Gungahlin United were simply too strong for Tuggeranong United on Wednesday night at Greenway Enclosed where another professional collective performance from Andrew Woodman’s players was punctuated by a hattrick from Jade Brown as the Gunners won 5-0.
In this postponed Round 12 encounter, Tuggeranong started the game the right way, pressing high and making sure Emily Kelly was kept on her toes in the opening half hour. Unfortunately for the home team, and despite a few inspired saves and anticipation from Amy Wiggan, the Gunners slowly took control of the game, and ended up reaping the reward in the last ten minutes of the first half.
Darby Whiteley struck first. Launched into the box, she dribbled her way past Ashley-Lea Condon before sending a rocket from her left foot that perfectly hit underneath the crossbar to end in Wiggan’s net.
Gungahlin made the most of their momentum, and four minutes later, a cross from the left forced an error from the keeper, offering Jade Brown an opportunity to open her tally of the night from up close.
At the break with a two-goal advantage, and after having hit the crossbar three times, the Gunners were in control. It went from bad to worse for Tuggeranong, who had to use their three substitution blocks in consecutive minutes following the injuries of Samantha Wood and Olivia Hicks.
The visitors showed the patience necessary to wait for their opening in the second half and it came 15 minutes before the final whistle as Nat De Marco chipped the ball behind the defence. Kayla Wright took advantage of a little scramble to find herself facing Wiggan, who unfortunately slipped, offering the substitute a golden opportunity to score her first league goal of the season.
Five minutes later, a superb sequence ended with Brown entering the penalty area and placing a powerful shot impossible to stop for the Tuggies’ keeper. Her hat-trick was completed in the 85th minute after another scramble in the box that Brown just had to tap into the empty net.
The Gunners jumped one spot on the table thanks to this success, while looking after their goal difference. They moved a point above Belconnen United and three behind Canberra Olympic, two teams that face each other in Round 16, while the Gunners host West Canberra Wanderers.
RESULT
ROUND 12
Wednesday 26 July
Tuggeranong United 0 Gungahlin United 5 (Whiteley 34’, J. Brown 39’, 82’, 85’, Wright 74’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 35 | 8 | +27 | 32 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 38 | 13 | +25 | 32 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 29 |
| 4 | Belconnen United | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 10 | +30 | 28 |
| 5 | Canberra United Academy | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 25 | -11 | 19 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 31 | -19 | 9 |
| 7 | West Canberra Wanderers | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 47 | -35 | 8 |
| 8 | Tuggeranong United | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 44 | -32 | 7 |
TOP SCORERS
14 Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
11 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
7 Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
6 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United)
5 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
4 Jade BROWN (Gungahlin United), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC)
3 Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers/Canberra Croatia), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
2 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Michelle HEYMAN (Gungahlin United), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Zoe TERRY (Tuggeranong United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers), Samantha WOOD (Tuggeranong United), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Emma DOUGLAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Abby HURMAN (Tuggeranong United), Ashlyn LEWIS (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Maya OSMOND (Canberra United Academy), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic)
