Belconnen United claimed a 23rd straight victory of 2025 to claim their place in the National Premier League Women’s Grand Final, after a 3-1 victory over Canberra Croatia in a tight Qualifying Final match at McKellar Park.

A cagey first period of the match saw both teams go into the break locked at 0-0, following a half lacking many clear openings in front of goal for either side.

13 minutes into the second 45 however, Belconnen were the side to break through, as Keira Bobbin’s driving run found Anneke Corry, who found an in-form Pascale La Hei to open the scoring through a stunning effort that picked out the top corner.

With eight minutes remaining Scott Conlon’s side doubled their lead, after the home side were awarded a penalty for a foul on Bobbin, which was clinically converted by Isabella Hindmarsh to make it two, and take the game seemingly out of the reach of Croatia.

Despite defending well for much of the contest Musie Elongo’s outfit rarely threatened on goal, however with just two minutes of normal time remaining, a Brittany Palombi set piece undid Belconnen, as her cross found Riley McQueenie to half the deficit and give her side hope.

Four minutes of added time however proved to benefit the Blue Devils, as Keira Bobbin picked her way superbly through the Croatia defence to cut it back for Pascale La Hei, whose second of the match sealed the club’s passage into the next round, and condemned the away side to a Preliminary Final next weekend.

Following Belconnen’s victory, Canberra Olympic sealed their place in the Preliminary Final against Croatia with a 1-0 success over Gungahlin United in the Elimination Final at McKellar Park.

Gungahlin started the match absent of six crucial first team regulars, although the young side didn’t let it daunt them, performing well to match a star-studded Olympic team in a goalless first 45 that remained a close contest.

The quality of Frank Cachia’s side eventually shone through however, as Tatum Mazis did well to find Madison Cachia, who’s cut back to brilliant pass through to Nicole Kaleb was finished on the second attempt, to put the NPLW’s third-placed side into a 1-0 lead.

Ultimately Olympic’s class proved to be the difference between the two sides, as they booked their Canberra Classico meeting with Croatia next week, despite an admirable and dogged Gungahlin United performance under trying circumstances.

RESULTS

QUALIFICATION FINAL

Sunday 7 September

Belconnen United 3 (La Hei 58’, 90+1’, Hindmarsh 83’ (p)) Canberra Croatia1 (McQueenie 89’)

ELIMINATION FINAL

Sunday 7 September

Canberra Olympic 1 (Kaleb 66’) Gungahlin United 0

TOP SCORERS

26: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)

21: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)

16: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)

14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)

13: Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United)

12: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)

11 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers)

10: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS

9: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)

8: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC)

7: Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)

6: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)

5: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)

4: Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Olivia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Reilly YUEN (Canberra Croatia)

3: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United)

2: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Hannah BOURKE (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)

1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (Canberra Croatia), Layla BARBOUR (Majura FC), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Charlotte DOLDISSEN (Tuggeranong United), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Mollie JONSSON (Tuggeranong United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Audrey MCLAREN (West Canberra Wanderers), Jessica MITCHELL (Tuggeranong United), Abigail MOSS (West Canberra Wanderers), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Saskia NEWMAN (Canberra Croatia), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Halle NYAMEKYE (Majura FC), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), April VAN DUREN (Majura FC), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Lauren WATT (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)

TOP ASSISTS

16: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)

11: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)

10: Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)

9: Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)

8: Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic)

7: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers)

6: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)

5: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic)

4: Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic)

3: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Tiana BOOTS (Canberra Croatia), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)

2: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Annaliese GROVE (Gungahlin United), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Jada LAMOND (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Juliana ROBERTSON (West Canberra Wanderers), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United)

1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Esperance ANDERSON (Tuggeranong United), Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Layla BARBOUR (Majura FC), Lena CHRISTOPHERSON (Tuggeranong United), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Stefi LEJINS (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Saskia NEWMAN (Canberra Croatia), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Ariana RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Vanessa RITCHIE (Majura FC), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Caitlyn SKILLICORN (West Canberra Wanderers), Ivy STEVENS (Gungahlin United),Shayma TAWEEL (Majura FC),  Sonja TOMANOVITS (West Canberra Wanderers), April VAN DUREN (Majura FC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)

 

Words: Sam Watson