Canberra Olympic secured the Women’s Charity Shield with a late Ella Brown winner guiding them to a narrow 2-1 success over Belconnen United in front of a large crowd at Deakin Stadium.
Brown was introduced into the fray off the substitutes bench in the 55th minutes and, twenty-three minutes later, was perfectly positioned to latch onto an Ali Cook free-kick to send a thumping volley beyond the reach of debutant Blue devils goalkeeper Monique Pinkiewicz who had no chance of stopping it.
It capped a come-from-behind success for Olympic in their first match under new Head Coach Frank Cachia, the fixture being as tight as many would have predicted between the two pre-eminent teams from the 2023 National Premier League season.
It was the Blue Devils who drew first blood after quarter-of-an-hour thanks to sensational work from forward Reilly Yuen. Yuen backtracked to just outside the Belconnen penalty area to tidy up a through ball and advanced before rapping a perfect pass into Keira Bobbin up front.
There was still plenty to do for Bobbin whose first touch took the ball away from the covering Katrina Peric and allowed the speedster to advance clear on goal where an unerring finish, low beyond the advancing Janet King, who was well-beaten by the accurate finish.
Olympic responded well and were level within six minutes with a wonderful goal. Bessie Riethmuller played a part, laying off a flick with a perfectly weighted touch, which allowed Madison Cachia, operating at the top of the midfield diamond, to lash a low shot into the back of the net.
Just prior to the equaliser, Olympic had a glorious chance to get back on terms as Sienna Birnie saw her point-blank shot repelled by Pinkiewicz, with Riethmuller, at full stretch, unable to steer the loose ball into the gaping goal.
And they would have hit the front shortly after levelling had Pinkiewicz not been alert enough to block a Birnie shot with her legs following a miscommunication between Belconnen midfielders Peral Tein and Isabella Hindmarsh.
Belconnen themselves created little in attack, the industrious Sofia Palywoda almost finding the head of substitute Lisa Cary late in the piece, but try as they might, the Blue devils were unable to find a way past King and her defence, Olympic seeing out the game to notch a first-ever Charity Shield success.
MATCH DETAILS
Canberra Olympic (1) 2 (Cachia 21’, Brown 78’) Belconnen United (1) 1 (Bobbin 15’)
TEAMS
Canberra Olympic: 1. Janet KING, 2. Bessie RIETHMULLER (44. Ella BROWN 55’), 3. Sienna BIRNIE (19. Leah CARNEGIE 83’), 6. Jane VANZINO (28. Tehya ASPLAND 73’), 10. Katrina PERIC (18. Liana ALVES 83’), 11. Tianah MIRO (12. Nikita PERRY, 73’), 17. Nicole JALOCHA, 20. Jaya BOWMAN, 23. Victoria JAMIESON, 26. Madison CACHIA, 34. Ali COOK
Belconnen United: 1. Monique PINKIEWICZ, 2. Lauren PRESTON, 4. Sophia DOUMOS (12. Marija RATHOUSKI 55’), 5. Alyse JENSEN, 6. Maddie STEINACKER (3. Ailish MCDONAGH 61’), 8. Sofia PALYWODA, 10. Hattie CRAM (17. Alyssa DI-CAMPLI 46’), 11. Keria BOBBIN, 18. Isabella HINDMARSH (13. Lisa CARY 55’), 21. Pearl TEIN, 22. Reilly YUEN (33. Alina ROBERTS 61’)
DISCIPLINE
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
OFFCIALS
Referee: Aisha STRUTT, Assistant Referees: Karla MARTIN, Lara SMITH, Fourth Official: Jordan KING
