ACT WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE
MATCHDAY 5
Sunday 1st May
Gungahlin United 2 (Georgia Fogarty 35’, Ilahna Aitchison 88’) Canberra FC 2 (Rachael Goldstein 6’, Emma Bestek 73’)
(Gungahlin Enclosed)
By Isaac Norwoozi
Gungahlin United FC and Canberra FC share the spoils in entertaining 2-all draw at Gungahlin Enclosed. It was a competitive game from start to finish as both sides fought to a standstill in front of a vocal crowd in Gungahlin. It was a rough, muddy pitch at Gungahlin, but Canberra FC managed to take an early lead through Rachael Goldstein, who touched the ball past the keeper and found the net. It was a back-and-forth contest in the midfield, with both sides having their chances, however it was Gungahlin United that scored next. Georgia Fogarty found the equaliser amidst some confusion in the box after a dangerous low ball. Both continued the attack, but momentum swung in the favour of Canberra FC. Canberra nearly went 2-1 up through Bridget Wright, however Gungahlin goalkeeper Gill Raymond got the better of that one-on-one situation. The half would end 1-all.
The second half was a similar story to the first, with both sides finding attacking options every time they moved forward. However, the momentum swayed in the favour of Gungahlin United, who put Canberra’s defence under immense pressure for the majority of the half. Despite their dominance, Canberra FC took the ball on the counter-attack and Emma Bestek scored from long range to give her side the lead against the run of play. Gungahlin nearly equalised one minute later, Ashleigh Palombi found herself in front of an empty net but mishit the bouncing ball off the crossbar. Gungahlin continued to apply pressure, but it seemed that Canberra FC would absorb it and go on to win the game. Then, with just two minutes to go, Gungahlin were awarded a free kick from just outside the box. Ilahna Aitchison stepped up and made no mistake, rocketing the ball into the top corner giving the goal keeper no chance. Neither side could get the winner, as the game ended all-square
Gungahlin United head coach Paulo Romero was proud of his side’s efforts on a rough pitch, but disappointed the game didn’t go their way. “I thought it was one of those games that was going to go their way,” said Romero. “It wasn’t the best conditions to play in but I’m proud of the effort the girls put in, we did well, we dug in, a win would have been better but that’s football.” Canberra FC head coach Peter Kavouras had a similar point of view on the pitch, and felt his side deserved more. “Under the circumstances, the pitch, the wind, we had a number of players out and new players come in,” said Kavouras. “We conceded two silly goals, and that’s really the story.”
Gungahlin United: 1. Gill RAYMOND, 2. Lorena BARBARO, 3. Georgia FOGARTY, 6. Najwa ALLEN, 8. Ilahna AITCHISON, 10. Ashleigh PALOMBI, 11. Brittany PALOMBI, 13. Natalie DE MARCO, 17. Sally ROJAHN, 18. May BAILEY, 25. Alex MARTENS
Substitutes used: 16. Alex PATTERSON, 22. Madeleine PERCIVAL
Canberra FC: 1. Georgia STEWART, 2. Alice CHURCHILL, 3. Meg MCFARLAND, 7. Kirsty BABINGTON, 8. Emma BESTEK, 10. Jennifer BISSET, 11. Ella-Jane RILEY, 13. Bridget WRIGHT, 14. Rachael GOLDSTEIN, 16. Kat CONROY, 33. Hiwot JOHNSTONE
Substitutes used: 4. Nida MOLLISON, 12. Sheridan MCELLIGOTT, 22. Milli MALLINSON
YELLOW CARDS: 33. Hiwot JOHNSTONE (Canberra FC)
RED CARDS: Nil
Woden-Weston FC 1 (Erika Pennyfield 58’) Belconnen United 3 (Michaela Day 24’ (pen), Talia Backhouse 51’, Samantha Price 77’)
(Woden Park)
Belconnen United returned to the top of the ACT Women’s Premier League with a 3-1 win over Woden-Weston FC at Woden Park on a windy autumn afternoon in Canberra. The conditions certainly didn’t help either team to stamp their authority on the match with chances in the opening half limited to a number of long range shots that rarely troubled the respective goalkeepers. Belconnen broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 24th minute of the match. Madelyn Whittall broke into the area and was upended by a miss-timed challenge which allowed Michaela Day to slot home the resultant penalty for her fourth goal of the season. That was the sole difference between the teams at the half-way stage and the Blue Devils entered the changing rooms with a slender and precarious 1-0 advantage. They were to get a second, and give themselves breathing space, six minutes after the resumption with a fine goal. Talia Backhouse collected a pass and advance before chancing her arm from range. Her shot had the requisite pace and direction to loop over Georgia Boric in the Woden-Weston Fc goal and nestle into the back of the net. Woden-Weston FC weren’t done however and pulled one back seven minutes later as Erika Pennyfield curled a beauty of a shot from 25 metres beyond the reach of Maja Blasch. That goal gave the home team hopes of a comeback but it was stymied thirteen minutes from time. Sofia Merkoureas whipped a cross along the six-yard box that was tapped in on the far post by substitute Samantha Price to seal the win.
Woden-Weston FC: 1. Georgia BORIC, 3. Edith MELI, 4. Sarah CRITTENDEN, 5. Karen CLARKE, 7. Rhianna GOLDSTEIN, 8. Erika PENNYFIELD, 9. Paula VAN DOMMELEN, 11. Emma BEAUMONT, 13. Catherine BARNSLEY, 17. Leah CARNEGIE, 18. Bridget PLUMMER
Substitutes used: 2. Celina GAYER, 6. Sarah WHITFIELD, 26. Loretta RAAP
Belconnen United: 1. Maja BLASCH, 2. Katie WOODMAN, 3. Lauren KEIR, 5. Sofia MERKOUREAS, 7. Jessie WILLIAMS, 8. Michaela DAY, 9. Tahlia BACKHOUSE, 10. Chloe CALLAGHAN, 11. Madelyn WHITTALL, 14. Ellie RAYMOND, 15. Jordan BUCHANAN
Substitutes used: 6. Aoife COLVILL, 13. Samantha PRICE
YELLOW CARDS: Nil
RED CARDS: Nil
Tuggeranong United 4 (Meg McLaughlin 27’, 54’, 90’, Sandra Hill 51’) CU Academy 0
(Kambah 2)
By Nick Amies
Tuggeranong United got their first win over the ACT Women’s Premier League season with a 4-0 triumph over the Canberra United Academy at Kambah on Sunday. The home side raced out of the blocks, applying heavy pressure to the Academy defence as they tried to pass the ball out from the back. Meg McLaughlin disposed goalkeeper Jaime Butler after a shaky first touch, but Mikayla Vidmar was on hand to block the resulting shot by Alex Lawrence. Lawrence went close again minutes later after Isabella Tammaro misplaced a pass from central defence, striking the crossbar from just inside the penalty area. It was certainly a nervous opening to the match for Canberra United, but the visitors began to grow into the match with some fine passages of play down the right flank from winger Lily Dawson.
However, at this level all it takes is a second to find a breakthrough and Tuggeranong hit the front in the 27th minute. Sandra Hill advanced from defence with the ball at her feet and produced an inch-perfect pass through the Academy centre backs to find the run of Meg McLaughlin. The striker continued on from her hat-trick last week, coolly finishing past the ‘keeper for her fifth goal of the season. It was a cruel blow for the Academy after overcoming their early stutters, but the visitors began an immediate search for an equaliser. Making a promising foray down the left touchline, Anna Mihalyka cut inside her defender a cut the ball back to Stella De Marco on the edge of the box, but the midfielder’s shot was smothered by a wall of Tuggeranong defenders.
Tuggeranong went into the break a goal to the good, but would seal the result in the opening minutes of the second half after scoring twice in quick succession. Canberra United attempted to get back into the match from a corner, but Tuggeranong cleared the danger and sprung forward on a quick counter through Meg McLaughlin. The striker dribbled past a series of players before crossing it into the middle to pick out Sandra Hill for a simple tap-in and her first goal of the season. Hill, pushed into midfield by Coach Michael Aldred after a half-time substitution, picked up her second assist of the match by once again linking up with McLaughlin. It was a near carbon-copy of the second goal, as Hill’s cross from the right was tapped home by the striker for her second of the match.
McLaughlin completed her hat-trick in the 90th minute, and once again it was Sandra Hill who created the chance. The midfielder’s low driven shot was saved well by substitute ‘keeper Olivia Riddell, but McLaughlin was on hand to pounce on the loose ball and complete the scoring. The result gives Tuggeranong their first points of the season after a series of near-misses, while the Canberra United Academy remain at the bottom of the ladder ahead of next weekend’s meeting with the undefeated Canberra FC.
Tuggeranong United: 1. Jill SCOTT, 3. Anna DOYLE, 6. Rachael CORBETT, 7. Stephanie COATES, 8. Meg MCLAUGHLIN, 9. Alex LAWRENCE, 10. Miranda SUMMERSBY-MITCHELL, 12. Sophie EVANS, 13. Sandra HILL, 24. Jamie BERKELEY, 25. Dianne WILSON
Substitutes used: 11. Hayley MCLACHLAN, 14, Beth WILLIAMS, 15. Renae SHATZMAN
CU Academy: 1. Jaime BUTLER, 2. Bronte PYKE, 3. Mikayla VIDMAR, 4. Sophie BARNSLEY, 6. Cecilija MATIC, 7. Isabella TAMMARO, 8. Anna MIHALYKA, 10. Georja DICKIE, 12. Demi NIKIAS, 13. Stella DE MARCO, 16. Lily DAWSON
Substitutes used: 5. Emily JENSEN, 14, Molly LAWLESS, 16. Olivia RIDDELL
YELLOW CARDS: Nil
RED CARDS: Nil
TABLE
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
1 | Belconnen United | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 5 | +17 | 12 |
2 | Canberra FC | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 11 |
3 | Gungahlin United | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 10 |
4 | Woden-Weston FC | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 7 |
5 | Tuggeranong United | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 3 |
6 | CU Academy | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 34 | -34 | 0 |
LEADING SCORERS
7 Meg MCLAUGHLIN (Tuggeranong United)
6 Ashleigh PALOMBI (Gungahlin United)
5 Ellie RAYMOND (Belconnen United), Brittany PALOMBI (Gungahlin United)
4 Michaela DAY (Belconnen United)
3 Samantha PRICE, Jessie WILLIAMS (Belconnen United), Alice CHURCHILL (Canberra FC), Erika PENNYFIELD (Woden-Weston FC)
2 Talia BACKHOUSE, Aoife COLVILL (Belconnen United), Kat CONROY, Kate THORNTON, Marcia WALLIS (Canberra FC), Ilahna AITCHSION, Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Jamie BERKELEY (Tuggeranong United), Karen CLARKE (Woden-Weston FC), Own GOALS
1 Cara CUTAIA, Adriana ILHEO, Amy SPENCE (Belconnen United), Emma BESTEK, Grace GILL, Rachael GOLDSTEIN, Bridget WRIGHT (Canberra FC), Grace FIELD, Georgia FOGARTY, Sally ROJAHN (Gungahlin United), Sandra HILL, Hayley MCLACHLAN (Tuggeranong United), Leah CARNEGIE, Rhianna GOLDSTEIN, Paul VAN DOMMELEN (Woden-Weston FC)