The last two rounds of the NPL Capital Football women’s competition have seen the two teams at the foot of the table, Tuggeranong United and Wagga City Wanderers, earn valuable points. Both will have eyed off this Round 14 fixture as an opportunity.
Other Round 14 games – including Grace Gill’s 150th NPL appearance (congratulations Grace!) – were:
Belconnen United vs West Canberra Wanderers
Canberra Croatia vs Gungahlin United
Canberra Olympic vs Canberra United Academy
Match of the Round: Tuggeranong United vs Wagga City Wanderers
The Canberra weather gods put on a perfect Sunday afternoon at Kambah Number 2 Oval.
While Beyond 90 last watched Tuggeranong United in Round 11, we have to go back to Round 3 for our last appearance at a Wagga City game. There have been changes at the Wanderers since then – long-standing coach Sam Gray stood down not long after that game, with Rob Tuksar taking the reins.
Wagga City have also suffered from the unavailability of senior players, with Emma Finch and Amanda Armstrong absent since Rounds 5 and 7 respectively. Striker Megan Castle is the longest-serving player in a very young but talented Wanderers team, and is doing a fine job by providing positive on-field guidance as well as spearheading their attack. It’s been noticeable however that the Wanderers don’t name a full bench when travelling, and that trend continued here with only three bench players.
Tuggeranong United are benefitting from stability, something which hasn’t always been the case in recent years. Similar looking lineups week-to-week are a pointer to higher fitness levels and aid in growing cohesion. Boosting the hosts this round was the inclusion of Sammie Wood on the bench – the ex-W-League player’s first involvement since Round 7.
The first half saw the visitors favour a high defensive line, with sufficient speed on board to catch the occasional breakthrough attacker. Tuggeranong was building play through their lines, while Wagga City opted for more of a counter-attacking style. The goalkeepers of both teams are stand-outs, and while Tuggeranong’s Sammie Emms wasn’t overly tested in this outing, Ebony Warner-Chilstone showed courage on several occasions by diving at the feet of oncoming attackers.
Tuggeranong wide attacker Sophie Cole opened the scoring in the 31st minute, taking advantage of Alison Seeney’s well-weighted delivery beyond the flat defensive line, rounding Warner-Chilstone and passing the ball into the net.
The second half saw the attacking intent of both sides lift. Five minutes in, a Piper Scott through ball found Castle in the Tuggeranong area. Weaving around United skipper Lara Mustaine and with Emms in goal also applying pressure, Castle was prevented from scrambling the ball over the goal-line by the timely intervention of Cole, who had sprinted in to help from wide.
With 24 minutes remaining, Tuggeranong left winger Ariadne Stergiou received the ball on the fly from right back Zoe Terry but somehow strained her foot in the act of taking her shot. Terry was to take matters into her own hands a few short minutes later, making a trademark bursting run past defenders and firing from outside the area. Her shot zinged satisfyingly into the goal off the inside of the right post, doubling Tuggeranong’s lead.
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The addition of Sam Wood and Karen Milewska off the Tuggeranong bench provided an energy boost in the last half hour of play with both contributing well.
Castle had a couple of chances in the last ten minutes to claw the score back but fell frustratingly short. Her first, a low shot from the left, was deflected by keeper Emms for a corner. Late in the game, a free kick on the edge of the area was fired just over the right post.
This was an entertaining game for spectators as both sides toiled until the final whistle. These teams may not be in the finals hunt but they pleasingly continue to raise their standards and maintain their fighting spirit.
Final score:
Tuggeranong United 2 (Cole 31′, Terry 73′)
Wagga City Wanderers 0
Teams:
Tuggeranong United – Coach: Paulo Romero
Samantha Emms, Zoe Terry, Lara Mustaine (c), Ash-Lea Condon, Maya Binns, Jade Emms, Sophie Cole, Sarah Daisley, Ariadne Stergiou, Alison Seeney, Lauren Hall
Subs: Samantha Wood (61′ => Seeney), Zoe Williams (81′ => Condon), Karen Milewska (82′ => Stergiou), Lilly Nicholls (82′ => Cole), Brooke Jones
Wagga City Wanderers – Coach: Rob Tuksar
Ebony Warner-Chilstone, Sophie Cary, Zoe Jenkins, Daisy Tuksar, Bree Lyons, Tamara Cochrane, Abby Nolan-Hodges, Megan Castle, Elvein Ibrahim, Perri Nash, Piper Scott
Subs: Anisa Rees (63′ => Scott), Kelly Barnes, Jenny Woodbury
Around The Grounds:
Belconnen United 3-0 West Canberra Wanderers
Canberra Croatia 6-0 Gungahlin United
Canberra Olympic 5-1 Canberra United Academy
Ladder:
Next week:
Round 13 catchup game
- Canberra United Academy vs Tuggeranong United, Hawker Enclosed, Wednesday 27 July, 7pm
Round 15
- Belconnen United vs Tuggeranong United, McKellar Park, Saturday 30 July, 3pm
- Wagga City vs Canberra Olympic, Gissing Oval, Sunday 31 July, 2:30pm
- Gungahlin United vs West Canberra, Gungahlin Enclosed, Sunday 31 July, 3pm
- Canberra United Academy vs Canberra Croatia, Hawker Enclosed, Sunday 31 July, 5:10pm
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