Women's Federation Cup: Blue Devils into Final

Women’s Federation Cup
Round 4

Thursday 30th June 2016
Woden-Weston FC 0 Belconnen United 3 (Talia Backhouse 6’, Madelyn Whittall 22’, Michaela Day 60’)

Belconnen United sealed a place in the Federation Cup Final following a routine 3-0 victory over Woden-Weston FC at the Australian Institute of Sport on a freezing cold Thursday evening. The Blue Devils racked up their fourth win of the competition and are yet to concede a goal, underlining their dominance with a victory in which they dominated the match from start to finish. Any hopes Woden-Weston FC had of springing an upset, and prolonging their involvement in the competition, were dashed inside six minutes as Talia Backhouse scored her first goal of the tournament. That was followed by a second in the 22nd minute as Madelyn Whittall, in decent form in front of goal in the ACT Women’s Premier League in recent weeks, doubled the Blue Devils lead. Woden-Weston attempted to force a way back into the contest but their resistance was dealt a mortal blow on the hour as midfielder Michaela Day struck the third to complete the win.  

Woden-Weston FC: 1. Georgia BORIC, 2. Celina GAYER, 3. Edith MELI, 6. Sarah WHITFIELD, 7. Sarah CRITTENDEN, 8. Erika PENNYFIELD, 9. Paula VAN DOMMELEN, 14. Georgie THOMSON, 18. Bridgit PLUMMER, 34. Cassandra WATSON, 52. Isobel D’AMICO 
Substitutes used: 4. Rhianna GOLDSTEIN, 17. Leah CARNEGIE
Belconnen United: 1. Jessica GIOVINAZZO, 2. Katie WOODMAN, 3. Lauren KEIR, 4. Amy SPENCE, 6. Samantha ROFF, 8. Michaela DAY, 9. Tahlia BACKHOUSE, 10. Chloe CALLAGHAN, 11. Madelyn WHITTALL, 13. Sam PRICE, 16. Cara CUTAIA
Substitutes used: 12. Nicole JALOCHA, 14. Aoife COLVILL, 15. Jordan BUCHANAN
YELLOW CARDS: Nil
RED CARDS: Nil

Sunday 3rd July
Tuggeranong United 3 Canberra FC 0 – Canberra FC Forfeited the Match 
(Kambah 2, 14:00)

CU Academy 2 (Grace Maher 27’, 52’) Gungahlin United 2 (Brittany Palombi 34’, Grace Field 50’)

By Isaac Norwoozi

CU Academy and Gungahlin United will have to wait and see if they will make the Federation Cup Final after a 2-2 draw means both clubs enter the final round of fixtures on seven points and with a chance of progressing. The Academy started off of on the front foot, giving Gungahlin trouble down the wings with their speed, before getting dangerous balls into the box. Gungahlin defended valiantly, however it would only be moments until Academy were on the front foot once again, passing the ball around the box and forcing the keepers to make some clever saves. 

Academy also looked dangerous from set-pieces, winning the ball off every corner, before the defence was able to clear. Gungahlin looked to push forward, but were shut down every time, as Academy’s pressure was enough for them to regain possession and start again. It took 20 minutes for Gungahlin to find their rhythm, giving the Academy defence trouble, and winning two corners for their efforts. Academy would go on to regain possession, but struggled to break down the Gungahlin defence the way they did in the early in the first half. 

Eventually, Academy found the opening they were after when Grace Maher found space to shoot and put the ball over the keeper and into the top corner. From there, Academy continued to push forward looking for a second. Instead, Gungahlin would find space for a clever counter-attack, which ended with a brilliant run from Brittany Palombi. Palombi left one defender for dead before slotting the ball into the bottom corner to give her side an equaliser against the run of play. The half would end 1-all. 

Canberra United look to start the second half in similar fashion to the first, but it was Gungahlin that found the opening with Grace Field rocketing a ball over the keeper, off the crossbar and into the net. The lead however was short lived, with Maher finding her second in spectacular fashion. Maher dazzled two defenders before firing the ball right into the top corner to make it 2-all. From there it became an end-to-end game, with both sides looking dangerous moving forward. 

The game also started to heat up, with players on both sides becoming more physical in their mission to stop the opposition moving forward. Frustration started on both sides as well, as the need to find the elusive third goal became greater. That was the story of the game until the last minute, where Gungahlin piled on the pressure, winning two free kicks in dangerous areas. Academy were able to absorb the pressure, and clear the ball before the referee called for full time. 

CU Academy: 1. Sabrina SANCHEZ, 3. Courtney HALSE, 4. Ivana GALIC, 5. Grace BASSER-SILK, 6. Clare HUNT, 8. Jasmine GENOVESI, 9. Jasmine MAGUIRE, 10. Grace MAHER, 12. Laura HUGHES, 13. Alexia KARRYS-STAHL, 16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN
Substitutes used: 2. Zoe TERRY, 11. Sarah MORGAN, 15. Gemma MURPHY
Gungahlin United: 1. Gill RAYMOND, 3. Georgia FOGARTY, 8. Ilahna AITCHISON, 11. Brittany PALOMBI, 12. Grace FIELD, 16. Alex PATTERSON, 18. May BAILEY, 20. Kayla MARGIOTTA, 21. Ashlyn GARRITY, 27. Darby WHITELY, 26. Sophie BUI
Substitutes used: 23. Victoria JAMIESON, 42. Keeley GILFALLAN
YELLOW CARDS: 8. Ilahna AITCHISON (Gungahlin United)
RED CARDS: Nil

TABLE

LEADING SCORERS 
6 Ashleigh PALOMBI (Gungahlin United)
3 Jessie WILLIAMS (Belconnen United), Alexia KARRYS-STAHL, Grace MAHER (CU Academy), Brittany PALOMBI (Gungahlin United), Paula VAN DOMMELEN (Woden-Weston FC)
2 Cara CUTAIA, WOODMAN (Belconnen United), Kate THORNTON (Canberra FC), Jasmine GENOVESI, Laura HUGHES, Clare HUNT, Sarah MORGAN, Karly ROESTBAKKEN (CU Academy), Alex LAWRENCE (Tuggeranong United)
1 Talia BACKHOUSE, Michaela DAY, Ellie RAYMOND, Madelyn WHITTALL (Belconnen United), Emma BESTEK (Canberra FC), Gemma MURPHY (CU Academy), Caitlin CANTRILL, Grace FIELD, Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United), Rachel CORBETT (Tuggeranong United), Karen CLARKE, Sarah CRITTENDEN, Loretta RAAP (Woden-Weston FC)