PS4 NPL NSW Women’s 2 Round 17 Review

Only three games this weekend due to a washout at Peter Moore Park, but there was still plenty on the line during round 17.

Marconi wrapped up the premiership thanks to their victory over UNSW at Marconi Stadium, and the Northern Tigers found their shooting boots during a thumping win against UNSW at Mills Park.

Inter Lions took on the high flying Southern Branch on a glorious Sunday afternoon at Concord Oval in the match of the round, however the game was cut short due to a serious injury to Southern Branch midfielder Kalinda Wills.

Match of the round:

Inter Lions SC v Southern Branch FC, 3pm Sunday 19^th July at Concord Oval

After a strong start to the match that saw both teams get on the scoresheet, the game was abandoned after only 32 minutes of play after Southern Branch midfielder Kalinda Wills went down with a serious leg injury.

Wills went in for a tackle around halfway, and as she turned away from the challenge she screamed in pain and fell clutching her knee in obvious distress. Play was immediately halted, and an ambulance was called shortly after.

Play was suspended for around 35 minutes before the officials spoke to the two coaches and decided to call an end to proceedings.

“The game was called after 32 minutes of play, and we will look to resume and play the remainder of the match as a later date”, said referee Stephen Ellsmore.

The game will resume with the scores locked at 1-1.

Before the injury to Wills, the match had been an open affair with plenty of chances for each side.

Inter began the match with several dangerous looks at goal thanks to some superb corner delivery from Georgia Klapos. Klapos could consider herself unlucky not to score after her first corner of the match eluded everyone in the box before crashing into the far post, ricocheting off a defender and falling into the arms of the Southern Branch goalkeeper Jessica Beahan.

Against the run of play Southern Branch would open the scoring in the 15^th minute. The ball was chipped over the back of the Inter defence, and before ‘keeper Natasha Pentecost could deal with it, Southern Branch winger Samara Wehmeyer raced across from the right and chested the ball past both her defender and the goalkeeper. The excellent control from Wehmeyer left her with a simple tap in from a few yards out, and she duly took the lead for her side.

The game went through a quiet patch following the goal, but it exploded into life in the 25^th minute. Inter’s fifth corner of the match had the Southern Branch defence scrambling, and as the ball was parried out to the edge of the box, Inter striker Christina Ferreyra nonchalantly volleyed the ball from knee height to send it flying past a despairing Beahan and into the top corner to make it 1-1.

Southern Branch attacked immediately from the kick off, and their lift in intensity was, somewhat fortuitously, rewarded with a penalty.

Striker Sarah Hickling looked to volley the ball into the box, and she blasted it straight into the hands of the Inter defender, who looked to be just outside the box when the handball took place. Inter had double cause to be aggrieved as they also believed Hickling’s boot to be in a dangerous position before she made contact with the ball in the first place.

Hickling stepped up to take the spot kick herself, but she could only manage to weakly scuff the ball to the left of Pentecost, who made an easy save to deny Southern Branch the lead.

Moments later Wills sustained her injury, bringing the match to a halt with the two sides deadlocked.

Marconi Stallions FC v Sutherland Shire FA, 3pm Sunday 19^th July at Marconi Stadium

Marconi has wrapped up the premiership thanks to a 1-0 win over Sutherland Shire. The win stretches their lead over Southern Branch to 17 points with 5 games remaining for each side, meaning they cannot be overtaken now. It is a well-deserved achievement for the Stallions who have been the dominant force in the competition all season, and will now be focusing all of their attention on powering through the finals series in the same manner in which they have the regular season. Sutherland will be disappointed with the result, as it has allowed the Northern Tigers to gain valuable ground in the race for the fourth and final spot in the play offs, and they will need to be on top form to ensure that they have a chance for silverware come the end of the season.

Northern Tigers FC v UNSW Lions, 3pm Sunday 19^th July at Mills Park

Northern Tigers have bounced back from a disappointing couple of weeks by thumping the UNSW Lions 8-0. Ester Pannwitz was the star for the Tigers as she scored half of her side’s goals, while Molly Woods finished with 2, and both Hannah Mcnulty and Liana Baker finished with a goal apiece. The Tigers took a 5-0 lead into half time, adding 3 more after the break to complete the rout. They are now one of a number of teams in an excellent position to challenge for 4^th place, but they have by far the toughest remaining draw of the teams around them. The Lions have fought hard this year, but they weren’t a match for the powerful midfield of the Tigers on this occasion. They now need a miracle to qualify for the finals themselves, and look odds on to pick up this season’s wooden spoon.

Sydney Olympic FC v Nepean FC, 3pm Sunday 19^th July at Peter Moore Park

Washed out.

Reserve Grade:

Inter Lions scored 3 late goals to run out 4-0 winners over Southern Branch, Marconi and Sutherland shared the points in a 1-1 draw, and UNSW defeated the Northern Tigers 1-0. Olympic vs Nepean was washed out.

-By Eamonn Warner, PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s 2 Reporter