Two highly entertaining midweek duels saw Belconnen United earning a spot to the Grand Final, and Canberra Croatia still in the running to join them. They will face Canberra Olympic on Sunday in the Preliminary Final, Nicole Begg’s side eager to use their second chance this week to get the chance to defend their crown.
Deakin Stadium was where the drama unfolded both Wednesday and Thursday. The qualifying final between Canberra Olympic and Belconnen United was as tight we one would expect for the main, the two best defence in the league living up to their reputation.
The unlikely hero was Sofia Palywoda, the young Blue Devil, with her first two goals of the season coming at the best time. Her teammates started the game on the front foot, putting pressure on the Olympic defence from the get-go. A tactical surprise from Scott Conlon saw Jade Emms starting upfront, and the former Wagga City and Tuggeranong midfielder played her role to perfection, relentlessly harassing her opponents.
Keira Bobbin, Talia Backhouse and Emms had early chances to put their team forward, but it was either off target, or not taken well enough to trouble Janet King. Olympic barely found themselves in a threatening position in the first half and ended up conceding at the worst time. With one of the last opportunities of the first act, Talia Backhouse on the left wing was able to deliver a near perfect cut-back pass for Palywoda, the midfielder punishing Olympic from close range.
The League Champions started the second half with two changes and better intent. The turning point of the game surely saw Madelyn Whittall facing Ellie Summers one on one at the hour mark, only for the Belconnen keeper to deny her opponent a goal she has scored so many times in her career.
After hitting the woodwork twice, and creating a few opportunities using their speed upfront, the Blue Devils finally put the game to bed ten minute before the final whistle. Another run on the left, this time by Keira Bobbin, saw Palywoda recording her brace and sending her team to an umpteenth consecutive Grand Final.
Drama was an understatement on Thursday. Late drama saw Canberra Croatia moving on to the Preliminary final at the end of a five-goal thriller against Gungahlin United (3-2). The Gunners thought they had done the hard part, coming back from two goals down, but they ended conceding a seemingly offside goal at the 83rd minute.
Croatia rightfully felt at home at Deakin and started the game as such with two goals in the opening 20 minutes. If Brittany Palombi warmed up her left foot early on, it was Sienna Birnie who stuck first.
A right footed effort with some venom behind it from the edge of the box ended in the top right corner to give her team the lead. Zoran Glavinic’s players doubled their advantage not long after, with Palombi launching Bella Barac in the box and the striker skilfully finding the bottom right corner with her left foot.
Seemingly shaken, the Gunners eventually managed to pick themselves up, scoring two goals of their own with seven minutes. At the half hour mark, Michelle Wienecke did not hesitate from 25 meters, with a missile aimed at the top left corner. The momentum changed, Gungahlin kept the pressure up and equalized on set piece, thanks to their captain Maddie Perceval, the quickest to pounce after a clearance by Megan Snell.
The second half saw both teams battling for the game winner, until the fateful 83rd minute. A cross from Birnie found Barac at the six yards, the forward almost perfectly tackling to volley the ball. Emily Kelly seemed to deal with it, only to release the ball in the feet of Tatum Mazis, happy to bury it in the empty net but seemingly in an offside position. The goal was given and proved to be the game-winner and sent Croatia to the upcoming Classico against Olympic, for a spot in the Grand Final.
RESULTS
QUALIFICATION FINAL
Wednesday 13 September
Canberra Olympic 0 Belconnen United 2 (Palywoda 45+1’, 82’)
ELIMINATION FINAL
Thursday 14 September
Canberra Croatia 3 (Birnie 15’, Barac 21’, Mazis 83’) Gungahlin United 2 (Wienecke 31’, Perceval 37’)
TOP SCORERS
23 Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
14 Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)
13 Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
12 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United)
9 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
8 Michelle HEYMAN (Gungahlin United), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
7 Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia)
6 Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy),
5 Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Olympic), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
4 Jade BROWN (Gungahlin United), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Alyse JENSEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Samantha WOOD (Tuggeranong United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
3 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Croatia), Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Zoe TERRY (Tuggeranong United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
2 Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Peri NASH (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers/Canberra Croatia), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Ellen BROWN (West Canberra Wanderers), Alexia CERNE (Canberra Olympic), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Emma DOUGLAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Abby HURMAN (Tuggeranong United), Ashlyn LEWIS (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (ANU WFC), Maya OSMOND (Canberra United Academy), Ella PALFRAMAN (Belconnen United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra SERRAS (ANU WFC), Michelle WIENECKE (Gungahlin United), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic)