Round 4 of the National Premier League Women’s kicks off at Kambah for an early afternoon meeting between the league’s winless bottom two, as Tuggeranong United host ANU WFC.
Despite last week’s 7-2 defeat against Canberra Olympic, Ian Toms’ side can take plenty of encouragement from a performance which saw the league’s bottom side come from behind twice to go level with the reigning champions.
Acacia Argento was the danger woman for Tuggeranong that day, winning the penalty and converting a stunning finish from outside the box, and will be looking to lead her team from an attacking perspective in a match where final third entries will be more prevalent.
ANU WFC sits just above their upcoming opponents in seventh due to goal difference, however, haven’t had to face the likes of Olympic and Belconnen yet, as Tuggeranong have.
The University side has yet to register a goal this season and having come off the back of an 8-0 hammering against West Canberra Wanderers, in which they were 4-0 down after just ten minutes, Amelia Edevane’s side will be looking to get their season going against a more-fancied adversary.
Table-toppers Belconnen United return home to McKellar Park for the first time this season to take on a Gungahlin United side looking to maintain pace with the Blue Devils at the summit of the NPLW.
Scott Conlon’s team have generally made light work of their opponents so far this season, however last week’s narrow 4-3 victory over Canberra Croatia was the first time the Blue Devils have shown any signs of struggle, relying on a goalkeeping error to claim the three points in a match where they blew a two-goal lead.
Alex Martens opened the scoring in that Round 4 match to ensure her record of scoring in every league match so far this season, to go with a four-goal contribution against Majura in the cup and will be looking to the likes of Keira Bobbin and Anneke Corry to provide her with more opportunities, with the two sitting as the joint-top assisters in the league so far.
Marcial Munoz’s Gungahlin team remain undefeated in the league after two wins from two and are coming off a convincing Friday night victory over Majura FC, where 10 different players contributed with goals and assists in an emphatic 8-0 scoreline.
Midweek disappointment against Olympic in the cup however may well dampen the early positivity of their league campaign, having been unable to score in a frustrating evening at the AIS.
Gungahlin were one of two teams to beat Belconnen in the league last campaign, and while the Blue Devils won the other two meetings convincingly, will be taking inspiration from that match into a must-watch contest on Sunday afternoon.
Majura FC will be looking to bounce back from two defeats on the spin with a first meeting with Canberra Olympic at Ainslie Field 2, in a match between fifth and sixth.
Having lost 8-0 twice in a week, first to Belconnen in the cup, and then to Gungahlin in the league, the NPLW’s new side have had a tough run of results following the early positivity of their start to top-flight football.
While defensively at times Majura looked competitive against Gungahlin, their attacking threat was minimal, despite a bright performance from young forward Olivia Martiniello, who continues to deputise to good effect for Carmel Lynch, who remains out with an injury.
Davide Ruberto’s side won’t be particularly encouraged by the prospect of playing a much-improved Canberra Olympic, who, despite a nervy start, eventually ran out comfortable 7-2 winners against Tuggeranong at home.
Having started the season with two losses from two, Frank Cachia’s side have picked up in recent weeks, and will be heading to Ainslie with confidence off the back of a strong performance in the Federation Cup against Gungahlin United, where Olympic won 1-0, and defended superbly for much of the match.
The last match of Round 4 takes place at Deakin Stadium for a late afternoon kickoff between Canberra Croatia and West Canberra Wanderers, in an intriguing match up to finalise the weekend.
Canberra Croatia returns home having suffered defeat against Belconnen United in Round 3, in a match where the away side performed admirably for much of the contest, having overcome a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2 on the brink of halftime.
Set pieces have been a threat for Croatia early on this season, and in Bella Barac they have a taker that is capable from almost all distances and angles, making Musie Elongo’s side a dangerous outfit going forward, having hit seven goals in total from their first two league matches.
Opponents West Canberra Wanderers have been an early surprise package in the league, currently sitting equal top alongside Belconnen, after a perfect start to their 2025 season.
Despite scoring 17 goals in their first three matches, Steve Rohan-Jones are yet to face any of last season’s top four in the league, making this clash with Croatia an intriguing prospect, given the quality both sides have displayed early on.
Tamara Cochrane incredibly sits six goals clear in the golden boot race, having scored six in 38 minutes last week against ANU, to round her total to 10 goals for the season, and will therefore undoubtedly have the Croatia defence on high alert.
The Wanderers, despite losing their first two matches of 2024 against Croatia, stunned the Deakin-based side in the two’s final meeting of last season, winning 3-1 that day, and potentially providing a confidence boost for the squad heading into Sunday’s match.
FIXTURES
ROUND 4
Sunday 4 May
Majura FC v Canberra Olympic (Ainslie Oval, 15:00)
Belconnen United v Gungahlin United (McKellar Park, 15:00)
Canberra Croatia v West Canberra Wanderers (Deakin Stadium, 16:30)
Tuggeranong United v ANU WFC (Kambah 2, 14:00)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | +16 | 9 |
| 2 | West Canberra | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | +15 | 9 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 6 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 3 |
| 5 | Canberra Olympic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 3 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 3 |
| 7 | ANU WFC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | -17 | 0 |
| 8 | Tuggeranong United | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 23 | -20 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
10: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC)
3: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
2: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
1: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Jessica MITCHELL (Tuggeranong United), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United)
TOP ASSISTS
4: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United)
3: Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
2: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKLEY (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers, Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
Words: Sam Watson
