Round 11 Review – NPL 2 NSW Women’s
It was a monumental week in the land of National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Womens as the top two sides clashed meanwhile there was an even split of home and away victories to keep the suspense higher than voting in the Eurovision Song Contest. Let’s get onto the review.
Match of the Round: Sutherland Shire FA 2 defeated Gladesville Ravens 0
There is only one unbeaten side left in NPLNSW 2 Womens – it is Sutherland Shire FA!
Sutherland FA took that mantle with a pair of second half goals that saw them run out 2-nil victors against Gladesville Ravens today at Harrie Denning Centre in a tight tussle.
Both sides had been attacking powerhouses thus far this season, but today was a chess match between the two, as they aim to gain a psychological blow before the finals. Sutherland Shire FA netted twice between the 59-70th minute from Jordan Baker and Genevieve Nisbet which took them to the top of the National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Womens ladder.
For Gladesville Ravens, it was a case of their missed chances hurting them. Emily Diaz, a menace for the Shire FA defense all contest, missed a few chances that she would regularly put away including whacking one against the crossbar. The visitors will use this as a lesson they hope to not repeat again further down the line against Shire FA.
The game got off to a rapid start, Jordan Baker released Brittany Christie with a precise pass that left the latter bouncing into the area. Christie couldn’t match the effort of the pass as she blazxed the ball high of the goal.
Christie went closer in the 9th minute, she cut inside well, created space and fizzed an effort that required saving at the near post from Ravens goalkeeper, Eri Arikawa. Shire FA starting brighter in a first half that was dominated by the midfields.
Once Ravens got a foot into the contest, they started to find some space for their crosses. Carlie Ikonomou and Amelia Vitek provided service that fell onto the head of the Ravens attackers but were sent wide of the net.
On the half hour mark, Emily Diaz, the Ravens prolific scorer tried to get in on the act. She profited from an errant pass from Sutherland Shire FA, produced a first-time strike which crashed against the crossbar then fell agonisingly wide.
Sutherland Shire FA ended the half on top, denied by the superb work of Arikawa. First, the custodian judged rightly to smother an opportunity from Baker in the 40th minute then denied Shire FA with two important saves to take us to the break at 0-0.
Kasia Wojtowicz tried to break open the contest in the 47th minute when she received a pin-point pass in the area, turned well but her shot cannoned high into the back fencing. Her effort was quickly followed by Diaz being denied on the line, as the game searched for the opener.
Sutherland Shire FA would find the opener right on the hour mark. A free-kick from the left-hand side lofted over the entire Ravens defensive line, Baker timed her run perfectly, chipped Arikawa expertly, to make it 1-nil.
Ravens continued to rack up the chances but this time, the Shire FA custodian, Hannah Ryan came up clutch to deny them. Diaz again at the centre of the action but it started to look a forlorn prospect for the visitors.
The molehill turned into a mountain in the 70th minute when Genevieve Nisbet doubled Shire FA’s lead. The movement started with some slick movement down the left before Nisbet strode confidently in the area with a striker’s finish, making it 2-nil.
Headed into the final stages, the game started to become frayed as both sides searched for more goals. Sutherland Shire FA were content to hit the visitors on the counter with Jess Meads shooting straight from a rapid counter.
Ravens tried to push themselves to get back into the contest. Substitute Jade Pond opened up space but couldn’t find enough power to beat Ryan. A late Ravens scramble brought some danger but Sutherland Shire FA saw out the contest to plant their flag at the top.
Speaking afterwards Sutherland Shire FA technical director Jon Long was delighted with the effort shown by his side, missing some key players, as they look to keep their momentum going:
“We had to be disciplined today because if you aren’t, these girls can hurt you. Our girls kept the possession going forward and got the result today. Our keeper pulled off some magnificent saves despite suffering with an injury which is good.” said Long.
“It is a good bellwether to how we’re going to go for the second half, hopefully without some injuries. We had a few returning through reserve grade, and hopefully, we can do well.” finished Long.
For Albert Disciascio whilst the Ravens boss was disappointed with the loss, he was happy with the amount of chances they created and the run his side went on to start the season:
“It was disappointing. We weren’t ready for this game. They had two chances and we had ten which we didn’t put away today. We’re at halfway, and I’m pleased with how it’s going and I’m sure we’ll be there after the second half.” said Disciascio
Match Stats
Sunday 19 May 2019
Harrie Denning Centre
Referee: M. Clark
Assistant Referees: H. Whittingham & N. Smith
Sutherland Shire FA 2 (Baker ‘59, Nisbet ‘70)
Gladesville Ravens 0
Sutherland Shire FA: 1. RYAN Hannah, 2. NISBET Genevieve, 3. MANOS Georgia, 4. HUTTON Rebekah, 5. MAXWELL Morgan, 6. CHRISTIE Brittany (11. FARMER ‘54), 8. BESZ Nicole, 9. BAKER Jordan, 13. MEADS Jess, 19. YEATS Zoe (10. DALE ‘65), 27. GEORGIEVSKI Isabella
Unused subs: 12. KENDALL Lauren, 16. CODMANI Iman, 22. BRATJANSCAK Ursula,
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
Gladesville Ravens: 1. ARIKAWA Eri, 2. TAYLOR Eloise, 3. SMITH Ashleigh, 4. LIDBETTER Eleanor (23. GESTIER ‘45), 5. FISHER Alanna, 6. IKONOMOU Carlie, 7. DIAZ Emily, 8. ZACZEK Zoe, 10. KASHIMA Yume, 11. WOJTOWICZ Kasia (19. GOLDSMITH ‘83), 13. VITEK Amelia (26. POND ‘54)
Unused subs: 14. KINCHINGTON Annabelle
Yellow cards: nil
Red cards: nil
Inter Lions 2 defeated St George FC 1
Inter Lions have only gone and done it! The Lions secured their first victory of the season with a solid 2-1 success against St George FC this afternoon at Concord Oval.
They had been threatening to break through, now Inter Lions collected their first three points of the season. Brittany Watt and Natasha Camporeale found their goals in a clinical first half performance whilst Eden Holmes pegged one back for St George FC for the half-time and final score line of 2-1.
Lions coach Mario Coiro praised his side saying “the Lions deserved their win. The girls have improved as a squad each week, so it was only a matter of time before they broke through. This result should keep the morale up across the squad.”
Nepean FC 2 defeated SD Raiders FC 1
The wins continue to rack up for Nepean FC, as they overcome a stubborn SD Raiders side 2-1 on a wild Sunday afternoon at Cook Park.
Nepean FC again weren’t at their fluid best but winning ugly is important to make it three victories in a row for the ambitious club. This result has them still in fifth, but level on points, with the fourth placed Marconi Stallions.
Lauren Connell made it three goals in her last two games with her brace. Her recent form has helped give Nepean FC an added element to their attack alongside duo Imogen Lane and Stefanie Trovato. Coach Alan Tasses wasn’t enthused with the performance of his side but to quote the affable coach “a win is a win and happy for three more points.”
Regarding SD Raiders FC, they managed to get themselves a goal to not make it a complete washout for them this weekend. Their recent form has them outside the top five, but positively, Terry Gray’s side are only one victory away from bouncing back inside.
UNSW FC 0 defeated by Central Coast Mariners 3
Central Coast Mariners made it most of their double header weekend as they prevailed 3-0 against UNSW FC in a comfortable contest at Seymour Shaw this afternoon.
Coming off their magnificent 9-nil victory against St George FC down at St George Stadium on Saturday which included a hat-trick from Danielle Wise and braces from Iona Snape and Jade Mcatemney in their best attacking display of the season.
Today was another solid performance from the Mariners, who now sit in sixth position, just two points adrift from the top five. Coach Dan Barrett has his side purring and has rediscovered the form that took the Mariners to the Grand Final last season, as they look to go one better in 2019.
For their goal output tonight, Mcatemney again found herself on the scoresheet with strikers Gabrielle Blanch and Danielle Wise both netted in a six-point weekend for the navy-and-yellow side that took their goal difference to +9.
Western NSW Mariners 0 defeated by APIA Leichhardt Tigers 1
It might not be one for the picture books, but APIA Leichhardt kept their good run going with a tense 1-nil victory against a tough Western NSW Mariners side in Orange today.
It was a superb game for Hannah Macri. She finished off a clinical attacking move from APIA from Ash Palombi’s cutback in her second appearance for the season. APIA struggled with four key parts of their line-up missing but made it a perfect ten games unbeaten.
For Western NSW Mariners, it might be a case of what ifs. The home side battled hard on a tough surface against one of the competition high-flyers but for a missed penalty that cruelled their chances of taking at least a point to start their run of home games.
Southern Branch FC 0 defeated by Marconi Stallions 9
Marconi Stallions were emphatic in the way the visitors swept aside Southern Branch in a 9-nil thrashing this afternoon at South Nowra Football Complex.
The Stallions got over their loss last weekend to APIA in style, rediscovering their form with six goals in the first half, followed by a further three piled on in the second half. The result kept the Stallions in fourth position on the NPLNSW 2 Womens ladder.
Ceyda Cambaz was the star for Marconi today. The attacker scored four goals to record a bag full and take her tally to 9 for the season. Perennial scoresheet fixture Jasmin Courtenay got herself one to move into equal first position for the Golden Boot.
Defender Hannah Voloder chipped in with a pair of goals herself with Jess Beale and Georgia Usherwood rounded off the scoring for the rampaging Stallions. The result will be a welcome return to form for Stallions coach Matt Turvey as they look to solidify their position in the top five.
By Justin Davies (@JustDavies90)
