Tuggeranong United extended their lead at the top of the Capital Premier League with a routine 2-0 victory in difficult conditions against Yoogali SC in Griffith to go four points clear in their bid to return to the National Premier League.
United were always in control of the match and, but for the woodwork which denied Luke Stevens and Mark Richards via bar and post respectively, may have added to the two goals, one scored in each half.
Yoogali are a tough nut to crack on their own turf so it would have pleased Mitch Stevens that his team were able to take the lead midway through the opening half as Luke Stevens got on the end of a Fraser Burns flick to lob the advancing ‘keeper and send the visitors into the break in front with his ninth of the season.
A single goal is never a comfortable lead and United were able to add to the tally when Richards was brought down inside box allowing Sam Walker to confidently despatch the penalty to move onto double figures and set Tuggeranong up nicely for their top two clash with Queanbeyan in Round 10.
ANU FC moved into third place in the table and inflicted what might be a telling blow on Queanbeyan City by sending the long-time league leaders to their first defeat of the season netting a late winner to claim the points.
A strike from Nicholas Hope three minutes into stoppage time ensured that Talal Safar’s team struck a dagger into Queanbeyan’s title aspirations, the team that has saved themselves with a brace of late winners in recent weeks, succumbing to the sucker punch at the hands of the University side.
Max Mottl had fired a statement of intent for the home side by putting them ahead after only nine minutes of the contest, and yet Queanbeyan were unbeaten for a reason and showed their commitment and character to level a minute later, Abderrahim Dellahi bringing the teams all-square.
It looked like that was how it would end until Hope’s late goal, a goal that moved ANU FC above White Eagles and a goal that passed the advantage firmly to Tuggeranong United ahead of their trip to Griffith to face Yoogali SC.
A twelfth of the season for the CPL’s leading goalscorer Cuneyt Caglar wasn’t enough for White Eagles to gain a win as they were held by a vastly improving Brindabella Blues who are proving to be a tough nut to crack, especially at their home ground of Ipan Park in Calwell.
Caglar’s goal, scored a minute before the half-time break, appeared to set Eagles up nicely for the second stanza, and yet the Blues have been in stoic form of late and were never out of the contest.
Jamie Ward brought them level with his sixth goal of the campaign with twenty-two minutes to play and both teams then had chances to claim the maximum haul. Neither could do so though, and they were left to share the spoils. The point keeping the Blues to within two of Eagles and a place in the top four.
Wagga City Wanderers kept alive their hopes of a top four place by moving to within four points of the current incumbents, White Eagles, by claiming the three points against Weston-Molonglo FC but were made to wait until the closing stages to confirm their successful afternoon.
The Wanderers had to wait until twenty minutes from time to break down the stubborn defence of the bottom-of-the-table Magpies and it was little surprise that it was leading scorer Jake Ploenges who broke the deadlock with his fifth league goal of the season.
After that it took until two minutes from time for Dave Leonard and his coaching staff to breathe easier as Matthew Mitchell netted for the first time in 2022. A late third, buried by Alvaro Kelechi was perhaps harsh on the visitors, but secured the three points for Wagga City, rounding out the 3-0 win.
RESULTS
Saturday 11 June
Wagga City Wanderers 3 (Ploenges 70, Mitchell 88’, Kelechi 89’) Weston-Molonglo FC 0
Brindabella Blues 1 (Ward 68’) White Eagles 1 (Caglar 44’)
ANU FC 2 (Mottl 9’, Hope 90+3’) Queanbeyan City 1 (Dellahi 10’)
Sunday 12 June
Yoogali SC 0 Tuggeranong United 2 (Stevens 27’, Walker 69’ (p))
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Tuggeranong United | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | +34 | 24 |
| 2 | Queanbeyan City | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | +11 | 20 |
| 3 | ANU FC | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | +6 | 15 |
| 4 | White Eagles | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | +14 | 14 |
| 5 | Brindabella Blues | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 12 |
| 6 | Wagga City Wanderers | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | -12 | 10 |
| 7 | Yoogali SC | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -9 | 8 |
| 8 | Weston-Molonglo FC | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | -38 | 0 |
