Sienna Birnie took her season total of goals to an impressive eight in five competitive matches after bagging a first WNPL hat-trick in Canberra Croatia’s 5-0 defeat of a plucky Tuggeranong United at Greenway Enclosed on a n unseasonably warm Friday evening.
Having watched Canberra Olympic seize the initiative with their midweek win over Belconnen United, the league champions wasted little time in asserting their authority in this one and, after only five minutes had elapsed, went ahead when Isabella Barac reacted fastest to a shot saved by United stopper Sammie Emms, to tap home.
If Croatia thought that they would stroll to a victory after that early goal, Tuggeranong had other ideas and, under Paulo Romero, look to be a stronger force in 2022 than they were twelve months ago. However, it was Birnie who took the game away from them in the second half.
After making it two four minutes into the second half, Birnie struck twice more to seal the points and when Barac netted her second in stoppage time, waltzing her way through a tiring United backline, the result was iced.
The battle of the Wanderers was the first game played on Sunday. On Melrose synthetic, West Canberra got the better of Wagga City thanks to a goal each side of the half time break.
In a game where both teams answered blow by blow, the hosts had the better opportunities in the first half. The reward came, just like against Canberra United Academy before the Easter break, in the dying the second of the first act, when Ginger Oliver’s cross found her captain Sarah Whitfield forgotten at the far post. The skipper calmy headed the ball in the empty net.
Sam Gray’s troops searched for the equalizer in the second half but conceded again just after the hour mark. After a one-two between Kaitlyn Colwill and Hattie Cram, Tara Cannon was found near the edge of the box. The midfielder took a chance from a distance and her effort found the opposite side net, too high for Ebony Warner to put a hand on.
West Canberra recorded their second win in three competitive league and cup games and stay in reach of the top runners, while Wagga City is one of the trio of teams in the competition yet to get a point in 2022.
Canberra United Academy claimed their first win of the season at Hawker Enclosed on Sunday evening as they eased past Gungahlin United with a four-goal win on the Synthetic surface.
Gungahlin started the game aggressively, shutting down the Academy’s build-ups and controlling the tempo of the game. As the game continued, Canberra united would slowly take control and be the first to score through Charli Gregson in the 11th minute.
Things went from bad to worse for Gungahlin, as an accidental handball in the 46th minute, and a poor tackle in the 62nd minute, gave the hosts a pair of penalties, both converted by Isabella Hindmarsh as the lead was extended to 3-0.
The final goal of the game was well worth the wait as Jaya Bowman met a cleared corner some 35m from goal and executed an outstanding chipped finish into the Gunners net for an early contender for goal of the season.
ROUND 3
Wednesday 20 April
Canberra Olympic 3 (Sykes 32’, 33’, Cook 88’ (p)) Belconnen United 2 (Backhouse 40’ (p), Carnegie 76’)
Friday 22 April
Tuggeranong United 0 Canberra Croatia 5 (Barac 5’, 90+2’, Birnie 49’, 62’, 76’)
Sunday 24 April
West Canberra Wanderers 2 (Whitfield 45’, Cannon 63’) Wagga City Wanderers 0
Canberra United Academy 4 (Gregson 13’, Hindmarsh 48’ (p), 64’ (p), Bowman 72’) Gungahlin United 0