Round 8 Review – NPL 2 NSW Women’s
As the weather starts to cool, the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Womens competition has just started to heat up.
The top four has started to break away while the rest sit in the middle of the pack, fighting for the scraps.
The Match of the Round took us to Wentworth Park. Let’s get onto the review!
Match of the Round: UNSW FC 1 defeated by Sutherland Shire FA 9
Rediscovering their shooting boots, Sutherland Shire FA thumped UNSW FC, 9-1 on a cool afternoon at Wentworth Park in Ultimo for this weekend’s Match of the Round.
Coach Dragan Blazevic admitted he had his Shire FA side do shooting practice during the week, and it paid off as they piled nine past the hapless UNSW FC side. Jordan Baker led the way with a hat-trick while Brittany Christie and Raegan Deeley chipped in with braces. Isabella Georgievski and Ursula Bratjanscak rounded off the scoring.
For UNSW FC, hopefully this might represent rock bottom, as they just were second to everything in the contest today. Darcey Read scored in the first half, to stem the bleeding, but there is plenty for coach Alex Nolan to work on if they want to turn the ship around.
From the opening whistle, Sutherland Shire FA pushed forward. Deeley gave them the perfect start when she tapped home a wicked cross in the fourth minute, making it 1-nil to Shire FA.
Baker worked well to find space between the defense, she almost doubled the lead when she broke the offside trap, left one-on-one with UNSW FC keeper Nadine Knight, the latter saved the chance well.
The Shire FA striker did find the back of the net in the 19th minute. Georgievski clipped a cross into the path of Baker. This time, she fired low and hard, past Knight for 2-nil. Quickly, it was three when Christie turned home from a corner, as it was all Shire FA.
It was the perfect opening half hour from the visitors when Ursula Bratjancsak swept home the Shire FA’s fourth, as the extra shooting practice from coach Blazevic worked a treat, especially when Baker added a fifth in the 27th minute.
The only blight in their first half came when Darcey Read reacted quickest for UNSW FC from an errant goal kick from Shire FA’s Morgan Maxwell. The striker latched onto the pass, strode into the box, finished low and hard for 5-1.
The goal did bring a renewed sense of spirit in the home side. Alexandra O’Rourke blazed over from inside the box then Jessie Juang tried her luck but her shot was saved well by Shire FA keeper Maxwell as the game drifted to the break at 5-1.
Ten minutes into the second half, Shire FA made it half a dozen. Christie finished off a slick movement from the visitors, as she slotted home for her brace. Deeley joined her with a brace with a deft touch and finish for 7-1.
Isabella Georgievski got herself in on the act just before the hour mark. She thrashed home an effort which made it 8-1, equaling the largest margin of victory with their pair of seven-nil successes earlier this season.
Despite conceding eight goals, Knight pulled off a pair of impressive saves to deny Baker her hat-trick twice in quick succession. Christie earnt herself a team fine from her close-range miss in the 65th minute as well.
Baker would complete her hat-trick as the final act of the dominant showing from Shire FA. She finished well, taking the Shire FA total to 9-1 also making it her ninth goal of the season.
Afterwards Shire FA coach Dragan Blazevic was pleased with his side’s finishing and their complete effort despite the mounting injury toll which has accrued early in the season.
“We found the radar today. The girls worked hard through the week with their shooting and it paid off today. We’re struggling with injuries but doing the best with what we have, the girls keep turning up each week.”
For UNSW FC boss Alex Nolan, it was another bad result.
He hopes this might be the catalyst for the Lions to start to rebuild for the second half of the season.
“We started slow then got embarrassed. The game was done by half-time. I told the girls to try and get something out of the second half but we were second to everything and outmuscled again.” he said.
“We’re in a dark place currently, few losses on a trot after we didn’t take points from some of the easier contests. It is easy to say we’re on the up but we need to show that and rebuild for the second half of the season.” finished Nolan.
Match Stats
Sunday 28 April 2019
Wentworth Park, Ultimo
Referee: Antonio Borriello
Assistant Referees: John Garcia & Paul Faithill
UNSW FC 1 (Read ‘29)
Sutherland Shire FA 9 (Baker ‘19, ‘27, ‘85, Christie ‘24, ‘55, Deeley ‘4, ‘56, Bratjanscak ‘26, Georgievski ‘59)
UNSW FC: 1. KNIGHT Nadine, 2. SUMMERSBY-MITCHELL Miranda (12. ALTMAN ‘56), 3. HANSLOW Tahlia, 5. CASSERLY Tara, 6. BROWNING Rebecca (29. JANDAGI ‘38(10. NG ‘75)), 8. READ Darcey, 11. MARSHALL Hayley, 14. HAYES Sinead, 30. O’ROURKE Alexandra (13. GOODACRE ‘75), 33. KUANG Jessie (4. AMBERG ‘56), 36. REISIN Saskia
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
Sutherland Shire FA: 1. MAXWELL Morgan, 2. NISBET Genevieve, 3. MANOS Georgia, 6. CHRISTIE Brittany (32. LAWLER ‘70), 7. DEELEY Raegan, 8. BESZ Nicole, 9. BAKER Jordan, 11. FARMER Maddison, 13. MEADS Jess (22. BRATJANSCAK ‘21(38. J. CODMANI ‘75)), 19. YEATS Zoey (16. I.CODMANI ‘32), 27. GEORGIEVSKI Isabella (26. STRETTON ‘74)
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
Inter Lions 1 defeated by Nepean FC 2
Nepean FC were made to work for the result as they were pushed hard by a dogged Inter Lions side. The visitors did end up with a 2-1 victory this afternoon at Concord Oval.
After the contest, an exasperated Alan Tasses at least admitted “it wasn’t another draw. It broke the drought, we’ll take it and run.” His response was because the Nepean FC side turned in their worst performance of the season against a well-drilled Inter outfit.
Considering they needed a wonder strike from defender Desiree Vassallo which clipped the bar and crossed the line, and an own goal for their third win of the season. For Inter, Natasha Camporeale netted another goal as the Lions might have turned the corner.
Central Coast Mariners 5 defeated Southern Branch FC 3
It was a goal fest on the coast, as Central Coast Mariners prevailed in an eight-goal contest on a enjoyable afternoon at Pluim Park.
The first half resembled a tennis match as both sides aimed to hold their serve. Leisel Collins scored her maiden goal for the Mariners alongside sharpshooter Danielle Wise continued her scoring form. For Southern Branch FC, they found the back of the net twice as the half ended 2-2.
If the first half was a tennis match, the second was one with vintage Roger Federer. The Mariners served out the rest of the contest with Gabrielle Blanch netted a brace and Wise completed hers for a five-star performance. Southern Branch added a third for their efforts in the second half.
That result brings the Mariners back into the middle of the table on ten points whilst Southern Branch FC were unable to build on their victory last weekend, remain in the lower reaches of the table, looking up.
Western NSW Mariners 1 defeated by Marconi Stallions 5
The Stallions produced the perfect response for their recent loss, putting five past an in-form Western NSW Mariners, in a 5-1 result today, at Proctor Park.
On her return to the central west, Jasmin Courtenay nabbed herself a hat-trick including the opener as the striker continues to move herself up the goalscoring charts. Michelle Dalbon also scored in the first half, as the visitors lead 2-1.
Courtenay finished off her effort with her second half pair of strikes while Stallions striker, Jessica Beale, netted her fourth of the season. The Stallions rebounded perfectly from their loss last week becoming the second side to take points from the Mariners at home.
For the Mariners, it was a bump back down to earth after their recent form. Anna Hunt scored their lone goal in the first half. The loss sees them drop out of the top five, back into the large chasing pack after the weekend.
Gladesville Ravens 2 defeated SD Raiders FC 0
Gladesville Ravens continue to soar high above the NPL2 Womens competition. A 2-nil victory against a strong SD Raiders outfit on a crisp night at Christie Park, their seventh win of the season.
Tonight, could have represented a banana skin for the Ravens undefeated streak but the competition leaders put on a professional performance with goals in either half to defeat a SD Raiders side that had won four straight coming into the game.
Kasia Wojtowicz opened the scoring in the first half with her fourth goal of the season. Emily Diaz confirmed the three points with her goal in the 82nd minute to move the striker into double digits for the season.
Regarding SD Raiders, it snaps their four-game streak but the south-west side remain in fourth position and in a good position to keep their fight for finals football alive.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers 6 defeated St George FC 0
It is seventh heaven for APIA Leichhardt Tigers, they made it seven games unbeaten, in a 6-nil thrashing of St George FC, underneath the bright lights of Lambert Park tonight.
There is a sense of belief starting to grow around Lambert Park. APIA Leichhardt Tigers have started to click and they showed it in their finishing tonight. Kerrie Ryan opened the account with a shot from the edge after cutting inside. Fellow new signing Georgia Bridges tapped home the second and the home side were well on their way.
Lucy Gilfedder added the third from a corner then Logan Garard thrashed home a bomb from the edge of the area as APIA ran riot. Bridges completed her brace with the fifth then Nicole Carmichael rounded off the scoring with the sixth.
Channeling his best Graham Arnold, APIA coach Matt Constantini remarked that his side are “operating at 50% of their capacity with plenty of room to grow.” With the top four starting to break away, APIA look to build a platform for the second half of the season.
By Justin Davies (@JustDavies90)
