Women’s State League Round 11 Review
A rain-affected round of Women’s State League saw APIA Leichhardt continue their remarkable midseason revival, while the Western NSW Mariners extended their lead at the top of the table.
MATCH OF THE WEEK – APIA Leichhardt Tigers vs. Gladesville Ravens: 3-0
A wet Lambert Park would not give in to Mother Nature, hosting the APIA Leichhardt Tigers and Gladesville Ravens this Sunday.
The game began as ferociously as the week’s stormy weather, with Leichhardt coming very close to scoring in the second minute of play. Angela Francis broke through the Ravens defence with plenty of time on her hands, but sent her shot wide of the target.
Straight down the other end, Gladesville could have opened proceedings after Amanda Holmes found herself with only the goalkeeper to beat. APIA Leichhardt’s keeper was strong off her line, however, and claimed the ball powerfully from the feet of Holmes.
In the fifth minute, APIA Leichhardt could only laugh after Lucy Gilfedder’s powerful shot ricocheted off one upright, across the mouth of the goal into the other upright, and then into the hands of the Ravens goalkeeper.
Just moments later, as if feeling bad, the Ravens gifted the Tigers an opener. Lauren Scaramuzza in goal for the Ravens mistimed a pass straight to the feet of Lucy Gilfedder, who happily tapped the ball into the net.
A frustrated Ravens squad struggled to wrestle control of the game. Their best opportunity for an equaliser coming in the fifteenth minute, where Amanda Holmes again found herself in front of the goal, but fired wide of the mark.
They were immediately punished for this miss, with the Tigers adding a second goal in the sixteenth minute. A speculative through ball found Brianna-Lee Wade behind the Ravens’ back four. Wade showed impressive strength and pace to lose her defenders and then finished calmly to double the lead.
The second half petered out with neither team forging any clear cut opportunities after Wade’s goal. Both sides seemed evenly matched, but APIA Leichhardt were simply much more clinical when it mattered.
The Ravens’ first opportunity of the second half came in the fifty fourth minute, where Eleanor Jones unleashed a powerful long shot from outside the box. It sailed agonizingly wide.
Much like the first half, the second half was played mostly in midfield, with neither the Ravens or Tigers able to forge significant chances to score. The most notable chance came by way of APIA in the seventy first minute, where the ever-dangerous Gilfedder found herself one on one with the Ravens goalkeeper. Scaramuzza made a great save to keep her team in the game.
As the match looked like coming to an end, APIA Leichhardt added a third goal in spectacular fashion. A falling Koo Barbi hit the ball on the half-volley from well outside the box. Her speculative shot looped perfectly over the goalkeeper’s head into the top left corner, sealing a third straight victory for the Tigers.
Match Stats
APIA Leichhardt Tigers 3 (Lucy Gilfedder 5’, Brianna-Lee Wade 16’ and Koo Barbi 85’)
Gladesville Ravens 0
Sunday, 21st of June, 2015
Lambert Park, Leichhardt
APIA Leichhardt Tigers: 34. Sherel Alpkaya, 4. Koo Barbi, 32. Carla Canini, 9. Angela Francis (11. Dione King), 5. Lucy Gilfedder, 2. Stephanie Glanville-Fyfe, 6. Maddison Gray (14. Rhianna Muscat, 21. Anna Rushmer), 1. Courtney Halpin, 33. Marie Synos, 19. Karen Thomson, 3. Brianna-Lee Wade.
Substitutes Not Used: 13. Lucy Friend
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards:
Gladesville Ravens : 16. Isabella Breukelaar, 8. Kate Butler-Howell, 9. Natalie Cesarone, 23. Amanda Holmes, 20. Eleanor Jones, 1. Lauren Scaramuzza, 4. Chanel Murray-Baptiste (3. Rebecca Kundrat), 5. Paige Vansaarloos, 10. Daniella Fierro, 14. Madeleine Paslis (29. Ashleigh Smith), 18. Celeste Loyzaga (13. Alex Beattie), 15. Pragya Goswami
Substitutes Not Used: 21. Heather Madgwick, 10. Daniella Fiero
Yellow Cards:
Red Cards:
Round 11 Summaries
Mt. Druitt Town Rangers FC vs. Western NSW Mariners FC: 1-3
The Western NSW Mariners have secured an important three points, as they continue to battle with Bankstown for first place. It did not come easily, away to the Mt. Druitt Town Rangers at Popondetta Park. Two goals from the potent Meg Embleton were complemented by another from Katherine Henley-Sadgrove, enough to overcome a goal from Lisa Fressard for Mt. Druitt (her second in as many weeks).
Washed Out:
Parramatta FC vs. St. George FC
Southern Districts SFA vs. Bankstown City FC
-by Daniel Palmer, Women’s State League Reporter
