Finals Series Round 1 Review – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s
The PlayStation4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s finals series is down to three after Nepean FC’s penalty shootout elimination.
In the Major Semi-Final Sydney Olympic FC were the first team through to the Grand Final.
Elimination Semi-Final: Bankstown City Lions 1 drew with Nepean FC 1 (Bankstown City Lions won 4-3 on penalties)
Not even 120 minutes could separate the two sides so Bankstown City Lions prevailed in the lottery of the penalty shoot-out 4-3 after a scrappy elimination final that ended 1-1.
Earlier Sunny Lucien’s dogged effort to follow in a Tania Baban cross gave the Lions a 1-nil lead before it was erased in 60 seconds from a wind-assisted shot from Emma Jackson for Nepean FC to make it 1-1.
Altogether the contest was consigned to the middle of the park for the most of the game as neither side could take control and create clear cut chances.
Stephanie Haaring almost provided the perfect start for Nepean FC as she teased a cross into the box but Kaitlin Harms could only thunder her effort against the base of the post.
In a game of rare chances, Vida Opoku-Aygemang was released well from a flick but her clipped effort sailed wide of the right post as the game started to open up.
Nepean FC had a pair of chances to register the first goal when Brittany Pelle turned well but right into the hands of Lions keeper Krstanovska then Alix Waddell nodded wide from a 16th minute corner.
Bankstown City Lions turned to their striker, Tania Baban who broke down the left wing before she delivered a perfect cross for Sunny Lucien to turn in for 1-nil.
Their delight was short-lived, Nepean FC broke downfield a minute later and Emma Jackson put a speculative effort on goal that sailed over the head of Krstanovska to make it 1-1.
Right after the half-time break, as both teams settled down. Nepean FC thought they had their second when Harms fired in from the left but it was chalked off for offside.
Nepean FC went close again in the 55th minute as Waddell made a meal of a chance from a couple of yards out as frustration mounted as chances were rare as hen’s teeth tonight.
It seemed that if a breakthough was coming for Bankstown City Lions it was going to come from Baban. The striker couldn’t wrap her foot around the ball to test FC keeper Bartels in the 63rd minute.
Both coaches wrung the changes to break up the contest but both keepers remained untested as we moved into extra-time locked at 1-1.
In the extra period, Nepean FC had a golden chance after Joanna Martino handled in the box. Substitute Erin Connell stepped up to take the spot kick but a superb save from Krstanovska denied her then the Lions keeper remained vigilant to keep Ellen Wheatley’s follow up out.
That was the best chance as we moved into the dreaded penalty shoot-out to decide the fate of the two teams.
Krstanovska was the hero for Bankstown City Lions. First the custodian stepped up to take the vital fifth kick with the count locked at 3-3.
She blasted her penalty past Bartels then dived well to deny Pelle’s spot kick for Nepean FC to send the Lions into the Preliminary Final next weekend.
Afterwards Krstanovska was delighted to keep the season alive.
“Honesty I did it for the girls – they are like a family to me, anything I do is for them'” Said the custodian.
“I wasn’t that confident [to take a penalty] but neither were the others, so I stepped up and now we’re going all the way.” She finished.
Her coach Troy Spink was delighted to just get through. “I am really happy that despite the fact we have not performed at our best but we still got a result. We came up against a tough team in Nepean FC and no matter how it was obtained, we got the result.” Finished Spink.
Nepean FC coach Alan Tasses lamented the loss but remained positive after a successful season.
“We knew it was going to be tough, always is when we face Bankstown. I said to my girls after the game, no regrets. I am proud of my girls as both teams threw everything they had at each other.” Said Tasses.
Match Stats
Saturday 19th August 2017
Valentine Sports Park #3
Bankstown City Lions 1 (Lucien ’34)
Nepean FC 1 (Jackson ’35)
Bankstown City Lions: 2. BABAN Tania, 4. BABIC Liana, 9. LUCIEN Sunny, 11. MARTINO Joanna, 13. OPOKU-AYGEMANG Vida, 14. PETKOVIC Jelena(ROBINS ’90), 17. MURPHY Caitlin, 18. OSMAN Doris, 19. KRSTANOVSKA Renee, 30. IBBOTSON Charlotte and 34. RUSSO Genevieve (LEE ’72)
Subs not used: 16. ZATSCHLER Anika, 20. SAADE Sihaem and 33. NGHATH Fayrous
Yellow cards: Baban and Osman
Red cards: nil
Nepean FC: 1. BARTELS Danielle, 2. JACKSON Emma, 5. WHEATLEY Ellen, 6. BALLARD Monique(WHEELER ‘ 72), 7. HAARING Stephanie (GALAYINI ’74), 8, HARMS Kaitlin(CONNELL E ’96), 11. STEADMAN Madeline, 12. WADDELL Alix(CONNELL L ‘105), 13. VASSALLO Desiree, 19. PELLE Brittany and 25. DAVIDSON Aisling
Subs not used: 20. MALAS Narmin
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
Major Semi-Final: Sydney Olympic FC 2 defeated Sutherland Shire FA 0
Sydney Olympic FC have booked their place in the PlayStation4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s Grand Final following a professional 2-nil victory against Sutherland Shire FA this afternoon at Fraser Park.
Goals in either half was enough for the Premiers to give themselves a well deserved week off to rest up their injuries which included top-scorer Madelaine Costanzo, while Bankstown City Lions and Sutherland face off in the preliminary final.
Rochelle Borromeo scored the pick of the goals with her stunning strike in the 19th minute before substitute Naomi Nguyen confirmed the 2-nil with her 64th minute tap-in.
Olympic FC were the top goal-scorers across the PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s competition and they took their spirit into the contest tonight.
Madelaine Costanzo found space in the midfield before she unleashed a shot that Shire FA keeper Emma Gidney had to claw away from the goalmouth.
The spirit shown by Costanzo as she chased down a diagonal pass then whipped into a dangerous cross that Courtney Holmwood thudded against the post as Gidney watched on.
After they weathered the early storm, Sutherland Shire FA looked more the side that finished second in the table after the regular season. Raegan Deeley tried to dink one over Chloe Avgoustou but the shot stopper was up to task.
Rochelle Borromeo gave Sydney Olympic FC their reward for the early dominance, the forward chipped a magnificent effort that sailed into the net for 1-nil.
For the rest of the first half, it followed the holding pattern as Sydney Olympic broke quickly through Costanzo and Holmwood which put Gidney under intense pressure although it didn’t yield any more goals.
Sutherland Shire FA started the second half as they almost caught Olympic off guard within a minute of the restart. Genevieve Nisbet forced Avgoustou into a tough catch after Deeley strode through the Olympic midfield.
Soon though, Olympic FC regained control of the contest and Costanzo was denied at point blank range by Gidney in the 62nd minute to keep the margin to one.
The second was coming and it arrived in the 64th minute for Olympic FC. Holmwood bustled down the left then crafted a wicked cross for substitute Naomi Nguyen to tap home for 2-nil.
As the clock continued to tick down, desperation saw Sutherland Shire FA push forward and find some reward behind the Olympic FC midfield but they weren’t able to put away their chances.
So it will be Premiers Sydney Olympic FC first into this year’s Grand Final.
Afterwards Olympic FC coach George Beltsos was happy to advance plus earn a week’s rest.
“I’m very happy with the girls – happy for their performance today. Unfortunately we have picked up a few injuries but thankfully we have some time off now,”
“Sutherland played a good game, it was a tough contest but I am just happy we got the win.” Finished Beltsos.
The Sutherland Shire FA coach lamented the fact his side went away from their usual gameplan.
“We didn’t play our best football. Didn’t commit going forward, struggled to get into our groove. We missed a few crucial chances against a good team like Olympic FC,”
“Overall we weren’t clinical enough in front of goal, luckily we have another week of practice to get things right before we play Bankstown City Lions.” He said.
Match Stats
Sunday 20th August 2017
Sydney Olympic FC 2 (Borromeo ’19 & Nguyen ’64)
Sutherland Shire FA 0
Sydney Olympic FC: 2. TAYLOR Eloise, 3. MATAMUA Teome, 4. BARHAM Deirdre, 5. TSOUPIS Kalista, 6. HALASKA Kate, 7. CHEN Lily(CALVI ’45), 9. COSTANZO Madelaine(NGUYEN ’59), 10. BORROMEO Rochelle(BROWNING ’82), 12. HOLMWOOD Courtney, 23. MCPHERSON Kate and GK. AVGOUSTOU Chloe
Subs not used: 1. WATSON-CARR Grace and 16. AMBERG Amanda
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
Sutherland Shire FA: 7. HENRY Grace, 14. BAKER Jordan, 21, GIDNEY Emma, 35. BESZ Nicole, 38. DEELEY Raegan, 39. MANOS Georgia, 40. MAXWELL Morgan(VUKASIN ‘ ), 43. NISBET Genevieve, 45. WISE Danielle, 47. CHRISTIE Brittany(BIRDSALL ‘ ) and 49. ELLIS Jessica(MUTCH ‘ )
Subs not used: 16. NELSON Melody and 73. JAMES Georgia
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
-By Justin Davies, PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s reporter
