Canberra Croatia secured second place on the OPC NPLW League table as they claimed a place in the Qualification Final with an important 2-0 away win over Gungahlin United at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.
It didn’t take long for Canberra Croatia to hit the front as they opened the scoring after just eighty seconds of the encounter. Awarded an early corner, Brittany Palombi sent over an exquisite cross that was met at the near post by the head of April Hill, the English striker guiding home her eighth goal of the season.
As the weathered worsened, the conditions deteriorated, and the match followed suit becoming a battle of attrition for both teams, Croatia keeping Gungahlin at arm’s length whilst unable toa dd to their early breakthrough.
Gunners’ Ginger Oliver saw a second-half free-kick palmed onto the bar by Ellie Summers in the Croatia goal, but it was the home side who were their own worst enemies at the death, being caught playing out as Brittany Palombi took advantage to score and seal the result.
Canberra Olympic proved too strong for Majura FC in their rearranged Round 19 match at the Australian Institute of Sport, always in control of the match from the opening whistle and running out 6-0 victors.
The visitors got off to a flying start with a goal in the ninth minute. Tianah Miro picked her way past a couple of challenges to find Tatum Mazis, who did likewise, before sliding home. And it was 2-0 moments later as Nikita Perry flashed in a shot from outside the box that dipped into the net.
Olympic had a third before half-time as Sienna Birnie reacted fastest to a shot from Tatum Mazis that was saved, with two further goals arriving from the lethal right boot of Madison Cachia within twelve minutes of each other in the second stanza.
And Cachia was to complete here hat-trick in similar style, taking aim from the edge of the area and wrong-footing the Majura goalkeeper to seal the victory.
RESULTS
ROUND 16
Wednesday 27 August
Gungahlin United 0 Canberra Croatia 2 (Hill 2’, Palombi 90+1’)
ROUND 19
Thursday 28 August
Majura FC 0 Canberra Olympic 6 (Mazis 9’, Perry 12’, Birnie 37’, Cachia 65’, 77’, 88’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 11 | +104 | 54 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 67 | 19 | +48 | 40 |
| 3 | Canberra Olympic | 18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 64 | 32 | +32 | 36 |
| 4 | Gungahlin United | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 30 |
| 5 | West Canberra | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 50 | 33 | +17 | 26 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 18 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 12 | 85 | -73 | 7 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 125 | -116 | 4 |
| 8 | ANU WFC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | -42 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
25: 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), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
11 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic)
10: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
9: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
8: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), April HILL (Canberra Croatia)
7: Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
6: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
5: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)
4: Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), 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), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), 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), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Olivia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), 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), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), 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), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Lauren WATT (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
TOP ASSISTS
15: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
11: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
10: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
9: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
8: Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United)
7: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic)
6: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: 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), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), 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), 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), 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), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Lena CHRISTOPHERSON (Tuggeranong United), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Stefi LEJINS (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), 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), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Caitlyn SKILLICORN (West Canberra Wanderers), Ivy STEVENS (Gungahlin United), Sonja TOMANOVITS (West Canberra Wanderers), April VAN DUREN (Majura FC), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
