Round 15 of the Capital Football NPLW competition included a top drawer match-up between Gungahlin United, undefeated in six games, and the competition leaders Canberra Olympic. Little-used (for NPL) Ainslie Field 2 was the surprise venue.
Other games from this round include:
Canberra Croatia vs Tuggeranong United (full stream)
West Canberra Wanderers vs Belconnen United (full stream)
For an alternate review of the round, check out the Capital Football article from Jeremy Magan.
Match of the Round: Gungahlin United vs Canberra Olympic (Bar TV)
Capital Football reported this week that Canberra Olympic coach Frank Cachia recently reached the milestone of having coached over 200 NPL games (men’s and women’s) – congratulations Frank!
The match on offer at Ainslie Field 2 was 3rd vs 1st, with both sides on a hot streak. Elke Aitolu’s return to centre-back pushed Leah Carnegie to the right side of a back three, and Kat Peric to a midfield role for Olympic, as Ella-Rose Brown speared the attack. Darby Whiteley started as striker for the Gunners in place of Jade Brown, with Olivia Buyteweg playing behind in an otherwise familiar starting lineup that included Ayla Robertson at right back.
The first half was a reasonably even affair, with both teams showcasing their passing/possession game and a couple of great matchups for spectators to enjoy, particularly Alex Nealand vs Tianah Miro down one flank, and Maddy Whittall vs Maddie Perceval in central defensive areas for Gungahlin. Whittall’s energy and pace off the mark troubles every opponent in the competition and she fired off a warning shot in the 17th minute after taking on Perceval. Two minutes later, Gunners’ keeper Sammy Emms’ clearance was unable to elude her own defender, and Whittall was on hand to pick up the pieces and place her shot neatly for the lead.
Emms pulled off several outstanding saves later in the game, showing plenty of mettle to put the goal out of her thoughts.
Gungahlin’s response was positive, with the minutes just after the goal revealing chances to Stella De Marco – showing a willingness to get forward – and Whiteley, with Aitolu doing well to block. Tianah Miro was busy at the other end near the half-hour mark with successive chances that weren’t struck with sufficient conviction.
A characteristic defence-to-attack Gungahlin passing move ended with a Corinne Denton strike that sailed over the bar late in the half, and another anxious moment for Emms in her own six-yard box that ended with the ball finding the side netting.
Olympic worked hard to exert greater control over proceedings in the early part of the second half. A near-range Cara Ceruti miss after three minutes was a taste of the threat to come, as Brown and Madison Cachia also became more involved in the Olympic attack. Peric returned to a defensive role on the hour as Aitolu was subbed out for Tehya Aspland.
Nealand is one of the league’s most exciting wingbacks, and she almost set up an equaliser in the 66th minute. Skipping by a couple of Olympic defenders, Nealand cut the ball back perfectly for the unattended Sharon Chao near the penalty spot. The shot didn’t match the quality of the delivery, as Janet King watched it spray wide of goal in the Gunners’ best chance of the game to date.
A couple of Cachia shots from distance proved comfortable for Emms as both coaches rang in the subs, and Peric showed great technique on the volley with five minutes remaining, a shot that Emms did well to hold. Shots followed by Ceruti and Bowman later in the game, but it was in added time against all this attacking momentum that Nealand once again stood tall for her team.
A run down the left edge that started from within her half led to Nealand receiving the ball back from Rachael Corbett, and the ensuing right-foot strike from outside King’s area couldn’t have been placed any better. A jubilant Gungahlin United took home a share of the spoils with a goal apiece.
In her central defensive midfield role, Jaya Bowman was later voted by Olympic as their player of the match, certainly playing her role to perfection by denying attacking moves in dangerous areas while distributing with intelligence.
Next week, the top four teams will play each other in a vital round for shaping ladder positions for finals. Beyond 90, however, is out of town for a month during the Olympics and will take a break from NPLW coverage. In the meantime, we encourage you to check on Anthony Caffery Photography’s Facebook page for all the latest NPLW action, and we’ll be back a week or two before finals!
>>> Full match timeline and team line-ups can be found here <<<
Final score:
Gungahlin United 1 (Alex Nealand 91′)
Canberra Olympic 1 (Maddy Whittall 18′)
Around The Grounds:
Canberra Croatia 6-0 Tuggeranong United
West Canberra Wanderers 0-2 Belconnen United
