West Canberra Lightning retained their 100% win record with a superb 3-1 win over the previously unbeaten North Canberra Fire as Round 3 of the Women’s Capital Futsal League started with a bang at Daramalan College.
This was always expected to be a top class match between two teams packed with outstanding Futsal players and it certainly lived up to its pre-match billing with the sides exchanging shots on goals throughout.
After a very even opening quarter of the contest, Rebecca Kiting gave the Lighting the lead six minutes before the interval and they were able to double that lead when Jamie Berkeley thrashed home as the Lightning began to take a grip on proceedings.
The Fire, two-down at the break and needing a response, managed that in the second stanza. They finally wore down the resolute Lightning defence as Natalie De Marco struck. The Lightning though were to seal the points with three minutes remaining as Brittany Palombi found some space to fire past Jessica Giovinazzo for the winner.
The UC Stars netted a dozen goals as they moved into second place on the ladder as they defeated the ever-improving Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 12-3, scoring six unanswered goals after the interval to run away with a fixtures which was evenly contested at the break.
The writing appeared on the wall early for Power as Mikayla van Deyk scored twice in quick succession, and Becky Rizzo and Reilly Yuen responded to a goal from Power debutant Sally Kiss, but the Power weren’t to be shaken off.
In an entertaining opening half, the longest match-time of any game played in the CFL to date, the Power got themselves back into the match with a brace of quickfire goals as Holly McPherson and Renee Kite found the target within seconds of each other shortly after Rizzo had extended the Lightning lead to five.
Kiss saw a penalty saved by Vanessa Burdett late on before Tayla Hampson rounded out the first-half scoring. Tanya Joveski was again brilliant between the posts for Power, but even she was helpless as the Stars upped the tempo after the resumption and began to take command of the match.
Rizzo completed a hat-trick and Van Deyk moved onto four goals, with Hampson and a late double for Eliza-Jane Norris, her first goals at this level being very well taken, completed the convincing victory.
The match between the South Canberra Swift and ANU Apex was postponed due to a leak from the roof of the venue directly over the pitch and will be replayed at a later date.
WOMEN
Friday 11 November
West Canberra Lightning 3 (Kiting 14’, Berkeley 17’, Palombi 37’) North Canberra Fire 1 (N. De Marco 29’)
Saturday 12 November
Queanbeyan-Palerang Power 3 (Kiss 4’, McPherson 15’, Kite 15’) UC Stars 12 (Van Deyk 1’, 2’, 27’, 28’, Rizzo 4’, 12’, 22’, Yuen 7’, Hampson 19’, 25’, Norris 33’, 35’)
Sunday 13 November
South Canberra Swift v ANU Apex – Match Postponed
TABLE
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Lightning | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 9 |
| 2 | Stars | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 8 | +13 | 7 |
| 3 | Fire | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 7 | +16 | 4 |
| 4 | Swift | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 3 |
| 5 | Apex | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | -11 | 0 |
| 6 | Power | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 47 | -42 | 0 |
LEADING SCORERS
7 Stella DE MARCO (Fire)
6 Cara CERUTI (Swift), Brittany PALOMBI (Lightning), Becky RIZZO (Stars)
4 Natalie DE MARCO (Fire), Tayla HAMPSON (Stars), Nicole JALOCHA (Fire), Bessie REITHMULLER (Fire), Mikayla VAN DEYK (Stars)
3 Reilly YUEN (Stars), Own GOALS
2 Jamie BERKELEY (Lightning), Krista HAGEN (Lightning), Rebecca KITING (Lightning), Amy MCLACHLAN (Lightning), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Stars), Ginger OLIVER (Swift), Sofia PALYWODA (Swift), Nikita PERRY (Fire), Samantha PRICE (Swift), Sabrina TOUFEXIS (Swift), Dianne WILSON (Lightning)
1 Elke AITOLU (Fire), Maia CAMERON (Power), Leah CARNEGIE (Swift), Kaitlyn COLWILL (Swift), Grace DAVEY (Apex), Isabella HINDMARSH (Swift), Sally KISS (Power), Renee KITE (Power), Stefi LEJINS (Fire), Holly MCPHERSON (Power), Roxie SWART (Apex), Shayma TAWEEL (Apex)
IMAGE: Mike’s Soccer Pics
