Once again, this weekend, the rain stole the show, literally. The game between Tuggeranong and Canberra Croatia and the battle of the Wanderers were postponed. What we did get to watch however, was two nail-biting duels that will shape the end of the season.
The half-round kicked off at O’Connor enclosed, on a field impacted by the weather. Second place Canberra Olympic hosted third place Belconnen United and offered the crowd an entertaining afternoon of football despite the circumstances.
For almost an hour, the Blue Devils frustrated Olympic, bringing their usual defensive intensity and physicality. Keira Bobbin usually needs no more than half a chance to find the back of the net, and it is exactly what she did at the 14th minute. After fighting Victoria Jamieson for the ball on the right wing, Bobbin was lucky to see her cross dipping behind Janet King in the top left corner.
The half hour mark could have been a real sliding door moment for Olympic. A handball by Reilly Yuen in the box saw the referee pointing at the spot kick, just as Nicole Jalocha was scoring the equaliser. The penalty kick given, Michaela Thornton placed the ball, but blazed it over the crossbar.
Luckily for the experienced midfielder, she would eventually make up for it. Nicole Begg’s team had been pushing all game for a goal, and finally got their reward just before the hour mark.
Seconds after being denied from point blank range by Jayla Murphy, Ash Sykes got a second chance after a scramble in the box. This time, her volley was too much for Murphy. 20 minutes later, things became complicated for Belconnen.
A fine counterattack saw Sykes, Thornton, Meg Roden, Olivia Fogarty, and Olivia Gurney combining with no more than two touches each, ending with Thornton being fouled on the edge of the box by Stefanie Lejins, the last defender.
The Blue Devils got punished twice, with Lejins receiving a red card, and the subsequent free kick taken by Thornton slipping under Murphy’s arms. The score would remain unchanged until the final whistle.
The second and final game of the round took place at Hawker, where Canberra United Academy and Gungahlin United were fighting for a slim chance at making the finals. If the more experienced of the two sides ended up with all three points, they had to battle for it against an Academy team not impressed by their opponents.
Andrew Woodman’s team opened the score early on, at the 20th minute. A corner taken by Erika Pennyfield found none other than Rachael Corbett, who celebrated her 150th WNPL appearance by burying a header in the back of the net.
The Academy was dominating at times during that first half, without really being able to worry Kailey Tonini. The Gunners were serious defensively, and always dangerous with fast counter attacks and their use of the width.
The second half started perfectly for Andrew Woodman’s players. 60 seconds in, Sharon Chao was offered the ball 30 meters away from Eliza Evans’ line and without hesitation, the former Canberra Croatia striker executed a perfect shot that dipped just under the crossbar.
Surprised and picked cold, Sarah West’s players struggled to develop their football again, and could thank Evans for a couple of saves that kept them in the game. The Gunners kept pushing and forced the Academy to defend in their half for a solid 20 minutes.
The Academy found the best way to end the complicated period, a goal, with Letisha Babic imitating Chao with long range effort, with added luck when the ball struck the crossbar and Tonini’s head before ending in the back of the net.
The home team pushed for the equaliser until the very end, and Alissa Barbour came close to making it happen. The Gunners eventually held on to their second straight win and put their opponents four points behind them.
They are six points behind fourth place West Canberra and with five games left to play, Michelle Heyman and her teammate can believe in a small miracle.
RESULTS
ROUND 17
Friday 12 August
Tuggeranong United v Canberra Croatia – Match Postponed
Sunday 14 August
Canberra Olympic 2 (Sykes 66’, Thornton 76’) Belconnen United 1 (Bobbin 14’)
Wagga City Wanderers v West Canberra Wanderers – Postponed
Canberra United Academy 1 (Tonini 68’ (og)) Gungahlin United 2 (R. Corbett 20’, Chao 47’)
TABLE
|
|
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
GD |
PTS |
|
1 |
Canberra Croatia |
16 |
14 |
2 |
0 |
+72 |
44 |
|
2 |
Canberra Olympic |
16 |
12 |
4 |
0 |
+55 |
40 |
|
3 |
Belconnen United |
16 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
+33 |
31 |
|
4 |
West Canberra Wanderers |
16 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
-13 |
24 |
|
5 |
Gungahlin United |
16 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
-10 |
18 |
|
6 |
Canberra United Academy |
17 |
4 |
2 |
11 |
-17 |
14 |
|
7 |
Tuggeranong United |
15 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
-39 |
8 |
|
8 |
Wagga City Wanderers |
16 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
-84 |
4 |
Words: Jeremy Magan