An ACT NPL (Capital Football) Grand Final at Deakin Stadium that’s a seven-goal thriller, played in fine weather? Who could ask for a better way to finish the 2023 season?
For an alternate take on the culmination of the NPL season, check out the Capital Football article.
Grand Final: Belconnen United vs Canberra Olympic (Bar TV)
It was fitting that the two best teams of the year contested the Grand Final. While Canberra Olympic held the advantage with three wins to one coming into the game, the Blue Devils were victorious in their last outing at the Qualifying Final. The entire season pointed towards this matchup in this game, and it didn’t disappoint.
The first hour of the game was action-packed, surely enthralling even the most neutral spectators. A late second-half goal to Belconnen United to bring them within a goal turned things up a notch again, but Olympic held on to take their second successive Grand Final.
There were no surprises in either team’s starting lineups, with Olympic’s Maddy Whittall recovering from her turned ankle in last Sunday’s first half, while high-scoring Blue Devil Bessie Riethmuller as well as the lively Pearl Tein were preferred on the bench for second-half impact. Hattie Cram took her place in the Belconnen attack in her 50th NPL game.
While there were one or two nervy moments in the Olympic backline at the start of the game, the team looked more threatening in the first half-hour with their ability to get forward quickly. Belconnen preferred more of a measured passing game through midfield, but a disciplined Olympic defensive group – both in midfield and defence – was often able to stymy their opponents.
A low punched left foot drive from left-sided Olympic attacker Olivia Gurney under keeper Ellie Summers got them onto the scorecard first after 20 minutes as her team entered a period of ascendancy.
Katrina Peric’s 29th-minute back post corner found Vanessa Ryan, who headed it back towards the front post for Whittall to smash home a two-goal lead.
When Ally Cook’s free-kick from 25 metres five minutes later left Summers unsighted on its way into the net, Olympic couldn’t have asked for a better opening 35 minutes.
Blue Devils captain Talia Backhouse is renowned for her unquenchable determination, with her shot late in the half managing to get under keeper Janet King to make it 3-1. Both teams went into the sheds knowing that the game was far from over.
Halftime defensive changes were the order of the day, with Blue Devil Sophia Doumos in for a sore Stefi Lejins, while Leah Carnegie – herself a Blue Devil for much of the season – replacing a quiet Madison Cachia, allowing Peric to move into midfield.
Reilly Yuen somehow scored Belconnen’s second successive goal from an impossibly tight angle just seven minutes into the half, with the Blue Devils’ tail now well and truly up.
But with her back to goal in the Blue Devils penalty area just three minutes later, Ryan was able to dampen that enthusiasm with her turn-and-shoot effort to make it 4-2.
Substitutions came on at regular intervals in the last half hour as some feeling came into proceedings. Offensive pressure by Belconnen was on the up during this period. A glimmer of hope flashed by the Blue Devils faithful when Riethmuller scored a bullet of a goal two minutes into added time, but Olympic was able to see out the remaining minutes for a 4-3 victory.
Coach Scott Conlon couldn’t mask the team’s disappointment when talking to the Canberra Times’ Caden Helmers after the game.
“We came here with so much belief, so much more belief than last year when we made a couple of finals and were just happy to be there. We really had a burning desire and a feeling we could do it, and unfortunately we just threw up one of our worst performances of the season on the wrong day.
“We just didn’t play with the quality with the ball that we can. Olympic might have defended better, but I really think we let ourselves down with supporting options, decision-making, timing.
“Everyone was just a little bit off.”
Voted best on ground amongst several fine Canberra Olympic player contributions, Whittall spoke of how the Qualifying Final loss fueled the team’s preparation for the Grand Final.
“I was very confident we were going to show up and perform, especially after losing the semi-final to them.
“I just thought we were really going to put it on. I just think I was confident in myself and confident in the whole team that we were going to show up and perform.”
Whittall’s goal and performance punctuated a fine return to NPL after four years, her fitness, speed, and endeavour a constant threat to opposing defences as she nears 100 NPL goals. She is also symbolic of the edge of experience in the Olympic lineup which was a factor in seeing them take the spoils on the last day of the season.
>>> Full match timeline and team line-ups can be found here <<<
Canberra Olympic 4 (Olivia Gurney 21′, Maddy Whittall 30′, Ally Cook 35′, Vanessa Ryan 55′)
Belconnen United 3 (Talia Backhouse 45′, Reilly Yuen 51′, Bessie Riethmuller 92′)
Julie Murray Medal winner: Maddy Whittall
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