A breezy and slightly uneven Kambah 2 pitch set the scene for the last regular season game of the Capital Football NPLW competition, between Tuggeranong United and Gungahlin United.
Other games from this round include:
ANU WFC vs Belconnen United (full stream)
Canberra Olympic vs West Canberra Wanderers (full stream)
For an alternate review of the round, check out the Capital Football article from Jeremy Magan.
Match of the Round: Tuggeranong United vs Gungahlin United (Bar TV)
The teams formed a guard of honour on the occasion of Tuggeranong captain Lara Mustaine’s 100th NPLW game.
On the surface of it, there was little for the teams to play for. The visitors had breathing space either side of their third-place ladder position, and while the hosts could mathematically relinquish the wooden spoon, they entered the field with an infectious spirit of competitive enjoyment.
The wind favoured the home side in the first half. Soaking up some early pressure, Tuggeranong scored first in the 12th minute courtesy striker Claire Kennedy-Spencer. Defender Casey Smith’s determination inside the Gunner’s half led to a short pass to Kennedy-Spencer on the edge of the Gunners’ box, and the turn and low left-foot shot into the bottom right corner delighted the local crowd.
It wasn’t long before the Gunners equalised, thanks to left-back Alex Nealand’s delivery to Kayla Wright in motion. Racing towards keeper Ruby Ashton, Wright slotted the ball neatly into Ashton’s bottom right corner.
Ashton was to have a busy game, one she could look back on with satisfaction. On the half-hour, she scrambled well to push away Rachael Corbett’s goal-bound header. Corbett was just warming up, however, leaning back late in the half to head in Wright’s pinpoint corner kick delivery to make it 2-1 to the visitors. Not for the first time, the home defence failed to pressure the Gunners on set pieces.
The second half opened with the breeze now favouring the Gunners. The locals in the grandstand were treated to midfielder Tarah Manthongsy’s ball control as well as some fine combination play down their right channel between Sarah Matthews and Acacia Argento, but the Gunners are unmatched when it comes to midfield passing form.
Oliver’s 52nd-minute corner almost led to a third Gunners goal as a shot from a goalmouth scramble deflected dangerously off a defender. Nealand’s dash down the left flank and cut-back two minutes later also threatened, with Wright’s attempt coming off the post. The floodlights came on soon after at around the hour mark, heralding Darby Whiteley’s left foot goal from a tight angle after ten minutes of relentless Gungahlin attacking pressure.
And they weren’t done yet, with Oliver’s drive just four minutes later powerful enough to push through Ashton’s gloves for a 4-1 lead.
Substitutions were plentiful in the last half hour of the match. Undeterred, Tuggeranong attacking midfielder Tiana Phillips-Maynard’s 74th-minute brilliance was rewarded with the final goal of the season. Resisting Maddie Perceval’s challenge, Phillips-Maynard drove her team’s second goal into the space between the crossbar and the outstretched hand of keeper Gabrielle O’Brien.
It was all Gunners in the final ten minutes, with substitute Sharon Chao in particular heavily involved in several near misses. Both sides will find positives from their efforts in this game, with the Gunners now looking ahead to an elimination final on Sunday against Canberra Croatia.
>>> Full match timeline and team line-ups can be found here <<<
Final score:
Tuggeranong United 2 (Claire Kennedy-Spencer 12′, Tiana Phillips-Maynard 74′)
Gungahlin United 4 (Kayla Wright 17′, Rachael Corbett 43′, Darby Whiteley 61′, Ginger Oliver 65′)
Around The Grounds:
ANU WFC 2-10 Belconnen United
Canberra Olympic 0-0 West Canberra Wanderers
Ladder:
Next week:
Finals week 1 – Grand Final qualifying final, followed by the Elimination final
