West Canberra's Alex McKenzie with Canberra Croatia's Jen Bisset. Photo: @KaiMoebus

Capital Football‘s Federation Cup is a knockout tournament that runs in parallel with the NPLW1 season. The Women’s edition of the Cup has run since 2012, and clubs do not need to be in the NPLW to participate.

Federation Cup final: Canberra Croatia vs West Canberra Wanderers

A late bid by West Canberra Wanderers to appeal the suspension Tiana Jaber picked up last weekend proved fruitless, with Capital Football stating there were no grounds for appeal. Not only did Jaber miss the Cup Final, but she will also sit out the next two NPLW rounds.

However, the Wanderers were not without their claims in this Cup Final, coming into the game on the back of over a month of solid form, last week’s hiccup against Canberra Olympic notwithstanding. Isobel D’Amico came in for Jaber at centre back and Liz Edwards started for the still-injured Kilkie Leten.

West Canberra’s Alex McKenzie reacts quickest. Photo: @KaiMoebus

Canberra Croatia was also not short of motivation to perform on this sunny if brisk Saturday afternoon at Deakin Stadium. The Federation Cup had thus far eluded an appearance in their trophy cabinet, and the team – which took on a familiar look for this game – also wanted to make amends for a last-start loss to Canberra United Academy, ending their 19 game undefeated streak.

It was a dream start for the home side. Brittany Palombi’s deadly left foot did the business as she found room to the left of the penalty area, chipping keeper Janet King for a stunning opener in just the fourth minute.

This seemed to shake the visitors for a time and it was all Canberra Croatia for the first 20 minutes. Then a monster kick by West Canberra keeper Janet King from her own box for Liz Edwards led to a corner. In the 24th minute, Alex McKenzie’s corner ball was scuffed by Emma Stanbury at the near post, but driven low through the centre of Ally Hinson’s goal by Ana Chaverra Calle to level the scores.

Spirits lifted, the visitors competed on more level terms for the majority of the rest of the game. The midfield trio of Stanbury, Briana Maguire and McKenzie was prominent, with McKenzie’s shot seven minutes before halftime fizzing just over the right post. Yet chances on goal were mainly from the home side. Jamie Berkeley snatched the best of those chances over the bar just before the break, following through on King’s save from Olivia Fogarty’s low drive.

West Canberra keeper Janet King is on a hot streak of form. Photo: @KaiMoebus

Palombi had two scoring opportunities in succession just after the hour, with the swarming West Canberra defence doing its job on the first and King’s safe hands taking care of the second. Chantel Jones joined the Canberra Croatia attacking line in the 67th minute and would prove to be influential, replacing the hard-working Fogarty.

Canberra Croatia defender Cecilija Matic had an impressive game but picked up a yellow card in the 76th minute for her challenge on Chaverra Calle. Stanbury’s free-kick from just outside the home side’s area was wasted however and cleared by the wall.

West Canberra’s Ana Chaverra Calle in a close encounter with Cecilija Matic. Photo: @KaiMoebus

This was an outstanding period of the game with end-to-end action. It was CCFC captain Grace Gill who found a way to orchestrate an advantage for her side when it mattered, finding her way to the West Canberra by-line and cutting the ball back, Palombi finishing easily for a 2-1 lead. As has so often been the case, it was the tried and true Gill-Palombi combination to the rescue.

With just 12 minutes left, West Canberra reverted to three defenders in an effort to mount a comeback. This served to open up the spaces in the Canberra Croatia attacking zones, and when Bisset was bundled over in the West Canberra area by two defenders on 87 minutes, Palombi stepped up for the spot-kick. Her drive cannoned off the crossbar to Jones, who reacted well with her left foot to put away her side’s third goal, to Jones’ and the home crowd’s jubilation.

Palombi was not to be denied her hat-trick – with 2 minutes to go in added time, a long ball into the West Canberra penalty area found Jones, who nodded it expertly into Palombi’s path for her third.

While it cannot be denied that the more dominant of the two sides won, the majority of the game was a closer contest than the 4-1 scoreline indicated. Spurred on by a strong supporter presence, West Canberra was right in this game up until the last ten or so minutes, when circumstances forced their hand into going for an equaliser. 

 

West Canberra captain Sarah Whitfield collects her team’s medals. Photo: @KaiMoebus

Canberra Croatia coach Nik Brozinic told Isobel Cootes from the Canberra Times that “… We made it a big point in our preseason and when we were doing our goal setting sessions early on, the Fed Cup was really important to us this year.

“Obviously we’d love to go on and win the remaining two trophies as well, but this is the first step in achieving our goals this season.”

Photo: @KaiMoebus

Final score:

Canberra Croatia 4 (Palombi 4′ 79′ 90+1′, Jones 87′)

West Canberra Wanderers 1 (Chaverra Calle 24′)

 

Teams:

Canberra Croatia – Coach: Nik Brozinic

Ally Hinson, Renee Junna, Rhiannon Fensom, Cecilija Matic, Alice Churchill, Jennifer Bisset, Jamie Berkeley, Krista Hagen, Brittany Palombi, Grace Gill (c), Olivia Fogarty

Subs: Lara Agnew (89′ => Junna), Sharon Chao (90’+2 => Berkeley), Chantel Jones (67′ => Fogarty), Amy McLachlan

Yellow card: Matic (76′)

West Canberra Wanderers – Coach: Emma Stanbury

Janet King, Hannah Coppell, Isobel D’Amico, Sarah Whitfield (c), Emma Guo, Emma Stanbury, Alex McKenzie, Demi Nikias, Briana Maguire, Liz Edwards, Ana Chaverra Calle

Subs: Ellen Brown (68′ => Nikias), Hattie Cram (64′ => Edwards), Olivia Nolan, Melinda O’Callaghan (86′ => D’Amico), Samantha Savanhu (89′ => Chaverra Calle)

Yellow/Red cards: Nil


Around The Grounds:

No other games

Next week:

NPLW resumes – Round 9

Canberra Croatia vs West Canberra, Deakin Stadium, Sunday 13 June, 2:300pm
Wagga City vs Tuggeranong United, Gissing Oval, Sunday 13 June, 3:00pm
Gungahlin United vs Canberra Olympic, Gungahlin Enclosed, Sunday 13 June, 3:00pm
Canberra United Academy vs Belconnen United, Hawker Enclosed, Sun 13 June 3:00pm  

 
Follow all our ACT NPLW coverage here.

Steffen Moebus
Steffen Moebus
Steffen is a life-long Canberra resident and enjoys covering football in and around his home town, as well as Aussies participating in the Nordic leagues (Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark).
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