Two dominating performances from the top two teams combined with a draw between Canberra Croatia and Gungahlin United see Belconnen United and Canberra Olympic increase their advantage on the table. With the halfway point of the season behind us, the title looks set to go to either of the two powerhouses, whose duel next week becomes even more important.
A game of two halves kicked off the WNPL round on Sunday at Deakin Stadium, where Gungahlin United’s early second half goal resulted in a share of the spoils with Canberra Croatia. The home team had the first half under control most of the time, albeit without really threatening Samnatha Emms.
Brittany Palombi, Isabella Barac, Tatum Mazis, Megan Castle, Jamie Berkeley, Ella Palframan, almost all the Croatia outfit had their chance in a dangerous position. Shots from distance, tight crosses, duels, volleys, Zoran Glavinic’s players used all the weapons in their arsenal to try and force the decision early and gain a bigger advantage before the break.
The one goal they managed to score came in the 14th minute. A free kick, 25 metres from goal and slightly on the right side, might as well be a penalty kick for Palombi’s left foot. The powerful shot swerved over the wall and pierced through Emms’ gloves, just under the crossbar. The captain also came closest to doubling the lead two minutes later, but Emms this time had the last word.
The second act was another story. It started ideally for the visitors. On the front foot straight away, they were rewarded two minutes in. Natalie De Marco launched Ginger Oliver on the left side, the forward cut back inside to eliminate and her defender and rolled in a superb right footed effort that dipped under Ellie Summers’ crossbar.
Sharon Chao was inches away from taking the lead a minute later but her shot from up close came crashing high on the right post. Croatia’s best chance at getting all three points happened at the hour mark, when a cross found Mazis all alone in the six-yard box, but the winger’s header was unfortunately aimed at Emms, happy to receive the ball in her hands.
The opportunities were to be for the Gunners in that second half, but when Summers was not diving at De Marco and Chao’s feet past the hour mark or stopping an attempt from close range late in the game, she was relieved to see Darby Whiteley’s effort landing on her crossbar. The draw eventually felt like a missed opportunity for both teams to really put pressure on the top two.
In the meantime, Madelyn Whittall engaged in all four goals scored by Canberra Olympic at home against ANU WFC, who failed to find the back of the net again this week, Olympic winning 4-0.
As expected, given both teams’ positions on the table, Olympic dominated early on. After a couple of alerts on Georgia Ritchie’s goal, Whittall started her successful afternoon at the eighth minute. A ball the ANU defence could not clear in their box, and the Canberra United winger, from a narrow angle, had enough power to surprise Ritchie at the near post.
She was at it again at the 16th minute. After recovering the ball on her right wing, Whittall seemed to go for a cross, only to see her ball dipping behind Ritchie and under the crossbar. Olympic kept their foot on the pedal yet were unable to add to their tally before the break. The University Club was forced to focus on defensive tasks, with too few incursions in the Olympic half to bring any danger close to Janet King’s area.
The second stanza started in the same rhythm. The Olympic midfield shone by their intensity in the press, making it impossible for the visitors to bring the ball in the opposite half. Offensively, they often failed to find the right last pass, or were stopped in their track by a courageous ANU defence.
The University team’s best chance came from a counterattack at the 73rd minute. Sofia Furlanetto’s speed was enough to get ahead of the Olympic defence, but her attempt from distance failed to find the target.
A minute later unfortunately, following a corner kick from Whittall, ANU’s defence was not able to clear the ball, and serial defender-turned-goalscorer Kat Peric pounced to punish them. The last nail was in two minute later, when Tehya Aspland, very threatening in the 25 minutes she played, crossed the ball for Whittall to complete her hattrick.
Seven second-half goals complimented the first-half opener to make up for the punishment inflicted by Belconnen United to Tuggeranong United at McKellar Park seem a little harsh as the Blue Devils won 8-0. Three weeks after losing to the Gunners, the Blue Devils made a statement of intent, looking after their goal difference at the same time. Hattie Cram was all over the scoresheet, credited with half of the goals scored by her team.
The former Wanderer struck early. Served on the right side of the penalty area after five minutes by Alyse Jensen, Cram with her first touch put enough power in her right foot to surprise Emily Pearce and find the opposite side netting. Near misses, saves for Pearce and a shot from Sofia Palywoda on the crossbar kept the score unchanged until the break.
Tuggeranong came close to the equaliser at the 43rd minute, but a superb save on her line from Monique Pinkiewicz kept her team on track. The second half would be painted blue. Ailish McDonagh’s corner two minutes found Cram at the near post for the second goal of the game. Her hat-trick was sealed seven minutes later, when Alyssa Di-Campli, perfectly sent in space by Palywoda, found her at the far post to tap the ball into the empty net.
Isabella Hindmarsh scored next, just past the hour mark, after a scramble that saw Tuggeranong denying four clear opportunities yet conceding when Hindmarsh hit the ball. Di-Campli got a second assist eight minutes later when she found Pearl Tein at the edge of the box. The skilled midfielder opened her foot and swerved home.
The last three goals were scored in the final ten minutes. Bronte Pyke found Di-Campli in the 81st minute in the area, and the forward added a ninth goal to her season tally. She found time for another assist, offering Cram her fourth goal of the day six minutes later, before Alyse Jensen finished the job in injury time.
RESULTS
ROUND 11
Sunday 23 June
Canberra Olympic 4 (Whittall 8’, 17’, 77’, Peric 75’) ANU WFC 0
Canberra Croatia 1 (Palombi 14’) Gungahlin United 1 (Oliver 48’)
Belconnen United 8 (Cram 5’, 48’, 54’, 88’, Hindmarsh 62’, Tein 69’, Di-Campli 81’, Jensen 90+1’) Tuggeranong United 0
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 8 | +19 | 27 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 7 | +36 | 24 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 19 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 20 | +5 | 16 |
| 5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 24 | -15 | 7 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 35 | -30 | 2 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 30 | -28 | 1 |
TOP SCORERS
10: Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
9: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
7: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
6: Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
5: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
4: Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
3: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United)
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
1: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), 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
