NPL Capital Football Women's Round 16 Wrap

Weather conditions impacted our pitches and round 16 in the WNPL, with only two games played this weekend. If the logic of the table was eventually respected, both games offered quality entertainment.

An eight-goal thriller took place at Melrose Synthetic, between West Canberra Wanderers and Canberra United Academy, two teams that tallied a combined total of eight points in the last eight rounds.

Two minutes late to the game and you would have missed the action in Woden, with Tara Cannon opening the score following a free-kick from Daisy Canavan that was perfectly weighed in the box. The Academy’s answer did not take long, and another set piece, Isabella Hindmarsh floating direct free-kick, ended in the top left corner to put both teams back at level.

The game settled a bit until another crazy two minutes ended the first half on a bang. Luella Coleman was lucky to see the ball reach her in the box but perfectly placed it out of Jelena Josipovic’s reach, but seconds later, Ginger Oliver’s famous skips before taking a set piece sent a corner kick straight into Eliza Evans’ nets.

Oliver took another corner five minutes after the break, this time to find Sarah Whitfield’s header, too powerful for Evans to parry away. This time the Academy took 20 minutes to answer, with a tap by Charli Gregson on the far post.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Rey Castro and his troops were eager to put serious distance between their fourth spot and the following teams. Another two set pieces, in two minutes, gave the Wanderers an advantage they would keep. Canavan first was given a goal in front of an empty goal, before offering Cannon a second goal from almost a copy and paste of the first goal.

The Academy, victim of their former players, missed maybe their last chance to challenge for the fourth spot and are now 10 points behind West Canberra. The Wanderers finally end the points drought and get their first win in 8 games.

The second game took place in Deakin, where reigning champions Canberra Croatia hosted the Wagga City Wanderers. Zoran Glavinic ended up winning 5-0, but the visitors put up a good fight, resisting for 40 minutes before the start of the Brittany Palombi show.

The first goal had just the right amount of luck, a narrow angle free kick that landed between Ebony Walker and her crossbar. On the kick-off, the Wanderers lost the ball, and Bella Barac launched Palombi in the box. The striker cut in front of Walker and simply had to tap the ball in the empty net.

It was all talent when the paid combined again with 20 minutes left to play in the game. Barac gave the ball to Palombi 30 meters from the goal line, Palombi ran towards the box and superbly executed a chipped ball in the top right corner.

As if a hat-trick was not enough, Palombi scored a fourth goal seconds later, after recovering the ball on the halfway line. She made another run forward, and this time glanced her shot to find the opposite side nets. Four different ways, the left footed striker showed the competition why she is on the way to third Golden Boot title.

The fifth and last goal of the day was another screamer, a 25-metre half volley by Grace Gill, impossible to stop for Warner. Canberra Croatia moved seven points clear of Olympic, who have a game in hand, while the Wanderers stay put at the bottom of the table.

RESULTS

ROUND 16

Saturday 6 August

Belconnen United v Gungahlin United – Match Postponed

Sunday 7 August

West Canberra Wanderers 5 (Cannon 2’, 75’, Oliver 45’, Whitfield 51’, Canavan 73’) Canberra United Academy 3 (Hindmarsh 12’, Coleman 45’, Gregson 71’)

Canberra Olympic v Tuggeranong United – Match Postponed
Canberra Croatia 5 (Palombi 41’, 42’, 68’, 69’, Gill 90’) Wagga City Wanderers 0

TABLE