Canberra Olympic cruised to a 3-0 success over Gungahlin United at O’Connor Enclosed, in the first match of the National Premier League Women’s weekend, as Frank Cachia’s team leapfrogged their opponents into the top four.
Olympic were in front inside 21 minutes, after Tayla Hampson’s strike on goal was spilled, which presented the ball to Tatum Mazis, who finished clinically to make it 1-0.
A first goal after coming back to the NPLW from Nicole Kaleb on the brink of half-time took the home side two clear at the conclusion of an even first 45 minutes, and left Gungahlin facing an uphill battle heading into the second period.
While Gungahlin maintained a footing in the match for the following half of football, a third for Olympic after 55 minutes took Cachia’s team out of sight, as Tayla Hampson opened her account for the season in stunning fashion, dinking the ball over Georgia Ritchie, and ultimately wrapping up the three points for her side.
Kambah 2 played host to the second NPLW match of the round, as Tuggeranong United held Belconnen United to seven in an improved showing against the goal-hungry table-toppers, who went 17 points clear of second, while still having played three more matches.
The Blue Devils began the scoring early as they so often do, going ahead after six minutes, following a quality pass from the returning Pascale La Hei finding top scorer Keira Bobbin to bag her 20th of the season.
La Hei continued to make her mark on return to the first grade starting lineup, scoring a four-minute double, before a Jessica Mitchell own goal and a penalty from Bobbin rounded the half time score to five.
Having been in command of the first period, the second followed a similar narrative, despite outfield player Marija Rathouski replacing Matilde Laurel-Tighe in between the sticks for the second 45.
A Bronte Pyke strike, 24 minutes into the second period, and a Talia Backhouse effort just seven after that, all but secured the three points even after Backhouse was dismissed for two quickfire yellow cards.
Over at Ainslie Field 2 the final match of the round saw West Canberra Wanderers claim another three important points in their pursuit of maintaining a place in the top four, with a 2-0 victory away against Majura FC.
The Wanderers dominated the opening half and although Steve Rohan-Jones’ side went into the break without a goal, it was only a matter of time before the away side took the lead.
It took just three second half minutes for the opener to come, as Demi Nikias struck a stunner from the edge of the box that picked out the top corner, to make it 1-0 West Canberra.
An early half goal was followed by a strike on the brink of full-time, as Zoe Halpin pounced on a goalkeeping error to ensure the three points were heading to the away side, and their position in third for another week.
RESULTS
ROUND 17
Sunday 3 August
Canberra Olympic 3 (Mazis 21’, Kaleb 44’, Hampson 59’) Gungahlin United 0
Tuggeranong United 0 Belconnen United 7 (Bobbin 6’, 42’, La Hei 30’. 34’, Mitchell 36’ (og), Pyke 66’, Backhouse 73’)
Majura FC 0 West Canberra Wanderers 2 (D. Nikias 48’, Halpin 89’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 9 | +96 | 42 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 14 | +36 | 28 |
| 3 | West Canberra | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 26 |
| 4 | Canberra Olympic | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 24 | +17 | 24 |
| 5 | Gungahlin United | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 22 | +23 | 21 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 62 | -51 | 6 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 107 | -99 | 3 |
| 8 | ANU WFC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | -42 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
21: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
12: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
11 Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers)
10: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
9: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United)
8: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
7: Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
6: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
5: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)
4: Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers)
3: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
2: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Hannah BOURKE (Canberra Croatia), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), 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), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (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), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren WATT (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC), Reilly YUEN (Canberra Croatia)
TOP ASSISTS
12: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
10: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
9: Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
8: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United)
7: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
6: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
4: Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
3: Tiana BOOTS (Canberra Croatia), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United)
2: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Jada LAMOND (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Juliana ROBERTSON (West Canberra Wanderers), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (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), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Lena CHRISTOPHERSON (Tuggeranong United), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Annaliese GROVE (Gungahlin United), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Stefi LEJINS (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), 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), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
Words: Sam Watson
