NPL NSW Womens 2 Round 4 Review

The Round Four Match of the Round in the NPL NSW Womens 2 competition was a clash between Inter Lions and top of the table Central Coast Mariners Academy played at Concord Oval.
Four second half goals from the Central Coast Mariners Academy was enough to ensure a comfortable 4-1 win over a 10-man Inter Lions side. After conceding an early first half goal Central Coast stepped up their game and were aided by a 40^th minute red card to Christina Ferreyra.
As has been the case so far this season, the match got off to a lightning start. The Central Coast Mariners Academy immediately attacked from the kick-off and within 30 seconds had an early opening, although the assistant referee raised her flag just as Beth Le Gay Brereton looked to unleash a shot.
Almost immediately from the restart Inter Lions had their first opportunity of the match, with a ball over the top for Georgia Klapos causing confusion for the Mariners’ defence and goalkeeper. Klapos attempted an audacious chip after seeing the goalie off her line but the ball sailed comfortably wide.
As both teams attacked with gusto, having plenty of numbers going forward in the attacking phases, it was inevitable that an early goal would occur. The breakthrough went the home side’s way, with some neat build up play in the seventh minute. A pass from defence into the feet of Klapos allowed her to slide in the run of Ferreyra on the right wing who burst in behind and around Tegan Boden at left back. As the ball broke into the box, Boden stretched for the ball, narrowly missing but in doing so she clipped the Inter player to concede a penalty. Klapos stepped up and emphatically lashed the ball into the top right corner of the neat.
As the tempo of the match settled down a clear pattern emerged – Central Coast Mariners controlled possession and territory as Inter looked to sit back and soak up pressure before counter-attacking with a direct style of play.
After the 15 minute mark, the travelling side started to assert their dominance on the game and applied pressure with a series of set pieces and probing attacks, one of which required IL GK to scramble before tipping the ball around the post as it was headed for the top corner.
Inter Lions got deeper and deeper as the half went on and in looked like only a matter of time before the equaliser came. The equaliser was nearly gifted to the Mariners by Natasha Pentecost who fumbled a seemingly comfortable free kick, but she was able to turn and quickly grasp the ball before it went over the line.
As half time approached and Inter hanging on defensively, Ferreyra was shown a straight red card. After a regulation foul which went the way of the Mariners, Ferreyra raced over to the Mariners player, hurling obscenities directly in front of the referee who showed no hesitation in brandishing the red card.
Inter managed to work their way into half time with their lead intact but having already been defending for much of the half, the sending off of Ferreyra was to prove instrumental.
Central Coast, buoyed by the end to the first half raced out of the blocks to begin the second. In the 49^th minute the normally lethal Jayme Fressard found herself in a 1-on-1 situation, but the keeper raced off her line to win the ball. After her good work, Pentecost was involved again just minutes later, but it was a moment she would rather forget.
From a corner, a Mariners’ goal bound header was cleared off the line and into the hands Pentecost, who was taken by surprise. The ball slipped through her hands, onto the feet of a nearby teammate and into the net.
Central Coast did not let up and immediately they were back on the offensive. Another corner was won in the 54^th minute and after it was initially cleared, a long range shot was blocked. Despite clearing the ball twice, Inter failed to step out and apply pressure to Boden who controlled the ball and unleashed a shot which arrowed into the top corner, making up for the earlier penalty she had given away.
Fressard again threatened and struck the crossbar in the 60^th minute after cutting in from the right and shooting with her left. Inter, who had hung in for so long were being overrun and tired legs began to result in sloppy play.
They soon conceded a third – another long range effort, this time from Layla Leccas.
With the minutes winding down and the game beyond doubt, Fressard would not be denied, scoring her seventh of the season. Again from distance, Fressard’s 89^th minute shot from the right corner of the 18-yard-box hit the crossbar. But unlike her earlier effort, which hit the top of the bar, this shot hit the underside of the crossbar. The ball rebounded onto the side post and into the net.
After getting off to a slow start and going down an early goal, Central Coast lifted and controlled the game. Although they were helped by Inter losing a player, with all their four goals coming in the second half, they were the better side and were deserving of the three points.

Northern Tigers vs Sutherland Shire FA
Northern Tigers scored their first goal of the season but were not able to pick up their first points, falling 2-1 to Sutherland Shire. Emily Diaz broke their duck but goals from Freya Hickey and Brittany Spink consigned Tigers to their fourth loss.

Sydney Olympic vs UNSW Lions
UNSW Lions won 2-1 thanks to a last minute winner over Sydney Olympic. Olympic were level thanks to a Lisa Mitchell goal and can feel unlucky to not walk away with a point.

Southern Branch vs Western NSW Mariners
5-0

Reserve Grade Results:
The Reserve Grade result between inter Lions and Central Coast Mariners Academy was the reverse of the first grade result with Inter winning 4-1. Goals from Emily Upstone and Anneliese Karjalainen and a double from Sarah Mandile cancelled out Laura Murray’s strike. Elsewhere Southern Branch and Western NSW Mariners played out a scoreless draw, Northern Tigers fell 3-2 to Sutherland Shire FA and UNSW Lions defeated Sydney Olympic 4-2.

– Kate Cohen