Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League Round 8 Review
The Penrith Nepean United v Marconi Stallions game and the Sydney University v Manly United FC matches were the victims of our week of torrential rain. These games will now be played on a date to be fixed.
Out at ELS Hall Park the pitch was in remarkably good condition for the clash between the NWS Koalas and Sutherland Sharks. The Koalas had started the competition in fine style but, in recent weeks, have struggled for form. The Sharks have endured a horror season so far, conceding 46 goals in 8 matches. Both teams have had a difficult time with injuries. The statistics didn?t point to this being a close encounter but The Sharks could only do their best under the circumstances.
The Koalas started the game in a flurry with Tash Loguidice almost scoring in the first minute of play. This was only a sign of things to come though as, within two minutes of the kick off, The Koalas were on the board. The Sharks were slow in closing down a Koalas attack. Anna McLean fired in what looked like a shot from the left side of the field. The ball threaded its way between players, finding Evelyn Chronis at the back post. Chronis calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to give her side the lead.
From here The Koalas dominated the game. They held possession well and played with width. Sophie Svinos moved forward from defence on a number of occasions to give her side further impetus. Her combination with Anna McLean on the left side of the field was exposing The Sharks defence repeatedly. Goal scorer Tash Loguidice was involved in everything, proving a constant thorn in the side of the Sutherland defensive line.
The only problem was that The Koalas constant pressure was resulting in goals. They managed to miss high, wide and handsome. The frustration level for both the players and Coach Claude De Francesco must have been building by the minute.
The Sharks had rarely ventured out of their own half so it was something of an achievement when, in the 20th minute, they won a corner. Selva Barroso?s corner was poorly dealt with by The Koalas, allowing Nadia Hamson to get a head on the ball. Hamson knocked it down to Jen Allenby who, with her back to goal, popped a nice overhead kick past the keeper to equalise for The Sharks. This was totally against the run of play but gratefully accepted by the Sutherland side.
This spurred The Koalas somewhat and virtually from the kick off they went back into attack. Once again Anna McLean found acres of space on the left flank. McLean centred the ball, which seemed to be misjudged by Sutherland keeper, Amanda Horafios. Koalas? player Hayley Crawford was on the spot to head the ball into goal for Koalas to regain the lead, 2-1.
The Koalas had a huge territorial advantage. Their passes seemed to be finding targets whereas The Sharks were hurried into poor clearances and loose passing. However, The Koalas could not find a way to add to their goal tally. Shots from every angle went over the crossbar or wide of goal. One ball laid back to Carlie Ikonomou hit the crossbar and bounced into the hands of the Sutherland keeper.
Sutherland?s forays forward were few and far between but some nice work just before half time saw Kylie Stabb break into the clear. Stabb?s centre was not perfect but eventually found Shellee Gibson whose shot sailed over the Koalas goal. The Koalas responded with a long ball from Georgina Stylianous which found Hayley Crawford in front of goal. Unfortunately though, Crawford headed the ball over the goal.
Both sides would have welcomed half time; The Sharks in an attempt to regroup, The Koalas in an effort to find their shooting range.
The second half was little different to the first. The Koalas made all the running. The Sharks seemed slow to the ball and indecisive with it. With a number of girls backing up from Reserve Grade this was possibly understandable. They struggled to match the pace of the game with their opponents.
From one Koalas free kick Tash Loguidice headed towards goal only to be denied by a diving one handed save by keeper Horafios. The ensuing corner saw another Koalas header hit the cross bar, then rebound back for a Koalas? shot which was cleared off the line by Sharks defender Adriana Michael.
When Sutherland did fashion an attack they often turned the ball over. From one such instance came a long run from Koalas Carlie Ikonomou who raced upfield only to lose the ball with a misdirected pass. Ikonomou was allowed an error though as she was having a fine game in the middle of the park.
Finally, in the 57th minute a beautiful ball from the right of midfield by Rachel Jones saw Anna Mclean bursting through to meet the pass and poke the ball past the Sutherland keeper to extend The Koalas lead to 3-1.
Sutherland fashioned a half chance or two as the half wore on but failed to really put NWS Koalas under sustained pressure. From the other direction The Koalas challenged through opportunities to both Ikonomou and Chronis but, once again, The Koalas composure in front of goal let them down.
In the 82nd minute The Koalas won a corner. The Sharks won the ball but tried to run it out of their area. A loose ball fell to the ever present Tash Loguidice on the right of the field. Loguidice let loose a powerful shot which sailed into the top left hand corner of the net to take The Koalas to a 4-1 lead.
Despite a couple of other genuine opportunities neither side could add to the scoreline, leaving NWS Koalas comfortable and deserved winners.
Sutherland Sharks Coach, Michael Michael, was circumspect after the game. ?The girls tried hard? said Michael. ?We knew this would be a tough game and the score was a fair reflection of the game. The Koalas dominated.? Michael rued a long injury list which has left three players missing for the rest of the season. Two players returned from lengthy injury lay offs in this match whilst three Reserve Grade players were forced to back up in First Grade. It?s a tough season for The Sharks.
Koalas Coach Claude De Francesco was somewhat frustrated. His side too is battling with injuries, having lost seven players from their season commencing roster. De Francesco said that the habit of creating opportunities but not scoring was becoming epidemic with his team. He put it down to a combination of bad luck and bad finishing. De Francesco also added that The Sharks had tried hard and had found it hard with players backing up from Reserve Grade.
All in all this was a dominant win to the home side. The Sharks will need to improve considerably to halt their run of losses. The two teams are poles apart judging on today?s encounter.
NWS Koalas 4 (E.Chronis 2m, H.Crawford 22m, A.Mclean 57m, T.Loguidice 82m)
Sutherland Sharks 1 (J.Allenby 20m)
The only other Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League match played today was the big clash between competition leaders the Illawarra Stingrays and defending champions the Macarthur Rams at J.J.Kelly Park.
This promised to be a memorable match up with Illawarra fielding a strong side which included their new signing Caitlin Cooper, Captain of the Central Coast Mariners side in the inaugural W League season. Cooper joined fellow Young Matilda, Sam Spackman, who was playing her 2nd game for The Stingrays today.
I don?t have a lot of information about this match but The Rams ran out convincing winners by a score of 4-0. This was certainly, on the scoreboard at least, a show of dominance by the 2007/2008 Premiers. Goals were scored for Macarthur by Renee Cartwright, Stephanie Haim, Linda Dudek and Lisa Donnelly. The win will also be a satisfying revenge for Macarthur after their first round loss to The Stingrays. I suspect that this won?t be the last time these two sides will meet in 2009. I?m sure they?ll both be in contention come final time.
Illawarra Stingrays 0
Macarthur Rams 4 (R.Cartwright, L.Donnelly, S.Haim, L.Dudek)
Let?s hope that the rain clouds will now drift away, leaving the Arrive Alive Women?s Premier League in peace. A fine week that allows plenty of football next weekend will be much appreciated.
-By Ross Anderson
