Women’s Super League Round 9 Review
Sydney Olympic have jumped out as the team to watch in recent weeks and again Nepean FC it was no different as they maintain third spot on the ladder. St. George Stadium saw the points shared while Nowra will be celebrating a strong win over the Lady Hawks.
As said in previous reviews, consistency is key to winning this competition and it seems Eastern UNSW Lions are doing everything right to stay on track for a trophy.
Match of the Round: Northern Tigers 2 ? 1 Southern Districts
Mills Park played host to Match of the Round for Week 9 of the competition with both sides in need of a win to boost the morale and confidence ahead of the second half of the season.
The home side got the ball moving and were instantly on the attack through Ellana Balicki forcing a strong save from Districts? keeper with just seconds on the clock. The shout from the travelling bench was ?that is the last shot they will get girls!?. It was this call which, if anything, spurred the Tigers on more as they claimed three shots on goal in the opening 10 minutes.
With 15 minutes on the clock, Sheree Bryant looked to continue her fine form from last weekend with a fantastic strike on goal only to be denied by some last ditch defending off the goal line. On the counter, the attacking partnership of Grace Ha, Ellana Balicki and Gab Dal Pozzo were electric with their pin point accurate passing game.
Just after the half hour mark, Tigers? winger come striker Dal Pozzo was played into space making it she only had the goalkeeper to beat. As Dal Pozzo took the ball to the side, the keeper had no option but to collect the striker earning herself a red card and awarding the Tigers a penalty. The reserve keeper?s first task was to pull the ball out of the back of the net as Ellana Balicki stepped up and slotted the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.
Despite being down to 10 players, Districts moved into a back three defensive unit looking to continue their work in the centre of the park and it almost payed off with one last attack through Justine McLaughlin who failed to get her shot on target just before the half time whistle.
The Tigers might have been up at the break however knew they needed to score again early on after the restart if they were to secure maximum points and keep the upper hand at home against some strong opposition.
For the Tigers supporters, it might have been cold on the sidelines but the game was just heating up with Gab Dal Pozzo getting her name on the score sheet in fine fashion in the 55th minute. A perfect pass from midfield maestro Laura Murray over the top of Districts squad caught out playing the offside trap meant that Dal Pozzo had the time and space to line up her shot. There was nothing the keeper could have done but watch in awe as the shot sailed into the back of the net.
Here the flood gates opened for Northern Tigers with no fewer than five shots on goal in the space of 10 minutes which saw head coach Eric Daly decide to mix things up in the front third. Strikers Grace Ha and goal scorer Gab Dal Pozza earned themselves an early break giving defenders Rashna Krishnan and Irini Kacopieros a rare chance to shine in the final third of the pitch.
Despite being clearly frustrated with their lack of opportunities, Southern Districts continued to push looking for a way back into this game. With just minutes left to play there was a mix up in the defensive line of the Tigers allowing Justine McLaughlin to slot the back home for a consolation goal.
As the full time whistle blew, Northern Tigers bench jumped in jubilation as the confidence and faith in each other was restored. The win was exactly what the home side needed to try and get back on track and welcome back some key players from injury.
For Southern Districts it is back to the drawing board as the team look to get back to basics and play a pretty pass and move footballing game to avoid the messy long ball tactic.
The Tigers face the tough task of a trip out to Bathurst as they take on Western NSW Mariners next weekend at Alex Lamberton Field while Southern Districts head to Cook Park to take on Nepean FC on Sunday afternoon.
Eastern UNSW Lions 6 ? 1 Western NSW Mariners
A comfortable win for the home side as Eastern UNSW Lions took control at David Phillips Field over Western NSW Mariners. Kate Jenkins and Helen Orr both got a goal each, Lisa Mitchell scored a hat-trick and an own goal was enough to guarantee the points for the home side. The Mariners however didn?t go home empty handed, a goal scored by K. Collingridge is something to be proud of as only 9 goals have managed to slip past one of the best defences in the competition.
Southern Branch 3 ? 2 Parramatta Lady Hawks
Ison Park came alive this Sunday afternoon thanks to two midfield dominant sides going head to head hoping to continue their push for a spot in the top two of the ladder. Southern Branch led 2-1 at the break after some fantastic football however straight after the restart, the Lady Hawks hit back with their pace to level the scores. The home side managed to find a winner before the final whistle but will be disappointed with their work in the final third after being unable to confirm all three points earlier on.
St. George FC 2 ? 2 APIA Leichhardt Tigers
The points were shared at St. George Stadium as St. George FC and APIA Leichhardt Tigers went in search of a much needed three points. Again it was Alana Humphries who was pulling the strings up front for the home side getting her name on the scoresheet however APIA?s striker Dani Calvi hit back in fine fashion thanks to a goal of her own. A draw was a fair result this Sunday afternoon however there was a sour note as APIA lost yet another key player to long term injury.
Nepean FC 1 – 2 Sydney Olympic FC
Sydney Olympic continues to climb the Super League ladder after a strong win against Nepean FC away from home. Despite being unable to keep a clean sheet, the Olympic squad were dominant in the centre of the field and ultimately more composed in front of goal scoring their 14th goal of the season and maintain having one of the best defences in the competition. For Nepean it was a case of close but not close enough as the home side fought hard for the full 90 minutes but were unlucky to at least get a point.
RESERVE GRADE
A fiery fixture between Northern Tigers and Southern Districts ended with the home side taking all three points in solid 2-1 win. Both teams were struggling with squad numbers and so were forced into playing up their juniors or having first team players ?warm up? during the reserves. The winning and rather theatrical goal was scored by Briony Mattocks who was on hand to knock the ball into the back of the net with just 15 minutes left to play.
Eastern UNSW Lions maintain their dominance in the reserve grade with a 1-0 win over Western NSW Mariners at David Phillips Field. Southern Branch?s players were left disappointed after a tough 2-1 loss to the Lady Hawks. The points were shared at both St. George Stadium and Cook Park as St. George FC and APIA Leichhardt Tigers had a 2-2 draw whilst Nepean FC and Sydney Olympic also saw four goals scored split 2-2.
-By Peter Nowakowski
