Friday night lights were back at Kambah to start the weekend, and the ANU WFC earned their first success of the season against Tuggeranong United thanks to a goal each side of the break. Both team exchanged blow for blow in an entertaining first half. Four minutes in, Sofia Chaverra was dinking the ball behind the defence for Sheridan McElligott, but the versatile University player could not put enough power in her effort to threaten Emily Pearce.
At the other end, the ANU’s defence remained solid under pressure, always able to push away the Tuggies’ attacks. Their best chance came just before the half hour mark, when Lena Christopherson faced Georgia Ritchie alone, but again a lack of power in the last effort allowed the keeper to safely get control of the ball.
After weathering a 20-minute period of domination from the home team, the University club answered from set piece. A series of corner kept Pearce on her toes, and a free kick from Chaverra crashed on the crossbar. The deadlock was eventually broken with virtually the last kick of the half. Holly Eaglesham ran down the right wing, her cross found Saskia Newman in the box, and the skilful number 10 dribbled past a couple of defender before her deflected shot wrongfooted Pearce.
Back from the break, Elvein Ibrahim saw a golden opportunity to equalize superbly parried by Ritchie. Pearce showed her skills too seconds later, pushing away an attempt from Chaverra. The ANU once again found the solution seven minutes in, when a cross from McElligott created a bit of chaos in the box, and Edith Fordyce Croker’s deflected shot surprised Pearce at the near post.
Trailing by two goals, Tuggeranong tried to answer from set pieces, while still counting for their shot-stopper’s talent to keep the visitors within reach. The home team did not stop trying until the very end, but Ritchie was in excellent form as usual. The young keeper secured a first clean sheet of the season for the ANU WFC, who could finally celebrate a long-awaited success.
On Sunday, the action started at lunch time at Melrose Synthetic, with Gungahlin United getting three crucial points against West Canberra, thanks to two goals scored by Oliva Buyteweg and Sharon Chao.
After ten minutes that saw no real threat for either keeper, the visitors opened the scoring after a good sequence of play, and thanks to the speed of Alex Nealand on the left wing. The former Academy player, launched in space by Ginger Oliver, challenged two defenders, and her cross sped through the box to land on Buyteweg, all alone at the far post and happy to indulge.
The Gunners kept pushing and came close to a second goal five minutes later but Jade Brown’s heard hit Amy Wiggan’s post instead. Seemingly stunned, the home team barely offered a response.
The crossbar was rattled by a Corinne Denton free-kick from distance, and Wiggan had a few important saves to make to keep the score unchanged until the break. Back from the locker room, Gungahlin kept dominating the encounter. After a couple of half chances early, Chao was launched by Natalie De Marco in space at the 50th minute and won her duel with Wiggan to double her team’s lead.
West Canberra’s best chance to beat Sam Emms came two minutes later. Sarah Whitfield served by Lauren Hall 35 meters from the goal line, saw the visitors’ keeper ahead of her line and did not hesitate, unlucky to see her precise effort crashing on the crossbar.
There was a thriller at McKellar on Sunday. Belconnen United came back from one early goal down and conceded a late equaliser to Canberra Croatia, giving more air to Olympic upfront. Zoran Glavinic could not have wished for a better start. 75 seconds into the game, Ailish McDonagh’s attempt to clear the danger became an unlucky assist for Arusha Chew, who technique did the talking with a lob ball from the edge of the box that landed in the opposite top corner. The defeat at home to Gungahlin three days prior seemed forgotten.
Surprised early, the Blue Devils struggled to develop their usual brand of football, instead leaving the possession to the visitors. Brittany Palombi thought she scored a second goal ten minutes later, but a foul from Bella Barac just before her captain’s shot was signalled instead.
That second alert seemed to finally wake up the home team at least for a few minutes. A couple of chances from distance saw the danger coming closer to Ellie Summers. But soon, Croatia again were on the front foot, and Monique Pinkiewicz at the other end needed to be vigilant for the rest of the half, intervening in front of Chew or Palombi.
The second act started on the same rhythm, with the first few shots fired by the visitors. The real first threat for Summers was a shot from Isabella Hindmarsh from distance nine minutes in. The midfielder was involved again at the hour mark, when her perfect pass found Pascale La Hei on the right wing. Belconnen’s number 7 took her time and picked Alyssa Di Campli alone in the box, for the leading goal scorer’s twelfth goal this season.
The momentum turned, and at the 68th minute, the Blue Devils took the lead. Reilly Yuen, dangerous from the moment she was subbed in, inherited the ball in the box, and her shot, deflected by Rhiannon Fensom, landed on Hattie Cram, whose shot from close range had too much power for Summers to do anything.
Then came the 83rd minute, and an inspirational goal from Tatum Mazis. 25 meters from goal and despite Bronte Pyke marking her, the forward swerved a superb effort over Pinkiewicz for give her team a precious point, on the table.
RESULTS
ROUND 14
Friday 12 July
Tuggeranong United 0 ANU WFC 2 (Newman 45’, Fordyce-Croker 53’)
Sunday 14 July
West Canberra Wanderers 0 Gungahlin United 2 (Buyteweg 11’, Chao 50’)
Belconnen United 2 (Di-Campli 61’, Cram 69’) Canberra Croatia 2 (Chew 2’, Mazis 82’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 9 | +24 | 33 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 49 | 14 | +35 | 28 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 16 | +18 | 28 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 20 |
| 5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 29 | -18 | 8 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 40 | -32 | 5 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 12 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 35 | -32 | 2 |
TOP SCORERS
12: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
10: Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
9: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
8: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
7: Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
6: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United)
5: Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United)
3: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United)
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
1: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (ANU WFC), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Elvein IBRHAIM (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), 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
