Women’s Super League Round 8 Review
Once again it was a round of unpredictable scores and shock results as Sydney Olympic got a sneaky win against a Northern Tigers side low on confidence, St. George FC lost at home to Nepean, Districts returned to their former glory and APIA almost snatched a win at Melita Stadium.
MATCH OF THE ROUND: Southern Branch 1 ? 3 Eastern UNSW Lions
It may have been only 13 degrees in Nowra for the top of the table fixture between Southern Branch and UNSW Lions however on the field the players were fired up, ready for the challenge that was ahead of each and everyone of them.
Southern Branch started the stronger of the two sides with both Ange Graham and Jo Constanzo testing out the fine skills of UNSW Lions keeper, Amanda Watson. Three shots on target in the opening five minutes suggested this fixture could have easily have seen more goals than it did thanks to some less than convincing defensive work by the travelling side.
By the 10th minute, Branch?s centre back, Chantelle Nahokau almost opened the scoring after a run straight through the heart of UNSW Lions? midfield. Her shot was a typical shot by a defender as it skipped wide of the goal, however it was this run by Chantelle that showed just how easily the home side could create space with their passing game when they wanted to.
Just 10 minutes later the crowd were left silent as UNSW Lions scored first at Ison Park. After some solid build up play, Ayse Adalis was played into space, giving her time to line up a stunning strike into the back of the net. Branch?s goalkeeper was stuck in ?no man?s land? as she came off her line to try and stop the pacey centre forward.
Before the half time whistle, there was a mix up between defender and goalkeeper in the Lions? box as Constanzo was fouled inside the box. The referee called for a penalty, which was miskicked by A. Graham straight into the hands of Lions? keeper. The follow up shot by Branch sailing over the bar summed up perfectly the chances, which the home side endured in the opening 45.
There was time for one last attacking play for the travelling side before heading into the sheds as once again Ayse Adalis was on the end of fantastic through ball. Again the keeper came rushing out to attempt to deny the striker but Adalis had the composure to take the ball past the keeper and walk it into the net. With the score set at 2-0, UNSW Lions were definitely the happier of the two sides.
Southern Branch started the second half just as strongly as they did the first, looking to pile on the pressure early and try and find a way back into this fixture. Luckily for the supporters the goal that had been brewing all game finally arrived in the 53rd minute. Pushed home by Ange Graham, that goal felt like a lifeline for a game which was slowly slipping away.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, Ayse Adalis secured her second hat-trick in as many weeks (her eighth goal in two games) and the winning goal for her side after scoring a great goal past the keeper. There was a hint of offside as Adalis was played in, however it was quickly waved away by the referee and his assistant.
Though Southern Branch kept pushing and pushing in search of a second goal, it was obvious that no ordinary goal was going to be scored against UNSW Lions? goalkeeper who was quite simply outstanding between the posts. Two brilliant saves before the final whistle ensured that the travelling side took the drive home from Nowra with all three points.
St. George FC 0 ? 1 Nepean FC
Nepean FC started off the game in fantastic fashion with L. Flowers scoring in just the first minute of play against a St. George side which had barely got themselves organised from the kick off. Though this was the only goal in the match, both sides had plenty of opportunities to hit back however thanks to some stunning goalkeeping, the lone goal was enough for Nepean to get their second win of the season.
Sydney Olympic 2 ? 1 Northern Tigers
In what was clearly the shock result of the round, Sydney Olympic produced a stunning display of football defeating Northern Tigers 2-1 at Blick Oval. The win sees Sydney Olympic climb further up the ladder up to fourth spot after a string of great performances. For Northern Tigers, the mood around training needs to be boosted again as we approach the second half of the competition.
Southern Districts 4 ? 0 Western NSW Mariners
Southern Districts were playing with smiles on their faces as they were back to playing the pretty football we saw them play in the opening three rounds of the competition. Two goals in each half from Sheree Bryant was more than enough to claim maximum points against a Western NSW Mariners side who looked slightly off the pace with their passing at Ernie Smith Reserve.
Parramatta Lady Hawks 3 ? 2 APIA Leichhardt Tigers
An own goal in the first half followed by a great goal by P. Grant just before the break gave the Lady Hawks the advantage at half time, a deserved lead after a dominating passing game. APIA however almost got back to winning ways thanks to goals from Dani Calvi and Nat Spirovski to level the scoring at 2-2. Just before the full time whistle, A. Dudman stepped up to score the winning goal for the home side as the coaching staff breathed a sigh a relief.
Reserve Grade
Eastern UNSW Lions have been in fine form recently however knew that one hurdle which they had to overcome was taking on the mentally and physically strong Southern Branch. With the score locked at 0-0 at the break, Southern Branch looked most likely to score first having hit the post three times. Against the run of play, star striker Lisa Mitchell pushed her way through to knock the ball into the net for the opening goal for UNSW Lions. New signing Jessica Woo came off the bench in the final 25 minutes with an instant impact scoring the winning goal as UNSW Lions went on to beat Southern Branch at Ison Park 2-0.
St. George FC and Nepean shared the points at St. George Stadium in a thrilling 3-3 draw whilst Sydney Olympic slipped to a 3-2 defeat to Northern Tigers at home. Western NSW Mariners? players had smiles on their faces as they left the field with all three points, claiming a 3-0 win over a Southern Districts squad who were unlucky in the final third of the pitch. Finally, APIA Leichhardt Tigers were unlucky against the Lady Hawks in a match that saw seven goals scored split 5-2 in favour of the home side.
-By Peter Nowakowski
