We resumed our Capital Football NPLW coverage competition with a potential Premiership decider between Belconnen United and Canberra Olympic at McKellar Park.
Other games from this round include:
ANU WFC vs Canberra Croatia (full stream)
West Canberra Wanderers vs Tuggeranong United (full stream)
For an alternate review of the round, check out the Capital Football article from Jeremy Magan.
Match of the Round: Belconnen United vs Canberra Olympic (Bar TV)
Canberra Olympic returned to the scene of their only league defeat in 2024 with a three point lead over the Blue Devils at the top of the table, knowing that a win would see them seal the Premiership.
Both teams chose to field experienced starting lineups. Being at the top of the goalscoring charts wasn’t enough to secure a starting place, with Belconnen’s Alyssa Di Campli (league top scorer) and Reilly Yuen (fourth top scorer) among those to line the benches. Regular Canberra Olympic captain Victoria Jamieson understandably joined those waiting in the wings, due to a midweek return from an overseas holiday. The Blue Devils opted for a back four with in-form Alina Roberts up top, while Olympic commenced with a 3-4-3 formation.
A strong breeze and gathering clouds set the scene for the most significant league match of the season, and it took less than two minutes for drama to ensue. Olympic centre-back Elke Aitolu sent a long through ball Tianah Miro’s way down the right flank, whose cross made its way to Tehya Aspland at the far post. Nodding the ball down for Nicole Jalocha, the midfielder composed herself to fire a stunner past Monique Pinkiewicz, opening the scoring inside 80 seconds.
The early goal seemed to rattle the hosts for a time, with Olympic calmly pushing the ball around and Belconnen sitting deep, unable to find their rhythm. This would be the pattern for the next quarter hour with Belconnen slowly starting to build a case for themselves. This threatened to unravel itself before the 20 minute mark when Ailish McDonagh brought down a flying Maddy Whittall, as Jaya Bowman stepped up to take the penalty. The penalty was fired waist-high and Pinkiewicz was able to intercede as the mood of the local crowd and the Blue Devils side lifted.
It was now Belconnen’s turn to be on the front foot and they won a series of corner kicks. But the floodlights coming on after the half-hour mark seemed to herald a momentum swing, as another Olympic dash down the right – this time by Michaela Thornton – led to a Jane Vanzino strike hitting the crossbar in the 36th minute. Maddy Whittall was on hand to neatly tuck away the rebound.
Belconnen’s urgency redoubled and they were to have three near misses before halftime, as both Bronte Pyke’s and Keira Bobbin’s efforts struck Janet King’s crossbar. Roberts also pushed a late shot wide under defensive pressure after King and Bobbin collided.
To Olympic coach Frank Cachia’s credit, the instructions to his charges at the break must have been to maintain the offensive, illustrated by the 54th-minute substitution of his centre-back (Aitolu) for a striker (Ella-Rose Brown). Brown’s start was inauspicious as a two-handed shove on Belconnen captain Lauren Preston in the Olympic penalty area went unpunished. However, she made up for her near-transgression not a minute later at the other end by scoring from Whittall’s cross. Pinkiewicz did well to advance to Brown, but Brown’s shot bounced high in the air off the keeper and into the net.
This passage of under two minutes was a turning point in the match. Instead of the Blue Devils coming back from 2-1 down – had Brown’s action been ruled on – they were now faced with the deflating prospect of chasing a three-goal lead.
Blue Devils coach Scott Conlon rung in the changes following the goal, with Di Campli and Yuen joining the attack. Hattie Cram seemed to have scored in the 63rd minute, but the ball played across to her from Roberts was judged by the assistant to have found Cram in an offside position, a line-ball decision.
Olympic’s experience and composure was a vital factor in the team riding out the Belconnen United pressure during the last third of the game. Brown once again figured in the 86th minute, with a dead ball delivery into the Blue Devils’ box finding her on the right. Brown’s well-judged cross to the back post was bundled over the line by substitute Cara Ceruti for a handsome 4-0 victory.
Congratulations go to Canberra Olympic for taking out the 2024 Premiership. This game was closer than the scoreline suggests, with a couple of key moments going the visitors’ way during a performance where they on balance looked the more assured of the two teams right from kickoff. We’ve seen how the Blue Devils can turn the tables on this team, however, so the almost inevitable finals match-up between these two sides is not to be missed.
>>> Full match timeline and team line-ups can be found here <<<
Final score:
Belconnen United 0
Canberra Olympic 4 (Nicole Jalocha 2′, Maddy Whittall 36′, Ella-Rose Brown 57′, Cara Ceruti 86′)
Around The Grounds:
ANU WFC 1-3 Canberra Croatia
West Canberra Wanderers 4-1 Tuggeranong United
Ladder:
Next Round:
