A goal from Luca Florez after only twelve minutes of play ensured that Canberra Olympic would enter Round 18 hot on the heels of their vanquished opponents, O’Connor Knights, and chasing down fourth place in the NPL after a 1-0 win in the catch-up match at Gungahlin Enclosed.
Florez stole in unopposed early on to nod into an empty net as Alan James swung in a free-kick that eluded Knights custodian Jack Miller and a cluster of defenders finding Florez free at the far post and with the relatively simple task of heading home.
The Knights evening was made worse in the second half as winger Phakedi Manda was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card, this time for kicking the ball away after he was penalised for a foul, even so they will feel they should have earned a point, having a goal controversially ruled out in stoppage time.
Olympic ‘keeper Seb Usai palmed a goalbound hit and hope from Regan Walsh to the ground and grabbed the ball in one hand before Michael Adams bundled it into the net from close range. The officials however deemed that Usai had control of the ball in his outstretched hand and therefore chalked off the effort.
RESULTS
ROUND 16
Wednesday 17 August
O’Connor Knights 0 Canberra Olympic 1 (Florez 12’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Croatia | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | +35 | 40 |
| 2 | Gungahlin United | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | +12 | 31 |
| 3 | Monaro Panthers | 17 | 7 | 8 | 2 | +15 | 29 |
| 4 | O’Connor Knights | 17 | 6 | 3 | 8 | -8 | 21 |
| 5 | Canberra Olympic | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | -14 | 19 |
| 6 | Tigers FC | 17 | 6 | 8 | 6 | -12 | 17 |
| 7 | Belconnen United | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | -17 | 15 |
| 8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | -11 | 13 |
TUGGERANONG ONE-POINT AWAY FROM TITLE
Tuggeranong United moved to within a point of claiming the Capital Premier League Champions title and promotion to the National Premier League as they defeated White Eagles in their Round 14 catch-up match at Woden Park.
United need only a draw from the home clash with ANU FC at Kambah 2 on Sunday afternoon to seal an automatic return to the top-flight and, having again shown their ability at both ends of the park, gaining that point before the end of the season, with four games remaining, seems a certainty.
The Eagles are always tricky opposition and they proved to be once more at the Nest, making United work hard and providing stubborn resistance as they aimed to keep their hopes of a place in the top four, and finals football, alive.
After falling behind to a rare Euan Peterkin goal, only the midfielders second of the season, the Eagles responded well and were only a goal down at the break and clearly still in the contest.
And yet, Tuggeranong have this inherent ability in 2022 to take the game away from their opponents with quick fire goals and did so again after the break. Mark Richards bagged a seventh of the season to make it 2-0 and Harrison Buesnel celebrated his call-up to the Capital All-Stars Squad with his eighth goal of the campaign.
ROUND 14
Wednesday 17 August
White Eagles 0 Tuggeranong United 3 (Peterkin 19’, Richards 49’, Buesnel 54’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Tuggeranong United | 17 | 14 | 1 | 2 | +54 | 43 |
| 2 | ANU FC | 17 | 10 | 1 | 6 | +15 | 31 |
| 3 | Queanbeyan City | 17 | 9 | 3 | 5 | +8 | 30 |
| 4 | Wagga City Wanderers | 17 | 9 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 28 |
| 5 | White Eagles | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | +14 | 21 |
| 6 | Brindabella Blues | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | -6 | 21 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | -19 | 15 |
| 8 | Weston-Molonglo FC | 17 | 1 | 1 | 15 | -54 | 4 |
