Round 4 action of the NPL Women was headlined by top of the table Belconnen United’s 4-2 victory over a resilient Gungahlin United on their return to McKellar Park.
Scott Conlon’s team went ahead early despite the visitors’ front-footed start to the match, making the most of Gungahlin’s giveaway of possession to open the scoring through Alyssa Di-Campli, courtesy of a well-weighted ball across the face by Alina Roberts.
Belconnen was the better side in the second half, and made it two just minutes before the break, as, not for the first time in the half, the Blue Devils’ unrelenting midfield pressure won the ball back, before Anneke Corry’s cross found Keira Bobbin who put home comfortably.
Both Belconnen wingers were constant threats in the first half and were at it again just four minutes into the second half, as Alina Roberts beat Ivy Stevens and cut it back for Bobbin’s second, and Roberts’ second assist of the contest.
Marcial Munoz’s side needed someone to step up to drag the Gunners back into the game, and that player was Bonnie Young, converting from close range on 54 minutes off the back of a superb team move, before 18 minutes later cutting inside and scoring a stunning long-distance strike that flew over Matilde Laurel-Tighe in goals to reduce the deficit to one.
Despite the momentum it generated for Gungahlin, Belconnen emphasised their early case for becoming champions by managing the game effectively and clinically killing off the game with four minutes left, as Alyssa Di-Campli turned home her second following an Alex Martens assist.
Over at Kambah 2 Tuggeranong United grabbed an enormous three points in the battle at the bottom against ANU WFC, defeating the University club 1-0 to leapfrog them into seventh place.
With both sides winless, and ANU goalless, so far in 2025, the prospect of a win, and what it could do for either team’s season would’ve been no doubt in the mind of both coaches heading into the match.
Despite dominating the majority of the match, it took the home side 66 minutes to find the breakthrough, in the second half which saw Ian Toms’ eleven look increasingly likely to win their first of the season.
Following a good performance for Tuggeranong in Round 3, Acacia Argento was her side’s difference maker again, scoring after a Lena Christopherson cross was headed into her path, which she controlled and hit superbly past Charlotte Doldissen in ANU’s net to make it 1-0, a goal which proved to be enough to present last season’s bottom team with a first win of the campaign, and a first since 2023.
Over at Ainslie Field 2, Canberra Olympic made it back-to-back league wins with a narrow 2-1 victory over Majura FC.
The home side came into the match off the back of an 8-0 hammering to Gungahlin, while Olympic’s success over Gungahlin in the cup gave an indication that Frank Cachia’s squad are getting back to their best.
The two opponents couldn’t be separated at half time, however just ten minutes into the second period Majura took the lead, following a turnover of possession presenting the ball to Abigail Richards.
The midfielder’s pinpoint long pass beat a high Olympic backline and found Olivia Martiniello, who turned Lead Carnegie inside out before scoring a well-deserved first goal in the NPL Women’s, having made an eye-catching start to life in the top tier.
The away side wasn’t behind for long however, after Elke Aitolu, sitting in a more advanced position, found a yard of space, and with the ball rolling across her struck a long-range stunner into the top corner to bring it back to 1-1.
Majura may feel somewhat unlucky in the way they were eventually beaten, as another spectacular goal proved to be enough to hand Cachia’s side the victory, this time through Alyse Jensen, who found plenty of space at the top of the box, before striking past Ingrid Laursen to wrap up three important points for Olympic.
The final match of the round saw West Canberra Wanderers taste defeat for the first time this season against Canberra Croatia, losing 2-1 at Deakin Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Donned in a purple variation of their home shirt in celebration of Female Football Week, Musie Elongo’s side made a bright start to proceedings, opening the scoring 12 minutes in following Michaela Thornton’s hit from outside the box, which found its way past stand-in goalkeeper Ellen Brown, deputising for Gabrielle O’Brien after an early injury.
Usually an outfield player, Brown deserves credit for stepping up to take the place of O’Brien, and despite conceding a second goal to Croatia on 33 minutes, there was nothing the goalkeeper could do, following another dangerous delivery from Bella Barac which was flicked on by Arusha Chew, finding Ellie Raymond to tap home at the back post.
While Croatia dominated the first period, Steve Rohan-Jones’ side grew more into the game in the second half, and were rewarded on 76 minutes, as a cross from Zoe Halpin found its way to Alex Gidis, who tapped into an empty net to bring the Wanderers back into the game.
Despite a late push West Canberra were unable to find an equaliser, creating a three point-gap between the chasing pack and Belconnen United in first.
RESULTS
ROUND 4
Sunday 4 May
Majura FC 1 (Martiniello 55’) Canberra Olympic 2 (Aitolu 72’, Jensen 79’)
Belconnen United 4 (Di-Campli 6’, 86’, Bobbin 39’, 49’) Gungahlin United 2 (Young 54’. 73’)
Tuggeranong United 1 (Argento 65’) ANU WFC 0
Canberra Croatia 2 (Thornton 13’, Raymond 33’) West Canberra Wanderers 1 (Gidis 76’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | +18 | 12 |
| 2 | West Canberra | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 9 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 6 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 |
| 5 | Canberra Olympic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | -7 | 3 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 23 | -19 | 3 |
| 8 | ANU WFC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | -18 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
10: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
4: Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
3: Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
2: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), 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), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Sofia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), 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), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United)
TOP ASSISTS
5: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United)
4: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
3: Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Esperance ANDERSON (Tuggeranong United), Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Jamie BERKLEY (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), 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), 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), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
Words: Sam Watson
