning’s 100% record intact.
South Canberra Swift were also awarded a 5-0 win over Queanbeyan-Palerang Power who forfeited the match that was scheduled to be played on Sunday afternoon.
Two goals in the space of thirty seconds helped set North Canberra Fire on their way to a hard-fought 5-2 victory over a plucky ANU Apex side to move to within three points of the Stars with a game in hand and, more importantly, grow the gap between themselves and fourth.
Stella De Marco and Bessie Riethmuller were the players who found the goals in quick succession, stymying a strong Apex start. Sheridan McElligott struck the crossbar for ANU in response, but the Fire took command of the match when Riethmuller turned in a corner midway through the first half.
Michaela Thornton’s first of the season increased the lead in the second half only for Roxie Swart to hammer home for the Apex in reply. Tia Burridge also bagged a first for the campaign to restore the cushion for Fire, rendering Alexandra Serra deserved effort as a consolation.
WOMEN
Friday 27 January
Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 0 West Canberra Lightning 5 – Queanbeyan-Palerang Power forfeited
Saturday 28 January
South Canberra Swift 4 (Toufexis 12’, Palywoda 31’, Colwill 37’, Oliver 38’) UC Stars 5 (Hampson 1’, Daniel 8’, 9’, Rizzo 16’, Walker 21’)
Sunday 29 January
South Canberra Swift 5 Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 0 – Queanbeyan-Palerang Power forfeited
ANU Apex 2 (Swart 35’, Serras 39’) North Canberra Fire 5 (S. De Marco 5’, Riethmuller 5’, 9’, Thornton 24’, Burridge 38’)
TABLE
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Lightning | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 9 | +62 | 27 |
| 2 | Stars | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 52 | 24 | +28 | 19 |
| 3 | Fire | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 21 | +18 | 16 |
| 4 | Swift | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 31 | +12 | 12 |
| 5 | Apex | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 53 | -28 | 3 |
| 6 | Power | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 106 | -93 | 0 |
LEADING SCORERS
15 Jennifer BISSET (Lightning)
14 Brittany PALOMBI (Lightning)
12 Reilly YUEN (Stars)
11 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Fire)
9 Amy MCLACHLAN (Lightning)
8 Stella DE MARCO (Fire), Rebecca KITING (Lightning), Becky RIZZO (Stars), Roxie SWART (Apex)
7 Sofia PALYWODA (Swift), Own GOALS
6 Cara CERUTI (Swift), Natalie DE MARCO (Fire), Krista HAGEN (Lightning), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (Apex), Emily DANIEL (Stars), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Stars)
5 Tayla HAMPSON (Stars), Nicole JALOCHA (Fire), Sabrina TOUFEXIS (Swift), Mikayla VAN DEYK (Stars), Dianne WILSON (Lightning)
4 Justine ARMSTRONG (Power), Talia BACKHOUSE (Swift), Jamie BERKELEY (Lightning), Ginger OLIVER (Swift), Nikita PERRY (Fire), Samantha PRICE (Swift), Alexandra SERRAS (Apex), Madeleine STEINACKER (Stars)
3 Maia CAMERON (Power), Kaitlyn COLWILL (Swift), Isabella HINDMARSH (Swift), Renee KITE (Power), Kate WALKER (Stars)
2 Leah CARNEGIE (Swift), Grace DAVEY (Apex), Cassia MCGLASHAN (Stars)
1 Elke AITOLU (Fire), Tia BURRIDGE (Fire), Phoebe FRASER (Apex), Emily JENSEN (Apex), Sally KISS (Power), Stefi LEJINS (Fire), Holly MCPHERSON (Power), Karen MILEWSKA (Apex), Clare MOLONY (Apex), Maya OSMOND (Fire), Erika PENNYFIELD (Lightning), Lauren QUACH (Power), Shayma TAWEEL (Apex), Michaela THORNTON (Fire)
