Canberra Olympic and Belconnen United won the only two games played this weekend by the same 6-0 score, setting the stage of a dramatic duel at McKellar Park next Sunday to probably decide the 2025 League Champions
Belconnen United ‘s trip south to Kambah to face Tuggeranong United ended with a comfortable victory, with six goals scored by the hour mark to put some pressure on Olympic. Keira Bobbin will remember that Friday night, when she completed a hat-trick in 16 minutes under the lights of Kambah.
The lethal forward capped a success that was all but confirmed with three early goals scored within the first ten minutes of the game by her teammates. Hattie Cram scored a header in the middle of the forest a player four minutes in, following a corner kick taken by Ailish McDonagh. Her second goal came five minutes later, courtesy of a good sequence of team pressing that ended with the forward’s first tough effort in the bottom corner.
In between her brace, Luella Coleman, on her first career start in first grade, was at the receiving end of Isabella Hindmarsh’s corner to score a header of her own and celebrate her maiden goal with the Blue Devils. Scoring three this early was the perfect start for Scott Conlon’s team and allowed them to manage the rest of the first half. Stunned, Tuggeranong’s only answers consisted rare attempts from distance.
Cram came close to completing her hat-trick just past the half-hour mark, but her close-range shot crashed on the post. It was time for the Keira Bobbin show, starting just before the break.
Her first goal came from the spot kick in injury time, and she left Ruby Ashton no chance. Ten minutes in the second act, she collected the ball after a nice save from Ashton on Cram and tapped it in the empty net.
Cram was involved again six minutes later. The diminutive forward offered Bobbin her match treble with a perfect pass in space, converted by Bobbin with ease for the sixth goal of the night to wrap up the encounter.
Canberra Olympic travelled to Hawker Football Centre to face ANU WFC to get a six-goal success of their own, mostly sealed before half time. Braces from Cara Ceruti and Madelyn Whittall showed the way for the reigning champions.
Frank Cachia’s players did not waste any time to ensure there would be no doubt they sit at the top of the league on Sunday evening. Under four minutes, Whittall hit the post, and as the action continues, Ceruti was found at the far post for a towering header that kicked off the afternoon.
Whittall was credited with the next two goals, at the 12th and 39th minutes, similarly placed at the far post, a poacher ready to finish when Tianah Miro and Ceruti respectively found her in space. The last five minutes of the first act would not be kind to the University Club.
Claire Joseph’s handful of saves to keep her team in the game came undone when minutes after Whittall’s second, a training routine free-kick perfectly executed saw Kat Peric’s cross toed in the top corner by Tehya Aspland. Seconds later, Ceruti was there to bury the ball in the net after a scramble in the box.
ANU had moments in the first half where their usual build-up play was on display, without really being threatening. In a more evenly battled second half, they forced Janet King to work for her clean sheet, with a few decisive interventions to keep the home side forwards at bay.
Olympic would have the best opportunities, reinvigorated after the entrance of Nicole Jalocha, but Whittall would fail to complete her hat-trick despite some inspirations, like this lob from distance that bounced up to the crossbar. Joseph would again have to do everything in her power to keep the visitors away.
She managed to resist until the 87th minute, and a superb ball from Jalocha in space for Ella Brown, who won her duel against the keeper.
RESULTS
ROUND 19
Friday 16 August
Tuggeranong United 0 Belconnen United 6 (Cram 4’, 9’, Coleman 6’, Bobbin 45+2’, 55’, 61’)
Sunday 18 August
ANU WFC 0 Canberra Olympic 6 (Ceruti 4’, 43’, Whittall 12’. 38’, Aspland 41’, Brown 88’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 11 | +39 | 43 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 15 | +48 | 40 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 17 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 40 | 21 | +19 | 35 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 17 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 38 | 31 | +7 | 23 |
| 5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 33 | -14 | 14 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 16 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 56 | -47 | 6 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 16 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 56 | -52 | 3 |
TOP SCORERS
14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
12: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
11: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
10: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
9: Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)
8: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
7: Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic)
6: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United),
5: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
3: Cara CERUTI (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers)
1: Angelina BABIC (ANU WFC), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Luella COLEMAN (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Elvein IBRHAIM (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Tiana PHILLIPS-MAYNARD (Tuggeranong United), Sienna NESS (Canberra Olympic), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Canberra Olympic), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Matylda WELLS-SHEATHER (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Nadia ZAKMAN (Canberra Croatia)
