A late effort from West Canberra Wanderers almost spoiled an evening of festivities for their visitors Canberra Olympic, still able to secure a 2-1 victory to celebrate their coach’s extraordinary milestone, Frank Cachia’s 200th game on an NPL bench in the ACT.
The visitors expectedly dominated the encounter from the start. Within the first five minutes, Amy Wiggan proved she had warmed up properly with three decisive saves already to keep her team in the game. Olympic’s high press meant the Wanderers barely cross the halfway line in the opening ten minutes. Their first time close to Janet King’s area saw Sarah Whitfield testing the keeper from the edge of the box, unsuccessfully.
The solution for the team coached by Cachia came from a set piece at the 20th minute, and a great delivery from Ella Brown reaching Kat Peric, alone in the six-yard box and free to head the ball in. Wiggan had to remain vigilant, denying Tianah Miro twice in the following minutes. The impressive defensive work rate of her team prevented the league leaders from increasing their lead.
Back from the break, Olympic remained on the front foot, and reaped the fruits of their effort seven minutes in, when a free kick taken by Victoria Jamieson ended in a scramble in the box, and the visitors’ most prolific striker, Madelyn Whittall, was quickest on a loose ball to bring her tally up to nine goals.
The rhythm dropped for the remainder of the duel, until a Demi Nikias’ superb injury time effort. A free kick deflected by the wall landed near the Wanderers’ captain, at the edge of the box, and her half volley glided through the box to end on the top right corner.
RESULT
ROUND 13
Sunday 7 July
West Canberra Wanderers 1 (D. Nikias 90+6’) Canberra Olympic 2 (Peric 21’, Whittall 52’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 9 | +24 | 33 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 12 | +35 | 27 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 22 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 19 |
| 5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 27 | -16 | 8 |
| 6 | Tuggeranong United | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 33 | -30 | 2 |
| 7 | ANU WFC | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 40 | -34 | 2 |
TOP SCORERS
11: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
10: Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
9: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
7: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
6: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
5: Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United)
3: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United)
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
1: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (ANU WFC), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Elvein IBRHAIM (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Matylda WELLS-SHEATHER (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Nadia ZAKMAN (Canberra Croatia)
Words: Jeremy Magan
