Women’s Super League Round 2 Review

With finals favourites APIA yet to kick a ball in anger, some less fancied sides are making the most of their headstart.  Here’s a look at the second round of matches from the 2011 Women’s Super League.
Feature Match of the Week
St George FC vs Lady Hawks
Lady Hawks catapulted themselves to the top of the table with an action-packed 2-1 victory over a wasteful St George FC in a controversial round 2 feature match.
A first half brace from Lady Hawks’ strike weapon Kathryn Potts cancelled out Lauren Gardner’s stunning opener, leaving St George to ponder what could have been in an oftentimes dominant performance. While they remain unbeaten in 2011, Lady Hawks will consider themselves fortunate to take all three points home from a rain-soaked St George Stadium.
Indeed, the game started brightly, with both sides making full use of the width of the pitch.  Caitlin Aquilina in particular was creating headaches for St George down the left side, so often was she breaking free of her marker with a combination of speed and finesse.  At the other end of the park St George’s Melissa Toumbelekis was involved in everything, eking out a few half chances but on the whole frustrated by a compact Lady Hawks defence.
Controversy reigned in the 18th minute when St George striker Bellamy broke free and appeared to have been pulled down right in front of goal, only to see the appeal waved away by the referee.  Controversy turned into confusion moments later when Toumbelekis stroked a beautiful curling lob over the keeper just seconds after play was called to a halt.
An extended injury delay only stoked the fire and the challenges started flying in, the game becoming noticeably more intense.  The weight of possession finally paid off for St George after 25 minutes when Lauren Gardner stepped up from all of 30 yards and sent a wicked right foot shot goalwards that caught Lady Hawks keeper Tamara Currey uncharacteristically off her line. 
The goal seemed to relax St George, and Lady Hawks took full advantage of the drop in tempo.  The Saints’ hard-earned lead was wiped out on the half hour when Kathrynn Potts slammed home a nice square ball from Aquilina.
Despite this, St George still looked to be controlling the game, even as the physicality was ramped up a notch. One of many brave challenges from Currey left her seeing stars as the home side piled on the pressure.
Yet on the stroke of halftime Lady Hawks made St George pay for their wastefulness as Potts got on the end of a ball over the top and coolly knocked it past the onrushing keeper to send her side to the break with a somewhat fortuitous one goal lead.
The second half was a much tighter affair, as both coaches presumably addressed their respective teams’ first half shortcomings.  The game was no less physical however, both sides sporting the bruises as evidence.
Chances were at a premium for much of the second period and while St George fought hard till the end, they never really achieved the same level of dominance they enjoyed in the first half.  Any chances they did create were thwarted by an impressive Currey whose performance between the sticks ensured Lady Hawks went home with all three points.
Lady Hawks coach Edd Terry conceded that his team was outplayed in the first half, but marked it down as a learning experience, “I thought it was a messy sort of a game but also a pretty even game.”
“I think St George played better football than we did in the first half and I think we got away with it a little. They were a bit wayward with their shots.”
“It’s a game that we need to forget but it’s movement forward for the girls and something we can learn from.”
A frustrated but diplomatic Ross Gardner thought his team were extremely unlucky, while he conceded their profligacy in front of goal was very costly, ” I think we played enough quality football to have won the game.  I’m very disappointed with the outcome, that’s all I can say.”
“You’d like to think that when you play well you’ll get rewarded, but if you don?t finish your chances you don’t win games of football. We had more than enough chances there to at least have gotten a draw in the closing stages.”
Match Stats
Lady Hawks 2 (Kathrynn Potts 29′, 43′)
St George FC 1 (Lauren Gardner 25′)
St George FC: 1. R Hayman, 3. L Gardner, 16. S Gallagher, 12. L Carter, 8. J Carosi, 5. T Simpson, 13. K Hooper, 2. B McGuire, 7. V Stanton, 23. M Toumbelekis, 11. J Bellamy
Lady Hawks: 1. T Currey, 3. T Gauci, 8. S Stenner, 2. S Glanville-Fyfe, 7. Z Zalos, 4. A Dudman, 5. K Rogerson, 10. C Aquilina, 13. K Potts, 16. R Forbes, 6. T Kunz
at St George Stadium
Nepean FC and Northern Tigers both picked up their first points of the season in a tight encounter at Mills Park.
Neither side were able to find the back of the net in a result both coaches will probably be happy to settle for.
Northern Tigers will be glad to have gotten off the mark as they face a daunting trip to APIA Leichardt in Round 3.
Northern TIgers 0
Nepean FC 0
at Mills Park
Gladesville Ravens got their season off to the perfect start with a 3-0 victory at home to Springwood United.
With a kind draw over the first few rounds, the Ravens will hope to take maximum points, and they did so here, comfortably accounting for their less fancied opponents.
Springwood can take heart from this result, especially considering Gladesville count among the title contenders in 2011.
Gladesville Ravens 3
Springwood United FC 0
at Peel Park
Sydney Olympic came out victorious in their inaugural WSL match, though not without a fight as they went goal-for-goal with Northbridge in a high-scoring encounter at Valentine Sports Park.
No less than six different scorers found themselves on the scoresheet, with Olympic captain Effie Rodopoulos grabbing a brace.
Olympic are shaping up as finals contenders in their first season, and while Northbridge will feel aggrieved after scoring three goals and coming away with nothing, it’s safe to assume most sides will not look forward to facing the new kids on the block.
Sydney Olympic 4 (Kate Halaska, Effie Rodopoulos (2), Elif Ektas)
Northbridge 3 (Bartos, Hemmingsen, Robinson)
at Valentine Sports Park
APIA Leichardt TIgers v Eastern UNSW Lions POSTPONED
-By Ryan Cropp