Adelaide City and Football SA NTC kicked off Round 10 of WNPL action on Friday night at VALO Football Centre. The decent current form of both sides hinted at an intriguing encounter pre-kick-off.
Last week’s 1-0 victory over Adelaide University marked the first time this season that City have recorded back-to-back wins. After a difficult start to the year, they went into the game just one place outside of the finals spots.
NTC were denied victory in heart-breaking fashion last weekend as high-flyers Inter netted an injury-time equalizer to ensure the spoils were shared at 2-2. Therefore, it was a big three points up for grabs.
All four of the goals were squeezed into a six-minute spell in the second half. City recorded a vital win which really re-emphasises their return as contenders after such a slow start.
Alana Fitzsimmons put City ahead on 55 minutes after taking advantage of hesitancy in the NTC defence when trying to clear a long ball. Fitzsimmons pounced and drove a shot across the keeper into the net. Just two minutes later, Bianca Gray doubled their lead as she was played through and hit the ball into the far corner.
It was 3-0 on 60 minutes thanks to a real moment of magic from W-League star Chelsie Dawber, who delightfully lifted the ball over the NTC keeper from the edge of the box.
Anastasia Willoughby got one back for NTC just sixty seconds after Dawber’s strike. The youngster received the ball towards the left-hand side, cut in, and curled a sensational effort into the top of the net.
The second Friday night game saw Metro United take on league leaders West Adelaide at TK Shutter Reserve.
Metro looked to have completed their return to form last weekend against Adelaide Comets before letting a two-goal lead slip inside the last five minutes.
West, meanwhile, continued their imperious form with a 5-0 hammering of last-placed Fulham United. This extended their lead at the top of the table to four points thanks to other results going their way.
With seven wins and just one loss to start the season, West are the hottest prospect in the competition right now. Metro knew that they had a tough assignment on their hands.
Therefore it was not surprising that in damp conditions West started on the front foot, dominating possession and territory throughout the first half. They looked comfortable on the ball and, with Metro United sitting off, West were allowed to play their passing game and attack at will.
It took them 11 minutes to take the lead when Christie Hillyer took a touch and then turned in a low ball from the right off the far post.
However, Metro rallied and within five minutes earned their first corner of the night. Rochelle Draper took it on the left, viciously curling in an effort which flew straight into the net off of the hands of West goalkeeper Sarah Willacy.
West Adelaide continued to threaten and re-took the lead ten minutes before the break. Lucy Adamopoulos received the ball on the left in her own half and the club captain switched the ball to the opposite flank. A low cross in found Hillyer, whose effort deflected before she played a ball back for Nicole Tilley to score a trademark screamer. Tilley was positioned on the edge of the box and lifted a marvelous ball over the keeper and into the net.
Hellas started the second half where they ended the first, but couldn’t quite put together the final pass that would enable them to extend their lead to the comfortable scoreline that their possession and territory warranted.
As the second period wore on, Metro came more into the game and the defending champions worked incredibly hard. They managed to unleash the dangerous Millie Scott more regularly than they had hitherto – and that would reap rewards.
On 65 minutes, Scott was played through and faced Willacy, who blocked her effort. However, five minutes later, Scott fared better. The Metro star raced in on goal, faced Willacy one on one again, and slotted the ball calmly under the custodian into the net for 2-2.
Into the last ten minutes, both sides had chances to win the game. Metro’s Roxanne Dodd found Talia Bilardo who forced Willacy to make a great save. Lara Kirkby had two efforts blocked in quick succession for West Adelaide ahead of the final whistle.
Metro United gleefully celebrated their point at the end as a reward for their never say die spirit and sheer hard work. Despite being so dominant for much of the game, West Adelaide couldn’t take enough of their chances and so have their lead at the top of the table halved to two points.
In the second Friday night game VALO, Adelaide University took on Adelaide Comets – two sides who are further down the ladder than they would like.
One point from their last four matches, with a 1-0 loss to City their most recent defeat, has seen Uni remain at the wrong end of the table, but only one point behind Comets going into the game.
Comets were buoyed by snatching an unlikely point from what appeared to be imminent defeat last weekend against Metro, with skipper Valeria Guajardo’s strikes in the 87th and 89th minutes earning her side a dramatic 2-2 draw, a result that keeps them within four points of City in fifth.
Comets built on their great effort last week to claim a hugely important 1-0 win which came courtesy of Hannah Jenkin’s strike after 52 minutes. She was played in just to the right of centre in the box and fired home powerfully.
The last game of the round was played on Saturday when rock bottom Fulham United took on second-placed Salisbury Inter at Adelaide Shores Football Centre.
A heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of table-toppers West last weekend sees Fulham’s search for their first win on the season continue. Despite their strong start and regular goal-scoring, Inter have hit a sticky patch without a win in their last four games, a run that has seen West increase their points buffer at the top.
The game ended as expected, with Inter running out 5-0 winners to continue Fulham’s painful season to date and cut West Adelaide’s lead at the top of the table to two points.
Emily Heazlewood put Inter ahead after a quarter of an hour as she ran past numerous Fulham players far too easily and unleashed a shot from just inside the box that flew in. Chantelle Ryder doubled their advantage six minutes later when she was left completely unmarked in the centre of the six-yard box to turn in a cutback.
It was 3-0 just after the half-hour mark thanks to the customary strike from Cote Rojas. The Chilean international received the ball in the box, turned, and shot immediately into the net.
It remained that way until six minutes from time when Rojas played in W-League teammate Emily Condon, who shot across the keeper just inside the box. The rout was completed at the very end when the Chilean hit her tenth of season in fine style. Receiving the ball in the box, Rojas went wide and lifted a glorious effort over the Fulham keeper into the net.
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD | |
| West Adelaide | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 12 | 23 | + 15 |
| Salisbury Inter | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 9 | 21 | + 20 |
| Adelaide City | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 18 | + 9 |
| Metro United | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 20 | 15 | = |
| Football SA NTC | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 20 | 14 | + 2 |
| Adelaide Comets | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 26 | 11 | – 12 |
| Adelaide University | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 7 | – 10 |
| Fulham United | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 2 | – 25 |
