A hat-trick from Madison Cachia highlighted Canberra Olympic’s return to the top of the tale as the 14-year-old helped her team to a 6-0 victory over Tuggeranong United at Kambah 2.
Within the first twenty minutes, the youngster had struck twice. First, pouncing on the ball after a scramble in the box and striking into the bottom left corner of Amy Wiggan’s goal from close range. Her second goal ended in the same spot, but this time it was her ability to turn around ball to feet and her pace that allowed her to find space and time to score from the edge of the box.
Olympic, all over their opponent in that first half, increased their lead to three goals five minutes before going to the locker room, when Olivia Gurney anticipated and intercepted a pass from Wiggan, to beat the goalkeeper from a narrow angle, she would later see a penalty saved.
Cachia’s hat-trick was in the books five minutes in the second act, with another precise left footed effort, in the bottom right corner. Another scramble ten minutes later in Tuggeranong’s danger area saw Nicole Jalocha scoring her third goal of the season, Olympic’s fifth on the day.
It went from bad to worse for Tuggeranong, when Rainey Niles was given her marching orders for a second yellow card two minutes from full time. Michaela Thornton took the following free kick, finding Elke Aitolu’s head to round up her team’s success.
Canberra United Academy was travelling to Wanderers Park at lunch time and Sunday, where they saw off the West Canberra Wanderers 3-0. After an even half hour where both teams had some half chances to strike first, a free kick obtained by Alyssa Di Campli offered the Academy the chance to take the lead.
From 20 meters away, Jaya Bowman chipped the ball over the wall, to see it dipped in the top left corner, too far from Emily Pearce. Dominating during the rest of the half, Matthew Moore’s team was unable to convert their few opportunities.
Despite two positive results in their last two encounters, the Wanderers on their end found real difficulties bringing the danger in the final third. They tried to find solutions early in the second half, without much success.
Instead, it is the Academy, halfway through the second half, who would score twice in five minutes, sealing the fate of the game. Sofia Christopherson scored her first goal of the season from the corner of the box, with a glancing effort in the bottom right corner.
Minutes later, a superb run from Ashleigh Carty ended in a cut back pass for new entrant Riley McQueenie, who was able to finish from close range.
Belconnen United were back at Deakin Stadium a week after the Federation Cup final, and left with another success, this time over Canberra Croatia, winning 3-1.
In the duel between the two most successful outfits of the Capital in WNPL, the first who scores usually wins – this was proven again on Sunday. The Blue Devils started the highly anticipated encounter the best way possible. A clumsy challenge from Zoe Sobczak on Hattie cram five minutes in convince Jacob Martin to point to the spot kick, allowing Talia Backhouse to score the first goal of the game.
The equaliser came before the half hour marked from Rhiannon Fensom. The centre back showed her ease ball to fit with a first attempt on the post, and a following effort through a forest of leg and in the back of Ellie Summers’ net. Trying to play the momentum, the team coached by Zoran Glavinic started her run of hard luck, hitting the woodwork for the second time when Brittany Palombi rattled the crossbar.
Minutes later, Talia Backhouse found Reilly Yuen in space behind the defence on her left wing. The forward let her pace and power do the talking, before finding Hattie Cram, inches from the goal line, happy to tap the ball in.
Belconnen’s patience paid off 15 minutes before full time, when Alina Roberts, with a superb back heel, sent Bessie Riethmuller facing Maddie Angel. The striker finished, securing the win for her team, and a spot at the top of the goal scoring ladder for herself. With another attempt on the woodwork – a penalty taken by Brittany Palombi – Canberra Croatia ended the game probably thinking another 120 minutes would not have been enough to get a result.
A week after failing to claim a first trophy, Gungahlin United was back to winning ways at home against the ANU WFC thanks to an in-form Sharon Chao claiming a 3-1 win. A few changes in the team selection did not seem to disturb the Gunners too much. Not in the 11 last week at Deakin, Kaley Tonini, Karen Clarke, Jade Brown, Michelle Wienecke, and Sharon Chao started on Sunday.
After the round of observation between two teams who like to play possession football, the Gunners finally broke the deadlock after the half hour mark. A one-two between Chao and Ginger Oliver ended with a former scoring the goal of the weekend, a superb effort from the edge of the box, in the top right corner.
Sofia Chaverra tried to answer immediately but Tonini was vigilant and instead, ten minutes later, an unfortunate handball from Ailish McDonagh left no choice to Lara Smith but to point to the spot kick. Chao converted from the spot.
The Gunners started the second half on the same rhythm, forcing Claire Joseph to a few saves to keep the status quo. The keeper could not do anything 20 minutes in, when Michelle Wienecke’s cross found Maddie Perceval in the box. The captain’s powerful header was also precise, impossible to parry for Joseph. ANU WFC’s consolation was a cross-shot from Emma Douglas-Oliveira that eluded Kailey Tonini to drop into the net.
RESULTS
ROUND 9
Friday 9 June
Tuggeranong United 0 Canberra Olympic 6 (Cachia 7’, 17’, 52’, Gurney 39’, Jalocha 66’, Aitolu 88’)
Sunday 11 June
Canberra Croatia 1 (Fensom 28’) Belconnen United 3 (Backhouse 4’ (p), Cram 41’, Riethmuller 75’)
Gungahlin United 3 (Chao 32’, 40’ (p), Perceval 67’) ANU WFC 1 (Douglas-Oliveira 79’)
West Canberra Wanderers 0 Canberra United Academy 3 (Bowman 12’, Christopherson 68’, McQueenie 73’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 5 | +20 | 20 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 8 | +17 | 19 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 11 | +16 | 17 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 11 | +12 | 17 |
| 5 | Canberra United Academy | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 13 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 19 | -10 | 6 |
| 7 | West Canberra Wanderers | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 24 | -18 | 4 |
| 8 | Tuggeranong United | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 31 | -26 | 3 |
TOP SCORERS
8 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
7 Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
5 Kiera BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic)
4 Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC)
3 Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELY (Gungahlin United)
2 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
1 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Emma DOULAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
