Ground closures meant only two Round 16 fixtures from the NPL Capital Football women’s competition were played on the weekend. Beyond 90 arrived at the Melrose Synthetic pitch to see West Canberra Wanderers host Canberra United Academy, an important mid-table clash with just five more rounds remaining after this one.
Canberra Croatia vs Wagga City Wanderers was the other Round 16 game to take place.
Match of the Round: West Canberra Wanderers vs Canberra United Academy
Four goals in each half and an Academy side looking to challenge for fourth place made for an entertaining affair, with the home side taking the spoils 5-3. It was a game to remember for West Canberra’s Demi Nikias, celebrating her 100th NPL appearance against the team she used to play for.
MILESTONE
Congratulations to @wodwstfc (West Canberra Wanderers) Demi Nikias on playing her 100th NPL game!#GameOn pic.twitter.com/5KIjwxRaWM
— NPL Capital Football (@officialNPLCF) August 7, 2022
In just the second minute, Daisy Canavan’s well-weighted free kick found Tara Cannon – another ex-Academy player – with enough room to place her shot for a very early West Canberra Wanderers lead.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to equalise, as Isabella Hindmarsh drove an immaculately placed free kick into the top left corner just ten minutes later.
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Wanderers attacking speedster Hattie Cram is always a handful for opposition defences, but Maia Cameron and then Latisha Babic did well to shut her down on successive runs.
The Wanderers’ defence was employing a high line which caught their opponents offside on several occasions – they were clearly not afraid of Academy’s mobile attack.
With five minutes remaining in the first stanza, Hindmarsh lined up a free kick in a spot almost identical to the one she scored from, and she came oh-so-close to achieving the same outcome. It was a busy end to the half, with Academy’s Luella Cameron providing a tidy finish two minutes out from half-time after some bustling work in midfield by Jaya Bowman.
The end-to-end nature of the game was no more apparent than from Ginger Oliver’s remarkable Olimpico goal for West Canberra just as the half ended. The teams headed into the sheds with two goals apiece.
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Wanderers captain Sarah Whitfield regained the lead for her team six minutes into the second half, getting her head on Oliver’s back post corner and giving keeper Eliza Evans no chance.
Chances fell the way of Wanderers’ Kaitlyn Colwill, then Academy’s Alyssa Di Campli and Caitlin Koch, but it was with almost 20 minutes remaining that Academy levelled at 3-3. Striker Bessie Riethmuller served a goal up on a plate for Charli Gregson with her pass across the goal-line.
This led to a goal avalanche, with two more goals in the next six minutes. Canavan turned from goal provider to scorer as Oliver’s free-kick was parried by Evans to Whitfield, who side-volleyed to Canavan in front of goal.
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Cannon then ended the game’s goalscoring action as she started it, side-footing Canavan’s high free-kick into the net for a 5-3 lead.
With 15 minutes left and full knowledge that a win would go a long way to keeping the wolves from the finals door, West Canberra went into game-management mode. Academy also knew that a win would bring them within four points of the Wanderers in fourth place, becoming a little frustrated as the clock wound down.
Time waits for no woman, however, and the Wanderers were able to hang on to their lead for a vital late-season win.
Final score:
West Canberra Wanderers 5 (Tara Cannon 2′ 75′, Ginger Oliver 45′, Sarah Whitfield 51′, Daisy Canavan 73′)
Canberra United Academy 3 (Isabella Hindmarsh 12′, Luella Cameron 45′, Charli Gregson 71′)
Teams:
West Canberra Wanderers – Coach: Rey Castro
Jelena Josipovic, Demi Nikias, Sarah Whitfield (c), Daisy Canavan, Steph Nikias, Ginger Oliver, Hattie Cram, Briana Maguire, Tara Cannon, Kaitlyn Colwill, Samantha Savanhu
Subs: Sophie Medina (56′ => Savanhu), Allegra Senti (84′ => Colwill), Elisabeth Bartone, Emma Finch, Isabella Williams
Canberra United Academy – Coach: Sarah West
Eliza Evans, Tayla Hampson (c), Latisha Babic, Maia Cameron, Caitlin Koch, Bessie Riethmuller, Jaya Bowman, Isabella Hindmarsh, Alyssa Di Campli, Luella Coleman, Charli Gregson
Subs: Georgia Ritchie, Riley McQueenie (66′ => Coleman), Sienna Scarano (73′ => Koch), Natalie Chang (87′ => Riethmuller), Angelina Babic
Yellow cards: Riethmuller 86′, Evans 92′
Around The Grounds:
Canberra Croatia 5-0 Wagga City Wanderers
Ladder:
Next week:
Round 17
- Tuggeranong United vs Canberra Croatia, Kambah 2, Friday 12 Aug, 7:45pm
- Canberra Olympic vs Belconnen United, O’Connor Enclosed, Sunday 14 Aug, 2:30pm
- Wagga City vs West Canberra, Gissing Oval, Sunday 14 Aug, 2:30pm
- Canberra United Academy vs Gungahlin United, Hawker Enclosed, Sunday 14 Aug, 5:10pm
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