The race for the top four places in the Capital League will head to the final round of the season, with three teams still in contention to join Champions Tuggeranong United, Queanbeyan City and ANU FC in the end of season showdown. White Eagles, Brindabella Blues and Wagga City Wanderers are all still in the hunt.
Even without their Head Coach Mitch Stevens, who welcomed a young baby into the world last week and subsequently missed out on the trip to Wagga City Wanderers, League Champions Tuggeranong United were simply irresistible once more, racking up a 6-1 away win to record a fifteenth victory of the season.
United had four by the break, once again showcasing their unerring ability to take the game away from the opposition before it had really even got going. John Hajdu struck twice in the opening twenty minutes before a nineteenth of the season for Sam Walker made it three and secured the points by the 35th minute.
Patrick Hislop added the fourth before the half-time whistle had been blown and, despite Morris Kadzola scoring his eleventh of the season six minutes into the second stanza, United simply went through the gears again. A brace for Mark Richards, within three minutes of each other, took him to nine for the year and sealed another memorable win.
The heavy defeat saw Wanderers drop out of the top four on goal difference being replaced in the final qualification spot by White Eagles who came from 0-2 down to earn a point from a share of the spoils against ANU FC.
The home side, off the back of seven wins in succession, were in top form and stormed into the lead as Rory Spiers opened the scoring in just the third minute. Chase Deans fourteenth goal of the season made it two inside nineteen minutes, a landmark goal for the ANU stalwart as it marked his century of goals for the club.
Eagles though, with their finals hopes on the line, showed their commitment to the cause and were level by the break. Ohio Asikhia pulled one back just before the half-hour mark and veteran Dejan Santrac managed to equalise in the final seconds of the half to secure what may prove to be a crucial point.
Brindabella Blues are hanging onto the coattails of the Eagles as a lone strike from Curtis Schaeffer proved enough for the home side to eke out a narrow, yet priceless, 1-0 success against visiting Yoogali SC.
Speedy striker Schaeffer netted for the eighth time this season, taking his rich recent vein of form to four goals in his last three matches and being accountable for four of the last five goals that the Blues have managed in the CPL.
Brindabella will make the trip to the Riverina next weekend, for a potentially massive encounter with Wagga City Wanderers, the winners hoping for an Eagles slip-up against Tuggeranong United in order to sneak into the reckoning for potential Grand Final glory in October.
At the top end of the table, Queanbeyan City regained second place from ANU FC with a round to play as they outscored a belligerent and testy Weston-Molonglo FC, coming out on top of a fascinating encounter by the odd -goal in five, four of which were netted in the opening half.
A brace from Andrew Sellers had Queanbeyan two to the good by the 37th minute and that appeared to be the lead they would take into the changing rooms only to suffer a late first-half collapse akin to the one that saw they ship four goals against Tuggeranong in next to no time.
On this occasion it was two goals in a minute that saw the Magpies swoop to level by the break. A first of the campaign for Roshan Lamichhane set the tone before Tom Pagett equalised moments later as City were left reeling.
The feeling of hope for an unlikely point, or more, was fleeting for the visitors however as City regained the initiative within a minute of the resumption of action. Dylan Colbertaldo picked the right time to score his first of the season, sending City above ANU FC and into pole position to claim a spot in the Qualification Final heading into the final day.
RESULTS
Saturday 3 September
ROUND 20
Wagga City Wanderers 1 (Kadzola 51’) Tuggeranong United 6 (Hajdu 3’, 20’, Walker 35’, Hislop 44’, Richards 65’, 68’)
Brindabella Blues 1 (Schaeffer 19’) Yoogali SC 0
Queanbeyan City 3 (A. Sellers 23’, 37’, Colbertaldo 46’) Weston-Molonglo FC 2 (Lamichhane 44’, Pagett 45’)
ANU FC 2 (Spiers 3’, Deans 19’) White Eagles 2 (Asikhia 29’, Santrac 45’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Tuggeranong United (c) | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | +57 | 47 |
| 2 | Queanbeyan City | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | +12 | 39 |
| 3 | ANU FC | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | +18 | 38 |
| 4 | White Eagles | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | +14 | 28 |
| 5 | Brindabella Blues | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | -5 | 28 |
| 6 | Wagga City Wanderers | 20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | -14 | 28 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | -19 | 18 |
| 8 | Weston-Molonglo FC | 20 | 1 | 1 | 18 | -58 | 4 |
