Wanderers Park was the stage of one of the coups of the season on Sunday, when 7th placed West Canberra Wanderers reversed a two-goal deficit to get all three points against league leader Canberra Olympic.
The team coached by Nicole Begg seemed in control for large part of the encounter, partly thanks to two screamers scored by Nicole Jalocha in the first half. At the 15th and 32nd minute, the experienced midfielder twice hit precise, powerful, shots that found the top right corner of the net, leaving Sam Briggs no chance.
It took two superb strikes to beat an otherwise inspired Briggs. Maddison Cachia, Vanessa Ryan, Anna Vandenbroucke, and Arusha Chew all tried to add to their team’s tally in the first half, either failing to hit the target, or repelled by the Wanderers keeper. They would live to regret the missed chances.
West Canberra started their march to the unexpected result just before the hour mark. Combative midfielder Alyse Jensen, almost exactly from where Jalocha had scored her second goal, armed a rocket of her own that dipped just under the crossbar. She was imitated by Lauren Hall 15 minutes later, from a bit further away.
A corner kick six minutes from the end of regulation confirmed the upset. Cara Ceruti cut the cross from Lauren Hall at the near post with enough venom in her header to bury it, to the delight of the Wanderers.
Canberra Croatia recorded a second win away in as many weeks at South Oval against the ANU WFC. Brittany Palombi’s four goals highlighted a performance that placed her team level with Olympic on the table, while offering her the lead in the Golden Boot race.
An unfortunate handball less than ten minutes in forced Jordan King to point to the spot and hand Alice McNeil a yellow card. From the penalty, Palombi found the back of the net with ease. Her second goal three minutes later was a classic display of her skill, controlling the ball on the left side of the box before smashing a half volley into the top left corner.
Hunting for the hat trick, the Deakin captain finally got her reward 20 minutes later, with a free kick from distance perfectly dipping in the top left corner. Down three goals at half time, the ANU’s best chance had come from the only time they had been able to accelerate ball to feet in the first act, but Edith Fordyce-Croker’s effort from the edge of the box was parried away by Chloe Lincoln on the crossbar.
Back from the break, the home team’s hopes were shattered two minutes in, when Isabella Barac and her poacher’s instinct kicked in to beat Claire Joseph from point blank range.
Palombi’s fourth goal of the day, five minutes later, showed an ANU team obviously rattled forgetting to even defend on a quick corner kick the left footed forward played with Diane Wilson. With all the time in the world to run in the box, Palombi launched a rocket that whistled past three players and left Jospeh immobile.
Belconnen United were visiting Canberra United Academy at Hawker Football Centre, and left their neighbours arena with all three points, and the leader seat. In what was a tight encounter despite the final score, the Blue Devils once again had their captain leading the way.
After twenty minutes of intense midfield battle, where both teams seldom found their way to the opponent’s keeper, a stroke of genius was needed to break the deadlock. It came from Talia Backhouse. Seeing Eliza Evans off her line, Backhouse scraped away from two Academy players and chipped her ball from 30 meters superbly, to find the back of the net.
Both teams picked up things where they left it in the second half, with the same intensity and battles all over the park. Individual talent would be the difference eventually on Sunday. Found in space by Isabella Hindmarsh seven minutes after the break, Pearl Tein managed to resist her defender and bury a powerful low shot at the near post.
Scott Conlon and his troops did well to manage their two-goal lead, applying more intent defensively and offering less space for the tireless players in green. They eventually hammered the last nail ten minutes before the final whistle. Hattie Cram used her pace, and a misunderstanding in the Academy’s defence, to steal the ball just in front of Evans before finishing in the empty net.
The fixture between Tuggeranong United and Gungahlin United was postponed due to a waterlogged section of the pitch at Kambah 2.
RESULTS ROUND 12
Sunday 2 July
West Canberra Wanderers 3 (Jensen 59’, Hall 72’, Ceruti 84’) Canberra Olympic 2 (Jalocha 15’, 32’)
ANU WFC 0 Canberra Croatia 5 (Palombi 9’, (p), 11’, 32’, 52’, Barac 47’)
Canberra United Academy 0 Belconnen United 3 (Backhouse 23’, Tein 54’, Cram 80’)
Tuggeranong United v Gungahlin United – Match Postponed