Fans of NPL Capital Football were treated to a finals doubleheader at Deakin Stadium on Saturday! Beyond 90 would like to thank Anthony Caffery Photography and Soccer Snaps By Sal for their ongoing commitment to capturing the action of Capital Football’s finest.
Elimination Final: Belconnen United vs West Canberra Wanderers
A convincing Blue Devils win in the final round over West Canberra Wanderers hinted at a one-sided elimination final, but that was not to be the case. A whopping seven players were absent from the Belconnen United squad due to their involvement in the National Youth Championships (NYC) at Coffs Harbour. Defender Amy Spence was also unavailable. Such is the depth of the squad, however, that a strong starting eleven took the field, buoyed by the inclusion of Karen Clarke in central defence, and with just one debutante in Emily Daniel.
West Canberra changed things up after the Round 21 defeat and for the first half of the game coach Rey Castro’s changes did indeed make a difference. Setting up with a strong back three (while Tara Cannon moved to left stopper), Castro added Mel O’Callaghan to their midfield in an effort to cut supply to the Belconnen attack, and to arrest the threat posed by prolific Blue Devils captain Talia Backhouse (18 goals this season from midfield).
Belconnen’s early solution to the Wanderers’ formation was direct balls aimed at the speedy Keira Bobbin, however the compact and organised back three of Cannon, Daisy Canavan and Steph Nikias were largely able to contain this avenue of attack.
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West Canberra employed a zonal marking system at set pieces and this may have played a role in the first Blue Devils goal. Backhouse flicked a header to the unattended Clarke off an Olivia Bomford corner, and Clarke had time to set herself for a volley past Ally Hinson.
Despite the concession of that goal, Hinson put in a remarkable performance for the Wanderers, repeatedly denying the Blue Devils and keeping her team in the hunt.
Late chances in the half to the Wanderers trio of Ginger Oliver, captain Sarah Whitfield and the forward striding Canavan reminded Belconnen that the half had in many ways been an even one, as the teams took to the sheds.
O’Callaghan joined Hinson and Canavan as Wanderers’ standouts with an inspired second-half performance, getting important challenges in against Marija Rathouski and Bobbin as they threatened the Wanderers’ goal.
Belconnen’s player of the match Bomford released right back Leah Carnegie down the flank six minutes into the second period. Carnegie’s attempted cross was picked up by the blustery wind, sailing over Hinson’s head and into the goal for a 2-0 lead.
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The introduction of the experienced Katie Woodman with just over half an hour remaining further settled the Blue Devils. The long ball game was largely abandoned in the second half, to their benefit.
A stunning piece of skill by Bomford with twenty minutes remaining seemed to seal the deal for the Blue Devils, after a strong Clarke header cleared a rare Wanderers corner kick. Finding Bobbin, the winger took off downfield before centring the ball to Bomford. Turning her defender first one way and then the other, Bomford’s low finish – and the end-to-end nature of the goal – sent Blue Devils fans into raptures.
Five minutes later O’Callaghan gave the Wanderers a glimmer of hope. Receiving Oliver’s ball in the box, O’Callaghan turned and nutmegged Carnegie in one motion, then finished with aplomb in the bottom right corner to make it 3-1.
That would remain the final score, with Hinson denying Backhouse twice from close range and Bobbin once in the final five minutes. It was a valiant effort by the Wanderers, who will look back fondly on the first half of the season in particular, but also on the strong form of some of their younger players this year.
Belconnen coach Scott Conlon will have some decisions to make with respect to match-day inclusions in the forthcoming semi-final, after his NYC contingent return. The players on the park for the elimination final performed more than respectably in getting the job done, particularly in the second half.
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Final score:
Belconnen United 3 (Clarke 39′, Carnegie 51′, Bomford 70′)
West Canberra Wanderers 1 (O’Callaghan 75′)
Teams:
Belconnen United – Coach: Scott Conlon
Jayla Murphy, Leah Carnegie, Sophia Doumos, Karen Clarke, Stefi Lejins, Lauren Preston, Talia Backhouse (c), Marija Rathouski, Keira Bobbin, Olivia Bomford, Emily Daniel
Subs: Samantha Price, Katie Woodman (56′ => Daniel), Bianca Kimpton (74′ => Rathouski), Rhiannon Davis, Amy Bongiorno
West Canberra Wanderers – Coach: Rey Castro
Ally Hinson, Tara Cannon, Daisy Canavan, Steph Nikias, Demi Nikias, Mel O’Callaghan, Kaitlyn Colwill, Briana Maguire, Ginger Oliver, Hattie Cram, Sarah Whitfield (c)
Subs: Samantha Briggs (73′ => Steph Nikias), Caitlyn Skillicorn (78′ => Maguire), Sophia Medina, Elisabeth Bartone (78′ => Cram)
Qualifying Final: Canberra Croatia vs Canberra Olympic
This was one of the games of the season, and the quality on display belied the conditions. Driving rain rolled into Deakin Stadium before kickoff, making it a challenge for everyone at the venue. Moments of respite were brief.
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Canberra Croatia fielded a full-strength side, and Sienna Birnie was unlucky to miss out on a start as coach Zoran Glavinic set his team up with four at the back. Canberra Olympic was missing three players – Michaela Thornton and Nicole Jalocha recently lifted the trophy for Australia in Spain at the IFA Futsal tournament, while Arusha Chew was on NYC duty. A fourth absence was revealed at kickoff, with Olivia Fogarty unable to take her place in the side. Four in defence was also the order of the day for Olympic, as the experienced Katrina Peric came in at right back and Vanessa Ryan pushed into midfield.
Olivia Gurney looked a class above in her time on the pitch, showing cleverness and composure at every turn. In the 24th minute, Gurney rode a challenge on the edge of the Canberra Croatia box and found room for a neat finish past Nat Vasta. The home side had enjoyed a more assured opening, with Gurney’s goal perhaps slightly against the run of play. Vasta was to brilliantly deny a similar chance from Gurney just minutes later.
A 35th-minute free-kick to Canberra Croatia in a dangerous position showcased Grace Gill’s technique. Guiding the ball over the wall and into the top left corner, Gill made the ball dip despite the driving rain, leaving keeper Janet King with no chance.
The crossbar saw plenty of action and in the last ten minutes of the first half alone, Olympic midfielder Jaz Zabel struck the bar on the turn, followed by Gill hitting the bar with a chip from distance.
The teams took some respite from the rain in the sheds with the score at 1-1, but not before a yellow card was brandished at CCFC defender Amy McLachlan for her challenge on Ash Sykes.
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Just as she did last week, a determined Sykes put in a whirlwind performance during the second half. Burning down the left flank early, Sykes centred the ball low into CCFC’s six-yard box where it managed to elude both friend and foe, before Sarah Johnston hit the crossbar. Not long after, Sykes found Meg Roden in space after bounding through the centre of the park, but Roden miscued her shot on goal.
A rare miscommunication between McLachlan and Vasta in the Canberra Croatia box led to a penalty in the 53rd minute as Sykes was brought down by Vasta. Converting her own penalty, Sykes took Olympic to a 2-1 lead. Undaunted, Vasta was to show courage and pull off some impressive saves as the game wore on. McLachlan also made amends, clearing Peric’s attempt off the goal-line later in the half.
The last ten minutes of normal time can only be described as astounding. A Sykes shot from outside the Olympic box was saved by Vasta, but Vanessa Ryan had positioned herself to take advantage, extending Olympic’s lead to two goals.
It was at this point that competition-leading goal scorer Brittany Palombi took matters into her own hands. From the kickoff, Krista Hagen found Palombi sprinting down the left wing. Palombi’s delivery into the six-yard box was bundled over the line by Jennie Bisset, who used her torso to make the score 3-2.
Palombi repeated her effort a minute later, sending a ball behind the Olympic defence towards the back post, where it was slotted into the goal by Jamie Berkeley. Just like that, it was 3-3.
Olympic keeper King also stood tall as the 90 minutes wound down, strongly challenging Berkeley outside the Olympic box in a threatening situation. Her long downfield kicks also kept her team’s attack on the front foot for the remainder of the game.
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At the start of extra time, there were tired legs in the wet, and both coaches made early changes to add some energy. Brittany Fiorese came on for Gurney, while Shania Settin replaced Bisset. Heavy rain set in again and while there was more space in midfield as the game opened up, neither team was to gain the ascendancy during the first 15-minute period.
The game saw several champions rise to the occasion at various times, but it was Olympic captain Victoria Jamieson who lifted her team when it mattered most. Jamieson has taken her game to a new level this season, perhaps inspired by the array of talent around her.
In the 106th minute, Jamieson released Sykes down the left wing. This time Sykes’ centred ball found a target in the form of an outstretched Fiorese on the edge of the six-yard box, guiding the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Olympic had regained the lead, 4-3.
Spent by her amazonian efforts, Sykes was replaced by Anna Vandenbroucke with just two minutes remaining. Remarkably, Vandenbroucke’s first touch was to score Olympic’s fifth goal. Winning the ball outside the CCFC area, Jamieson sent the ball across to a wide open Vandenbroucke. Her low hard drive gave Vasta no chance and ensured Olympic’s passage to the grand final.
This was an NPLW finals game for the ages, one which would leave both teams utterly exhausted. With the form the three remaining teams are in, the end of the season will be unmissable.
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Final score after extra time (3-3 at full time):
Canberra Croatia 3 (Gill 35′, Bisset 82′, Berkeley 83′)
Canberra Olympic 5 (Gurney 24′, Sykes 53′, Ryan 80′, Fiorese 106′, Vandenbroucke 119′)
Teams:
Canberra Croatia – Coach: Zoran Glavinic
Nat Vasta, Dianne Wilson, Rhiannon Fensom, Amy McLachlan, Bec Kiting, Jen Bisset, Krista Hagen, Bella Barac, Brittany Palombi, Grace Gill (c), Jamie Berkeley
Subs: Angelic Pahina, Bella Tammaro, Sienna Birnie (72′ => McLachlan), Shania Settin (90′ => Bisset), Scarlet Spong
Yellow card: McLachlan 45′
Canberra Olympic – Coach: Nicole Begg
Janet King, Katrina Peric, Elke Aitolu, Ally Cook, Victoria Jamieson (c), Vanessa Ryan, Sarah Johnston, Jaz Zabel, Meg Roden, Olivia Gurney, Ashleigh Sykes
Subs: Anna Vandenbroucke (118′ => Sykes), Brittany Fiorese (90′ => Gurney), Emma Croker, Isabella Wallace (78′ => Zabel), Ellie Summers
Next week:
Finals week 2 – Semi-final
- Canberra Croatia vs Belconnen United, Riverside Stadium, Sunday 25 Sep, 5.30pm
Grand Final
- Canberra Olympic vs Semi-final winner, Deakin Stadium, Saturday 1 Oct, 3pm
Follow all our ACT NPLW coverage here
