Arrive Alive Women?s Super League Reserve grade Grand Final Review
Southern NSW knock off Sydney Tigers to claim Championship
Southern NSW defeated the Sydney Tigers 2-0 to claim the Arrive Alive Women?s Super League Reserve Grade final in a warm but windy afternoon at Melita Stadium on Sunday.
With the Tigers making the Grand Final from fourth place, it was going to take a huge effort to take out the title.
The game began at a slow pace with the Tigers pushing forward well in an attempt to take an early lead.
It did not take long however for Southern NSW to string a few passes together and bury the ball in the net against the run of play.
A great passage of play saw the ball delivered into the middle from the left hand side, with Battin looking like she handled the ball before slotting the ball home in the 4th minute for the 1-0 lead.
The Tigers quickly pushed forward again looking for the equaliser right away, holding possession in their attacking half however failing to have any clear cut chances on goal.
Their continued pressure almost produced a goal in the 10th minute with a great floating cross from Jessica Cameron reaching the retiring Amanda Bowering however, the midfielder failed to find the net in a congested 6 yard box.
A great counter attack from the Tigers released Deidre Barham on the left hand side in the 15th minute who quickly crossed for the incoming Shani Lauf, however the chance was quickly thwarted by a confident Pugh playing in the back for the ladies from Nowra.
Being clear underdogs and 1-0 down, the Tigers continued to attack with their tails up, with Bowering and Cameron controlling the middle of the park comfortably.
Their continued attacking again created a chance in the 19th minute as Bowering had her header cleared off the line by Quniton dropping back from the midfield for Southern NSW.
A great through ball by Bowering in the 23rd minute release Lauf one on one on goal again however Southern NSW keeper Ryan was quickly out to save another chance.
The frustration of not being able to put the ball in the net began showing for the Tigers, as in the 28th minute the game died down to a midfield battle with no clear chances for either side to score.
After two minutes however, it seemed as if Southern NSW slowly began to get into their stride after their early goal.
In the 31st minute, a series of short passes in the middle of the park allowed R. Potter to free B. Copland on the left hand side.
With a wealth of time, Copland cut the ball back into the box however missed her two strikers who were clearly unmarked in a chance gone begging.
The Tigers did not give up attacking however, and in the 34th minute they must have been wondering what they needed to do to score.
A great low cross from Lauf on the left hand side fell to Cassie Davies however the right sided midfielder blasted over the top in point blank range, much to the despair of the vocal crowd.
As the girls began to tire in the back end of the second half, the Tigers continued to pepper Southern NSW?s defence with a number of through balls splitting the defence, forcing their goalkeeper to come of her line and make some crucial saves to maintain their 1-0 lead going into the break.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with the Tigers attacking down the flanks forcing Southern NSW to defend deep in their own territory.
In the 47th minute, Shani Lauf won a free kick in shooting range for in the in-form Cameron.
Unfortunately for Sydney, Cameron?s shot was not one of her best, as she curled the ball around the wall but failed to have enough power behind it as it bounced straight to the waiting Ryan in goals.
Southern NSW finally began to hit their straps in 50th minute, passing the ball around the pitch finding gaps in the Tigers defence.
In the 56th minute goal scorer Battin found space on the right and delivered a great cross however failed to hit her attackers waiting in the box.
The increase in possession then allowed Southern NSW to double their lead in the 60th minute, with Potter hitting a magnificent shot into the top right corner.
With their heads down, the Tigers began failing to stick passes together allowing for Southern NSW to gain the majority of possession.
Three quick changes between the 65th and 70th minutes allowed the Tigers to attack creating a number of chances for corners however lacking the final touch to bring one back.
The continued pressure still failed to produce a goal for Sydney, with the game again brewing into a midfield battle.
A shot from distance from Kylie Meehan in the 80th minute was the final chance for the Tigers, with the Women?s Super League Reserve Grade title going to Southern NSW.
Match Details
Southern NSW 2 (E. Battin 4?, R. Potter 60?)
Sydney Tigers 0
Venue: Melita Stadium, South Granville
Southern NSW: 1. F. Ryan (gk), 3. B Copland, 10. S. Smith, 14. A.Pugh, 17. R. Potter, 19. J. Armstrong, 20. E. Battin, 21. S. Quiniton, 23. E. Green, 24. R. Potter, 27. C. Johanessen
Substitutes: 2. E Cobb, 9. S. Frank, 12. A. Roberts, 13. L. Stockan, 26. E. Dowse
Sydney Tigers: 4. Tara 2. C. Forbes, 3. A Celic, 4. D. Barham, 7. S. Lauf, 8. J. Cameron, 10. A. Bowyer, 11. A. Bowering, 14. E. Bedford, 15. C. Davies, 16. K. Meehan
Substitutes: 1. Trudy Bartlett (gk), 9. D. Christodoulou, 12. H. Murray, 13. K. Manias, 21. J. Mclean
-By Chris Georgakopoulos
