The two league leaders stayed on course this weekend, with the Blue Devils two points ahead before their highly anticipated meeting on Wednesday. Canberra Olympic put early pressure on their rivals at the table on Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought success against Canberra United Academy (3-0).
Nicole Begg was pleased to see her team taking the lead early. With just under five minutes on the clock, a magical assist by Olivia Gurney found Maddy Whittall behind the defence, allowing the striker to showcase all her skills with a one-touch lob over Georgia Ritchie. Olympic’s experience and usual defensive solidity meant the Academy barely had a chance to threaten Janet King for an equaliser.
The title chasers killed the game early in the second half. A 53rd minute corner kick ended with Arusha Chew scoring her first goal of the season from point blank range. Eight minutes later, Gurney got a second assist, offering this time Katrina Peric a chance to score a beautiful half-volley – and a celebration to match – from the edge of the box.
West Canberra Wanderers were hosting ANU WFC early afternoon on Sunday, and the University club brought all three points back from Wanderers Park, putting four points between them and their opponents at the table (3-0).
Rob Illingworth’s team once again had their number one offensive threat wearing the keeper’s gloves, but Roxie Swart did not let that get between her and the stat sheet. An 18th minute goal kick became an assist for Sofia Chaverra, thanks to an effort from the corner of the box.
Isabella Hopkins doubled the lead with a smart header to deflect Sheridan McElligott’s free kick in the back of the net ten minutes before the break.
Four minutes into the second act and despite a few chances, the Wanderers were conceding again, Alexandra Serras’ thumping effort from afar rising high before diving under the crossbar. West Canberra remains eighth on the table, trailing Tuggeranong by two points.
Belconnen United did the job in Kambah, with a serious success over Tuggeranong United (3-0). The Blue Devils keep their two-point lead on the table and the league championship fate in their hands, with three games left to play.
Against a combative Tuggies outfit, Belconnen once again relied on their in-form player, Hattie Cram, to break the deadlock. The diminutive forward became the Blue Devils’ leading goalscorer with two goals in seven minutes in the first half. She was found in the box at the 18th minute, ended on the right side of a scramble and finished from the six-yard box.
A service from Keira Bobbin saw Cram finishing from point blank range, completing her brace and scoring her 14th goal in WNPL, one better than her teammate Bessie Riethmuller. Belconnen’s third and final goal came late in the game, in injury time. Jade Emms headed in a Maddie Steinacker past Amy Wiggan for her first goal in the Blue Devils’ outfit.
Scott Conlon’s team picked up a fourth consecutive clean sheet in the meantime, a streak that could have positive consequences if it extends to five.
The game of the weekend was played at Deakin Stadium, where the crowds were treated to a seven-goal thriller between Canberra Croatia and Gungahlin United (4-3) that saw the home team overtake their visitors on the table.
A hattrick from Brittany Palombi the Canberra striker above the 20-goal mark, and a brace from Michelle Heyman was not enough for the Gunners in a game that saw both teams coming back from a goal deficit.
Palombi started the party ten minutes in, converting from the spot-kick for her first goal of the day. Gungahlin’s strong first half performance was rewarded with two goals in consecutive minutes five minutes before the break. Heyman found Ginger Oliver behind the defence and the striker scored her eight unit of the season with an inspired lob over Chloe Lincoln.
The Gunners’ #23 gave her team the lead minutes later after a raid in the Deakin half ended with a precise right footed effort. Zoran Glavinic’s half-time talk worked marvels, with his team scoring twice to take their lead back five minutes into the second half.
A superb through ball from Tatum Mazis offered Sienna Birnie a duel she would not waste 60 seconds after kick-off and was followed by a direct corner kick by Brittany Palombi two minutes later.
The soon-to-be-crowned 2023 Golden Boot completed her hat-trick at the hour mark by the tip of her toes. Chloe Lincoln’s prowess prevented the Gunners, less comfortable in the second half, a way back into the game, until the last kick of the game saw Heyman lobbing the ball past her Canberra United teammate.
RESULTS
ROUND 19
Saturday 19 August
Canberra United Academy 0 Canberra Olympic 3 (Whittall 5’, Chew 53’, Peric 62’)
Sunday 20 August
West Canberra Wanderers 0 ANU WFC 3 (Chaverra 18’, Hopkins 32’, Serras 49’)
Canberra Croatia 4 (Palombi 10’ (p), 32’, 61, Birnie 46’) Gungahlin United 3 (Oliver 39’, Heyman 41’, 90+5’)
Tuggeranong United 0 Belconnen United 3 (Cram 18’, 26’, J. Emms 90+4’)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 56 | 10 | +46 | 43 |
| 2 | Canberra Olympic | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 10 | +32 | 41 |
| 3 | Canberra Croatia | 19 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 53 | 20 | +33 | 39 |
| 4 | Gungahlin United | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 46 | 24 | +22 | 38 |
| 5 | Canberra United Academy | 19 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 39 | -15 | 26 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 19 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 42 | -26 | 12 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 18 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 60 | -44 | 10 |
| 8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 19 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 63 | -48 | 8 |
TOP SCORERS
21 Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
14 Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)
13 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
10 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia)
8 Michelle HEYMAN (Gungahlin United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
7 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
6 Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
5 Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
4 Jade BROWN (Gungahlin United), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Samantha WOOD (Tuggeranong United)
3 Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers/Canberra Croatia), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
2 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Croatia), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Peri NASH (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Zoe TERRY (Tuggeranong United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Emma DOUGLAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (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), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra SERRAS (ANU WFC), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic)