In Week 1 of the Capital Football NPLW Finals, McKellar Park was the scene of two drama-filled games. The crossbars saw plenty of action!
For an alternate review of the weekend, check out the Capital Football article from Jeremy Magan.
Qualifying Final: Canberra Olympic vs Belconnen United (Bar TV)
Some of our finest young talent was unavailable for this one after Pearl Tein (Blue Devils) and Madison Cachia (Olympic) were announced midweek as joining the academy of Spanish La Liga club Eibar. Olympic’s Tehya Aspland was on crutches, and Jaya Bowman was selected at centre-back for Elke Aitolu, which meant the versatile Leah Carnegie played wide on the left flank. Belconnen chose to start Alyssa Di Campli, Reilly Yuen and Lisa Cary, leaving Hattie Cram, Alyse Jensen, and Alina Roberts on the bench.
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It soon became clear that the Blue Devils were under instruction to up their physicality and pressing game after their loss to Olympic two weeks ago, which added a real edge to proceedings.
Yuen scored the opener in the 40th minute after a footrace with Victoria Jamieson on a Lauren Preston through ball. A slight misstep from the defender gifted Yuen the chance to round Janet King and easily finish.
Not long after, Madeline Steinacker had to be helped from the field after a possible knee hyper-extension, with Cram now entering the game.
The second half started with a collision between two Olympic players and in the ensuing confusion the ball had to be cleared twice inside the Olympic box – once off the line – before the referee called a halt to tend to the fallen players.
Yuen also had a hand in the Blue Devils’ second goal, sending a well-weighted chip from the edge of the penalty area to the back post for Keira Bobbin to head home with authority.
The last quarter hour of the match was extraordinary, with Olympic pulling out all stops to get back into the match, and Belconnen counterattacking on turnovers.
An enticing Michaela Thornton corner kick in the 82nd minute was guided over the Blue Devils goal-line by Katrina Peric to make the score 2-1. Belconnen almost struck back immediately after Izzy Hindmarsh’s left foot drive was touched onto the crossbar by an aerial Janet King before the ball was cleared.
Three successive dangerous free kicks delivered by Carnegie almost proved too much for the Blue Devils as normal time drew to a close, with substitute Liana Alves’ determined header on the end of the third of them smashing against the crossbar to her (and Olympic fans’) disbelief.
Yuen almost added a third late in added time at the other end, with a header from a corner cleared off the line just before the final whistle.
It was an exhilarating contest, one which the Blue Devils deserved to win. Their reward is a week off before the Grand Final.
>>> Full match timeline and team line-ups can be found here <<<
Final score:
Canberra Olympic 1 (Katrina Peric 82′)
Belconnen United 2 (Reilly Yuen 40′, Keira Bobbin 76′)
Elimination Final: Gungahlin United vs Canberra Croatia (Bar TV)
The end of the Elimination Final was no less enthralling for those spectators who stayed around after the Qualifying Final. Canberra Croatia attackers Arusha Chew and a light-footed Tatum Mazis were lively in the first 20 minutes but unable to threaten with their shots, while Gunners attacker Sharon Chao had a fine early shot from outside the penalty area tipped over by Ellie Summers.
A low Brittany Palombi drive was pushed away for a corner by keeper Sammy Emms but the ensuing Palombi corner bent in towards the keeper on the bounce, creating havoc. Ricocheting off Emms onto the post, the keeper watched with dismay as the ball crossed the line for Canberra Croatia’s first goal in the 26th minute.
Counter-attacking via Alex Martens and then a Ginger Oliver corner, the Gunners struck back just two minutes later with Stella De Marco threading a ball to Chao, whose low and accurate drive gave Summers no chance.
An eventful three-minute period ended with a third goal, this time to Canberra Croatia, as Mazis teed up Bella Barac, who fired unerringly into the top right corner of Emms’ net. After half an hour it was 2-1 to Canberra Croatia.
As the first half closed Rhiannon Fensom reminded everyone of her value in the Canberra Croatia defence with a textbook tackle on a flying Darby Whiteley.
Strong combination play between Stella De Marco and Martens twice in the opening minutes of the second half led to promising early shots by the Gunners, but it would be Nat De Marco who would provide the equaliser in the 54th minute. Darting forward to meet Ayla Robertson’s ball in from the left, De Marco controlled the ball and nudged it past Summers.
If Fensom’s tackle on Whiteley in the first half was to be applauded, Nat De Marco had a moment of her own with 20 minutes remaining after a great covering tackle on Chew.
As we have seen for some years when the minutes are ticking down and the Canberra Croatia need is high, Britt Palombi can be relied upon. She was involved in every threatening piece of Canberra Croatia play in the final quarter-hour. Emms made several great saves in this period, denying Mazis off a Palombi free kick, then tipping a Palombi shot onto the crossbar.
The keeper had a brief moment of respite, witnessing Stella De Marco’s 87th-minute left-foot drive touched over the bar by Summers at the other end, before bracing to once again face the wave of descending red shirts. She could only watch as a late Palombi shot from 25 yards cannoned untouched off Emms’ crossbar, before Palombi delivered a pinpoint back post corner for substitute Megan Castle to head home an added time winner.
Saving their most enthralling performance of the season for the Elimination Final, it will be fascinating to see if Canberra Croatia can carry this momentum into the Preliminary Final next week against Canberra Olympic.
Favoured to win this Elimination Final, Gungahlin United will look back on this game and perhaps be justified in thinking that they really didn’t do too much wrong. The two De Marco sisters in particular had fine defensive and attacking games, but when Britt Palombi bends her will to a task, sometimes the outcome can seem irresistible. Nonetheless, what a great season by Nick van Aalst and the impressive Gungahlin United squad, with a record of 12 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses – just one more loss than the Blue Devils.
>>> Full match timeline and team line-ups can be found here <<<
Final score:
Gungahlin United 2 (Sharon Chao 28′, Nat De Marco 54′)
Canberra Croatia 3 (Sammy Emms (OG) 26′, Bella Barac 29′, Megan Castle 90+2′)
Next week:
Finals week 2 – Preliminary Final
