North Canberra Fire ended West Canberra Lightning’s domination of the Women’s Capital Futsal League with a sensational victory by the odd-goal in nine at Daramalan College, Player of the Match Reilly Yuen starring with a sensational hat-trick in a 5-4 win.
A frantic start to the match saw Lightning’s Michaela Thornton given a yellow card after just nine seconds for pulling back Fire’s Natalie De Marco who had wormed her way past her marker. That was a mere prelude though and Fire had a dream start by taking the lead after 55 seconds.
Natalie De Marco created it, threading a past into the feet of Tatum Mazis free in front of the West Canberra goal. Mazis composed herself and slotted a tidy finish past Ellie Summers from close range to open the scoring.
Lightning responded well, Brittany Palombi hitting the post with a trademark left-footed hit from out wide while, from a very similar angle, Isabella Barac saw her effort cannon back off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety with Jessica Giovinazzo in the Fire goal beaten.
North Canberra hit the post themselves eleven minutes in as Stella De Marco took aim with a speculative shot that Summers was behind but fumbled away and was relieved to see it come back off the post. That apart, Summers was in imperious form and helped preserve the narrow 1-0 lead at half-time.
There was almost déjà vu at the start of the second-half as Stella De Marco stole in and lifted the ball over Summers, only for Jamie Berkeley to arrive to rescue the day and head off the line.
Meanwhile, Fire’s number one Giovinazzo was in splendid form and was the reason that Barac was unable to find a way through, the custodian blocking from the Lightning player thrice in quick succession. She even had the opportunity to turn creator, a long throw seeing Mazis force a save from Summers.
Lightning levelled just past the half-hour with a gloriously taken goal by Palombi, the ace scorer and Golden Boot advancing to lift a sublime finish over the advancing Giovinazzo, however Fire were to hit back and retake the lead with six minutes of the match remaining as Yuen swept in from a set-piece.
The back-to-back title winners are made of stern stuff and Wilson pulled one back with a smart finish, before they pulled level in the final minute as Palombi rammed home a nerveless penalty given for a foul by Yuen on Berkeley, as seconds ran away to send the game into extra-time.
That was where the game turned again as Yuen and Pyke scored within a minute of each other, either side if the half-time interval, to establish a two-goal advantage. Thornton pulled one back moments later to set up a grandstand finale, but Fire held on to claim a maiden CFL crown.
RESULT
North Canberra Fire 5 (Mazis 1’, Yuen 34’, 37’, 45’, Pyke 46’) West Canberra Lightning 4 (Palombi 31’, 39’ (p), Wilson 37’, Thornton 46’) – after extra-time
North Canberra Fire: 1. Jessica GIOVINAZZO, 8. Bronte PYKE, 12. Ayla ROBERTSON, 13. Stella DE MARCO, 20. Sharon CHAO, 23. Natalie DE MARCO, 27. Tatum MAZIS, 30. Ginger OLIVER, 32. Reilly YUEN, 34. Alex MARTENS
West Canberra Lightning: 1. Ellie SUMMERS, 4. Isabella BARAC, 5. Jamie BERKELEY, 8. Micheala THORNTON, 11. Brittany PALOMBI, 14. Krista HAGAN, 16. Dianne WILSON
DISCIPLINE
Yellow Cards: 8. Micheala THORNTON (West Canberra Lightning)
Player of the Match: 32. Reilly YUEN (North Canberra Fire)
