SELECT Futsal Premier League 2 – Round 9 Open Women’s Review
After an exhausting battle, Boomerangs FS has started to pull away from challengers, Raiders Futsal Club but beneath them, the competition for the remaining three top four places remains quite exciting. We had four exciting matches across the two weekends and now, let’s get onto the review!
Match of the Round: Phoenix Futsal Club 3 drew with Raiders Futsal Club 3
Another week, another superb comeback.
This time Phoenix Futsal Club were on the receiving end as Raiders Futsal Club struck three times in the second half to record a 3-3 draw Saturday night at PCYC Hornsby.
For long periods of the contest, it looked like Phoenix Futsal Club were going to pull off the upset of the season. Hannah Mcnulty fired home twice in the first half quickly followed by a 26th minute strike from Neisha Monteleone had them on their way but some late heroics from Raiders Futsal Club has them outside the top four.
Raiders Futsal Club cut a frustrated figure for a majority of the contest. Their fluid attack opened up the chances but they were unable to find the back of the net in the first half. In the second half, they pressed more and Cassidy Chidgey got them started in the 38th before a pair of goals from Hannah Voloder in the 39th and 50th snatched a point from the jaws of defeat. The point does put them eight behind leaders Boomerangs FS and their Premiership challenge under threat.
The first seven minutes of the contest served as a Raiders Futsal Club barrage, as they created a series of chances on the battered Phoenix goal. In the first 120 seconds, both Amanda Lauric and Cassidy Chidgey fired over.
Hannah Voloder was the next to test Eri Arikawa as she fired right at the shotstopper then Chidgey again popped up to continue the onslaught. Lauric had a cutback touched over as the usual slick Raiders attack was denied on several occasions.
Phoenix Futsal remained resolute in defense, and found their openings when they could. Hannah Gestier broke free and shot low which was gobbled up by the Raiders keeper. The home side started to find their rhythm and whipped the ball around confidently.
A piece of individual brilliance gave Phoenix Futsal Club the lead. Hannah Mcnulty played a terrific one-two then flicked the ball up for herself, before she smashed home the volley to make it 1-nil to the home side.
Mcnulty doubled her delight in the 13th minute. She stood over a central free-kick, smashed the ball home for her fourteenth goal of the season. Phoenix Futsal were on the verge of the biggest upset of the SELECT Futsal Premier League 2 season.
The goals perked up the home side. Sarah Moore picked up a pair of chances from a rattled Raiders Futsal Club, but she angled both efforts wide of the post.
As the half ticked into the final minute, Lauric was presented with another opportunity to claw one back for the Raiders but she was denied, which saw Phoenix take a 2-nil lead into the half-time break.
Their frustration grew right after the break, as Phoenix Futsal Club scored a third goal as an insurance to their lead. Neisha Monteleone popped up at the near post, slotted home her second goal of the season, as they eyed the upset.
Raiders Futsal Club continued to probe for their way back into the contest. Alyssa Marco missed a chance from a missed clearance, quickly followed by Voloder, sprung free denied by Arikawa again.
It looked like it wasn’t Raiders day, as they created an incisive chance around the box, as it bobbled around the area teasingly then it smashed against the post before tricking out. The ball refused to go to it’s home during the contest.
Eventually though, the breakthrough did come. It came from the established partnership between Voloder and Chidgey. They broke open the Phoenix defence before Chidgey brought relief to the side, she slotted home, making it 3-1.
Capitalising on their goal, Raiders quickly went back-to-back. Voloder was the fastest to react to the ball, she swiped a leg out and it trickled home slowly, making it 3-2 and set up for a grandstand finish to a pulsating contest.
Mcnulty had the chance to quash the comeback, she was released fast then produced a powerful effort that needed a diving intervention from Raiders keeper, Mariella Hurtado to keep their chances of a comeback alive.
Much of the final few minutes followed a similar pattern. Raiders continued to pile on the pressure with chances being wasted. The best one fell to the usually reliable Chidgey, she was released down the left by Voloder, she bore down on goal and flashed an effort wide of the post.
As the final moments of the contest clicked by, Voloder started to play up top and she had a golden opportunity to complete the comeback but was denied by Arikawa again.
The sharpshooter wouldn’t miss twice, she had an opportunity in the final minute and this time, she slotted it away, sparked wild celebrations from the traveling Raiders support, as she made it 3-3 and everyone caught their breath from a fantastic contest.
Match Stats
Saturday 24 November 2018
PCYC Hornsby, Waitara
Referee: M. Limnios
2nd Referee: L. Hockings
3rd Referee: P. Liavos
Phoenix Futsal Club 3 (Mcnulty 2, Monteleone)
Raiders Futsal Club 3 (Voloder 2, Chidgey)
Phoenix Futsal Club: 1. ARIKAWA Eri, 3. DONALDSON Annabel, 4. GESTIER Hannah, 5. HOPKINS Isabella, 6. MONTELEONE Neisha, 7. MCNULTY Hannah, 8. MOORE Sarah, 64. GOMEZ Isabel, 66. ELFORD Alexa
Yellow cards: Gomez ‘48
Red cards: nil
Raiders Futsal Club: 1. HURTADO Mariella, 48. LAURIC Amanda, 55. CHIDGEY Cassidy, 59. MARCO Alyssa, 62. VOLODER Hannah, 63. KRENICH Ashleigh, 69. HAMILTON Sophia, 97. CONNERS Mia
Yellow cards: Lauric ‘24, Voloder ‘50
Red cards: nil
Rest of Round 9 Results
Boomerangs FS have one hand on the SELECT Futsal Premier League 2 Premiership, after they completed a 4-3 success against South Coast Taipans on at Illawarra Hockey Centre last Sunday afternoon. The premiers elect started the contest off with a bang, they scored three goals in the first half as Michaela Day, Ella-Rose Brown and Ellen Brown all found the net while Bronte Pyke confirmed the result for the short-handed Boomerangs after the break. Taipans produced a rapid comeback to draw themselves within one, as Danielle Wise scored a brace to take her tally to eleven for the season while Olyvia Mavridis scored the other goal.
In action from this weekend, Sydney City Eagles got themselves back on track with a rollicking 6-2 victory against bottom club Sydney Futsal Club at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence on Saturday night. They welcomed back all their unavailable players and found a first half goal from Jessica Beale which was cancelled out by Tanya Marjanovic’s strike to go to the break, 1-1. In the second half, it was all the Eagles. Abigail Thompson knocked home a brace, as Tameeka Thomson and Alanah Nicholas found the net as they continue to chase a top four position.
There was a goal fest as well at Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium, as SD Raiders made it four games unbeaten as they triumphed 6-4 against West City Crusaders, which put them into the top four for the first time since Round two. An action-packed first half saw six goals, followed by four in the second to round off a wonderful round of futsal. SD Raiders victory was V-powered as Victoria Guzman fired home a hat-trick in her debut appearance for the season, while Vesna Milivojevic continued her remarkable run of form, two more goals took her tally to thirteen for the season. Crusaders played their part in the fun, as Kaitlin Harms got herself a brace, alongside Jessica Thorley and Stefanie Trovato finding the net as the home side’s finals hopes start to fade.
-By Justin Davies
