Arrive Alive Women?s Super League Round 16 Review
Thank heavens I?m not a professional gambler otherwise I?d be living in a soup kitchen! Whilst the surprises didn?t materialise there were certainly some close tussles as some of the Arrive Alive Women?s Super League?s ?lesser lights? tested their more fancied opponents.
Now, Ron Routley Reserve looks like a lovely park. I?m sure that, on a nice spring or summer?s day it?s a great place to be. For some reason though, whenever I travel there, the rain clouds follow, the temperature drops ten degrees and the day is just miserable. It?s just as well they have such great hot chocolate available from the canteen!
Yesterday was no different to the norm as I ventured Ron Routley to take in the Inter Lions versus PCYC Lady Hawks match. The Lions were coming off an awe inspiring mid week annihilation of Sydney Tigers whilst PCYC Lady Hawks had narrowly beaten Northern Tigers in their most recent outing. This certainly loomed as a tough afternoon for the visitors.
The Lions started quickly with Catherine Cannuli and Dani Calvi combining well before Renee Tomkins burst through to open the scoring in just the fourth minute of play. The pressure continued to build at the Lady Hawks end of the park with The Lions knocking the ball around in entertaining fashion. Tomkins had another opportunity but hit the ball straight to PCYC keeper Sarah Marsh.
In the 13th minute Catherine Cannuli was involved again when she received the ball, cut back inside and delivered a perfect pass to Dani Calvi. Calvi too control of the ball and put her shot into the back of the net to double the Inter Lions lead.
Things were not looking too promising for PCYC. When they did manage to get the ball they were tending to turn over possession quickly. This meant that the pressure continued to build on the back of a good Lions passing game.
Natalie Spirovski was another of the Inter Lions big guns who was making life unpleasant for the Lady Hawks. Her sweet pass to Dani Calvi saw the Lions striker racing to goal. Her shot, however, hit the cross bar to deny her a second goal. The Lions were getting plenty of shooting practice but the ball wasn?t finding the back of the net as regularly as the Inter supporters hoped.
In the 27th minute Catherine Cannuli played some beautiful touches with her team mate Natalie Spirovski before hitting a powerful show from the edge of the box. The PCYC goalkeeper was left with no chance and Cannuli?s goal had stretched the Inter Lions lead to 3-0. The former Marconi and Young Matildas star was involved in everything The Lions were putting together. It was obvious that the PCYC defence had no answer to Cannuli?s bag of tricks.
There were more dainty touches from Joanne Saliba and Natalie Spirovski along with some fine dashes down the left flank by Clare Tyson. It was only going to be a matter of time before Inter scored again and so it was in the 34th minute when Cannuli and Calvi combined to send Cannuli racing towards the box. Cannuli was felled by a PCYC defender. This seemed to be a signal for everyone to stop, as if expecting a free kick. Dani Calvi, however, quickly raced to the loose ball and tucked away her second goal to give her side a 4-0 lead.
Within one minute Clare Tyson was released down the left by another great Cannuli pass. Tyson?s cross is headed just over the pack by Dani Calvi who then regained possession and chipped the ball over the keeper for her third goal.
Before Dani?s Dad even had a chance to stop cheering Inter were away again with Catherine Cannuli?s cross finding Joanne Saliba who slammed away her shot to extend the Inter Lions lead to 6-0. PCYC did manage to push their way into the Inter half for some speculative shots at goal before Catherine Cannuli let loose with a few distance shots of her own. As the whistle went for half time it was 6-0 to Inter Lions. Catherine Cannuli had run a master class in attacking football for Inter?s unfortunate opponents.
For all Inter?s dominance I think it?s true to say that they were going through the motions. The intensity of Thursday evening wasn?t evident and, to be quite honest, The Lions should have reached double figures by the break.
Coach Joe Baldacci decided to rest Catherine Cannuli for the second half, sending on Justine Vella as her replacement. Within one minute of the resumption Clare Tyson made a sharp run down the flank before passing to Natalie Spirovski. The former Koalas star shimmied, turned and added her name to the scoresheet with a sublime strike. At 7-0 with 44 minutes to go it seemed as if the scoreboard attendant may have to use a calculator to estimate the final scoreline.
Inter then replaced Joanne Saliba with Dominique Caridad.
Whereas Catherine Cannuli had dominated the first half, Natalie Spirovski took over as the Inter Lions General in the second stanza. Spirovski laid on some beautiful passes for her supports but her willing team mates just couldn?t quite seem to take advantage of her skills. Shots went wide, high, to the keeper; the Inter girls were getting somewhat frustrated with their inability to add to the score.
Clare Tyson continued her good form from the first half, making many incisive runs but, alas, the diminutive left flanker?s radar was off target. Tyson deserved a goal but it seemed as if a higher power had ordained that today wasn?t going to be her day. Renee Tomkins volleyed over the bar after a superb Spirovski corner whilst Dani Calvi did similar after some fine lead up work by Spirovski. Dominique Caridad also had a number of chances but headed over the goal after finding herself in space.
PCYC tried hard to put the brakes on their opponents but had little luck in achieving their aim. Inter were just too classy. The Lady Hawks were fortunate that The Lions weren?t as ?in the zone? as they were against Sydney Tigers otherwise this may have been a cricket score. The Lady Hawks took some salvation in keeping Inter Lions to just one second half goal.
The Lions played some good football during this match. Their finishing, especially in the second half, left something to be desired. That said, they created so many scoring opportunities they couldn?t possibly have sunk them all.
Ed Terry, PCYC?s stand in Coach for the day, said that his team just seemed out of sorts on the day. With the normal coaching staff away doing a FIFA coaching accreditation the girls had seemed a little lost, stated Terry. He also said that the side had dropped the great intensity they?d shown in recent weeks but hoped they would bounce back against Southern NSW FC next weekend.
Inter Lions Coach Joe Baldacci said that his team had gone through the motions. He felt that they?d struggled to lift for the game. ?PCYC hung in there but Inter were just too strong? said Baldacci. ?We had 88% of the game but wasted our opportunities? stated the Inter Coach.
What do you say when a team wins 7-0, completely dominates the game but still walks away thinking ?what if?? With the greatest of respect to PCYC Lady Hawks it should have been 10-0 by half time and 20-0 at the final whistle. It wasn?t so much that PCYC played badly; they just weren?t allowed to play at all.
I don?t know if any side is capable of upsetting Inter Lions in their surge for multiple honours this season. They are a fine team with some very special players.
Inter Lions 7 (D.Calvi 13m/32m/34m, R.Tomkins 4m, C.Cannuli 27m, J.Saliba 36m, N.Spirovski 46m)
PCYC Lady Hawks 0
At Parklands Oval the Northern Tigers found themselves 1-0 down after just 14 minutes with Central Coast?s Ashleigh Morris grabbing the goal.
The Tigers fought back through a well taken goal in the 27th minute by Hannah Ascroft which left the team locked 1-1 at the break. The Tigers conceded an unlucky own goal in the 58th minute but rebounded just three minutes later when Leyla Beiglari scored.
This set the scene for a grandstand finish but it was The Lightning girls who found an extra gear. With Ashleigh Morris scoring her second in the 82nd minute and Tatum adding a fourth goal for the visitors in the 85th minute Central Coast kept third spot on the ladder after coming through a tight contest.
This could be another one that ?got away? for Northern Tigers. Central Coast will be looking ahead to next Sunday?s clash with the competition leaders, Inter Lions.
Northern Tigers 2 (H.Ascroft 27m, L.Beiglari 61m)
Central Coast Lightning 4 (A.Morris 14m/82m, own goal 58m, J.Tatum 85m)
At Francis Park Sydney Tigers were looking to forget the horrors of their Thursday night debacle at Valentine Sports Park and keep their finals hopes afloat.
The visitors started well with Lisa Gilbert adding to her season?s tally with a well taken goal in the 12th minute. The Tigers maintained this slender 1-0 lead into half time before, two minutes after the break, McLean doubled their advantage.
The Spartans struggled to find a way back into the contest but, in the 77th minute, they were handed a lifeline through a Larissa Monkerud goal. It wasn?t enough though as The Tigers were able to hold on and record an important win.Blacktown put in another solid effort but The Tigers were simply too good on the day.
Blacktown Spartans 1 (L.Monkerud 77m)
Sydney Tigers 2 (L.Gilbert 12m, J.McLean 47m)
In Bathurst the Western NSW Panthers were looking to revenge their earlier loss to St George FC and retain second place on the competition ladder.
The Panthers took the lead in the 18th minute when Captain Gillian Rosconi scored. St George FC held on in determined fashion though and The Panthers weren?t able to build on that lead prior to half time.
In the second half Teegan Courtney set The Panthers towards victory with her goal in the 54th minute before Kira Churchland sealed the points with a brace in the 56th and 89th minutes respectively.
This was another disappointment for the battling St George side. The Panthers have a tough one next Sunday against Sydney Tigers but the Bathurst girls will have one eye on the finals now as they head into the second last week of competition.
Western NSW Panthers 4 (G.Rosconi 18m, T.Courtney 54m, K.Churchland 56m/89m)
St George FC 0
The Ison Park match up between Southern NSW FC and Gladesville Ravens promised to be a hard fought battle as Southern NSW went to battle for a finals spot against a team that?s proven to be a thorn in the side of everyone in recent weeks.
Unfortunately for Gladesville Emma Cobb decided to use this match to prove to all Southern NSW FC supporters that there is life after Katie French by knocking in a classy hat trick. Cobb?s goal in the 38th minute broke the game open. Despite The Ravens best efforts to claw their way back into the match they were unable to do so. Cobb?s second goal in the 54th minute left Gladesville with an insurmountable hurdle to get over before her 87th minute shot put the icing on the cake for the locals.
This was a very important win for Southern NSW FC as it puts them back inside the top four, if only on goal difference. Sydney Tigers do have a game in hand but face a tough assignment in Bathurst next weekend. This look like it may go right down to the wire.
Gladesville couldn?t quite match it with Southern on the day but will hope to finish the season in style with matches against Blacktown Spartans and Western NSW Panthers.
Southern NSW FC 3 (E.Cobb 38m/54m/87m)
Gladesville Ravens 0
So, with just two rounds remaining, the Minor Premiership belongs to Inter Lions but the semi final places are still a work in progress. The order of the finalists, outside of Inter Lions, is still in the lap of the gods. The final two matches will certainly see some desperate sides working overtime to add to their points tally and ensure finals football.
-By Ross Anderson
