Early league favourites Belconnen United defeated Canberra Croatia 4-3 in a highly anticipated clash at Kaleen Enclosed between two strong sides, and the match did not disappoint.
The Blue Devils went 1-0 up inside three minutes, after Anneke Corry’s layoff to Alex Martens was prodded toward goal, and via the aid of a Nadia Zakman deflection, Croatia goalkeeper Ellie Summers couldn’t do much about the ball going into the back of the net.
Eight minutes later Scott Conlon’s side had a two-goal lead, following a dangerous Alyssa Di-Campli ball across the face that found Alina Roberts unmarked at the back post, who on the second attempt, after a superb Summers block with her feet, found the bottom corner to lead 2-0.
Isabella Barac wrote the headlines for Croatia with two freekicks in their last league match, and she was at it again on 24 minutes, as her delivery from wide found Jamie Berkeley whose improvised effort found the back of the net and reduced the deficit to one.
Five minutes before half time, Croatia got back level, following great interplay between Barac and Berkeley in the midfield, Arusha Chew picked up the ball and laid it off to Eliza-Jane Norris on the edge of the area, who’s shot, which was goal bound already, was deflected into the net by Maddie Steinacker.
Galvanised by their equaliser Croatia began to look the more likely in the final action of the first half and capitalised on this momentum on the stroke of half time, as another deadly Barac delivery found an unmarked Sofia Merkoureas to score from close range with her head.
Blowing a two-goal lead at half-time was not something many would’ve expected to materialise given the form of the Blue Devils in 2025, however Belconnen lived up to their reputation in the second half, hitting back inside 30 minutes of second-half action after a dangerous Keira Bobbin pass from almost inside her own half found substitute Liliana Altamore, to make it 3-3.
On 80 minutes the lead was restored, following Anneke Corry’s through ball to Di-Campli, who evaded the Croatia backline with her speed, before firing the ball at Summers in what looked like a routine save, however the goalkeeper let it slip through the legs and into the net to make put Belconnen in front minutes before the whistle
Gungahlin United had a successful return home in their first match back at Gungahlin Enclosed, handing Majura FC their third defeat on the bounce in a 8-0 success, whilst ensuring their 100% win record remains intact to start 2025.
Marcial Munoz’s side got off to the perfect start just two minutes in, after a superb ball from Chelsea Hately evaded the attempted target Megan Castle, but found Ginger Oliver in plenty of space to tap home from close range.
The league’s newest side learnt the harsh realities of NPL football, as minutes after Martiniello’s chance, the Gunners struck three goals in the space of four minutes to extend their lead to four.
The first came through a Stella De Marco long-range stunner from well outside the area, before Megan Castle rounded the goalkeeper and tapped into an empty net, made for the second time by Hately with a perfect pass, and with just four minutes left of the half, Maddie Perceval headed home following Stella DeMarco’s cross off a short corner.
The second half saw the Gunners continue to stamp their authority on proceedings, particularly through the dangerous Bonnie Young down the wing, who’s cut back for Rachael van Aalst allowed the second-half substitute to strike a dipping effort into the back of the net from outside the box. 79 minutes in, Young got a reward for her hard work, winning a penalty before putting it away with assurance to make it six with around ten minutes to play.
In a game that saw Gungahlin display constant moments of quality, Nat DeMarco’s seventh was perhaps the best of the lot, receiving a pass from Amy Moore in the penalty area, before somehow skipping through two Majura defenders and finishing low beyond Olivia Kent in goal.
De Marco’s influence didn’t stop there, as the midfielder coolly controlled a high ball and slipped through a pinpoint pass for Megan Castle to finish and wrap up the three points.
Over at O’Connor Enclosed winless Canberra Olympic got their season back on track with their first three points of 2025, in a 7-2 victory over Tuggeranong United.
Olympic opened the scoring just 2 minutes in, after Ella Brown’s cross following a short corner, found an unmarked Katrina Peric on the penalty spot to score, with an acrobatic low volley past Maja Dodt in goals. Tuggeranong shocked the reigning Champions just 11 minutes later through Tarah Manthongsy, whose well-taken penalty brought things level following Peric’s late challenge on the dangerous Acacia Argento in the box.
Olympic responded quickly, and again via a set piece, as another Ella Brown delivery eventually found Tia Burridge, via Nikita Perry’s flick-on, who did well to control and put away her first of the season with a well-taken flick from close range.
On 33 minutes the Olympic backline didn’t deal with a ball across the face, as Claire Kennedy-Spencer’s tackle presented the ball to Acacia Argento, who took a touch, before firing a stunning strike into the roof of the net from the edge of the box, to incredibly bring it back to 2-2.
Burridge was again the key to Olympic restoring their lead, showing superb footwork to skip clear of Lara Mustaine before slotting the ball home under Maja Dodt, to make it 3-2 a few minutes before the break.
Despite a resilient Tuggeranong effort, Olympic started to run away with the game in the second half, going 4-2 up through an incredible dipping Alyse Jensen strike from well outside the box, before Elke Aitolu set up Sienna Birnie at the back post to make it five for Olympic. Nikita Perry got the goal she deserved after another influential performance this season, picking up a loose pass from Dodt, and firing the ball into the bottom right corner from outside the area.
On 85 minutes Sienna Birnie’s delivery was palmed by Dodt into the path of Peric to add her second of the game and wrap up a crucial three points for Frank Cachia’s side in their attempt to get back on track.
ANU WFC continued their poor start to the season with another goalless showing and another hammering at home to West Canberra Wanderers, who put the University side to the sword, in a 8-0 success.
Having scored nine in their first two matches, Steve Rohan-Jones’ sides relentless attacking threat was on full display early, as Audrey Ward maintained her good start to the season by finding Cochrane with a well-weighted ball in behind, who, leaving the ANU defence trailing in her wake, skipped clear of Connie Bishop and finished into an empty net.
A further two quick-fire goals from Cochrane saw the number 34 claim an incredible six-minute hat-trick, following a defence-splitting pass from Ward that put her in on goal to finish well, and a through-ball from Perri Nash that ensured she could make it three.
Balls in behind were the scourge of ANU all afternoon, and, following Cochrane’s fourth of the match, a close-range finish following Zoe Halpin’s shot being saved, the forward broke the defensive line again following Halpin’s ball, and finished comfortably under the advancing Bishop to make it five.
Incredibly, three minutes before half-time Cochrane struck her sixth, following another dangerous delivery from Halpin off the right, which the forward finished off after picking up on a heavy touch from Rennae Sillett.
Following the half-time break Zoe Halpin got her reward for a fantastic performance, scoring to make it seven after the initial save from Bishop off a Cochrane strike, before the game was sealed on 75 minutes, following Allegra Senti’s flick from an Alex Gidis corner, finding Halpin again to stab home from close range, and make it three wins from three to start 2025.
RESULTS
Friday 25 April
Gungahlin United 8 (Oliver 2’, S. De Marco 37’, Castle 38’, 87’, Perceval 42’, Van Aalst 62’, Young 79’ (p), N. De Marco 83’) Majura FC 0
Sunday 27 April
ANU WFC 0 West Canberra Wanderers 8 (Cochrane 3’, 5’, 7’, 10’, 20’, 38’, Halpin 57’, 75’)
Belconnen United 4 (Martens 3’, Roberts 11’, Altamore 75’, Di-Campli 80’) Canberra Croatia 3 (Berkeley 25’, Norris 40’, Merkoureas 45’)
Canberra Olympic 7 (Peric 2’, 85’, Burridge 17’, 38’, Jensen 60’, Birnie 64’, Perry 66) Tuggeranong United 2 (Manthongsy 14’ (p), Argento 33’)
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
