Round 4 Review – Futsal Premier League Open Women’s
Women’s Futsal Premier League round 4 action saw Campbelltown Quake overcome Eastern Suburbs Hakoah 3-1, UTS Northside outlast Boomerangs FS 2-0, Inner West Magic defeat Enfield Allstars 12-0, and Mascot Vipers down Mountain Majik 8-2.
The bloated scorelines totaled 28 goals for the round, the second-highest number (by one, achieved five times) in the last eight years.
Mascot and Campbelltown still share the lead on 12 points, but they have contrasting games heading into their anticipated round-six showdown with Vipers facing bottom Enfield and Quake meeting champions Inner West (9). Northside (6) and Easts (5) aren’t that far behind.
Campbelltown Quake 3 (Darcey Malone 2, Melissa Walsh) Eastern Suburbs Hakoah 1 (Tamires Souza)
Boomerangs FS 0 UTS Northside 2 (Daisy Arrowsmith, Alexia Guerinoni)
Inner West Magic 12 (Amy Dahdah 4, Doris Osman 2, Rhianna Pollicina 2, Ceyda Cambaz 2, Tori Tumeth 2) Enfield Allstars 0
Mascot Vipers 8 (Mariel Hecher 3, Natasha Aitken 2, Marcella Santos 2, Zoe Gomes) Mountain Majik 2
Quake rattle Hakoah
An understrength and youthful Campbelltown Quake side got the upper hand over Easts in a close and physical encounter at Minto Sports Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A chess-like start to the game had both teams putting out the feelers waiting to see what the opposition had to throw at them, Hakoah showing early they had skill and speed while Quake boasted one of the competition’s best defenses.
Easts were given a penalty after a slide-block from Eliza Pereira was deemed hand-ball, Souza Tamires finishing with power from the spot to lift Hakoah 1-0 in front.
Quake keeper Breanna Clarke denied several Easts raids and likewise Hakoah’s Jordan Wiseman defused Quake’s at the other end to maintain the same scoreline at halftime.
Enter starlet Darcey Malone, who broke down Hakoah numerous times to send momentum Campbelltown’s way and, off a corner, a Melissa Walsh ball powered to the back stick found the foot of Malone marking the equaliser.
A second yellow for an Easts player saw them go down to three on-field runners and it was a moment Quake would not let slip by, a string of five passes leading to an open Walsh who fired the ball home and send her team up 2-1 with 10 minutes to go.
Clarke then faced a Hakoah onslaught, the agile 18-year-old making save after save, including a jaw-dropping triple-stop, while backed up numerous times by a defensive line putting their body on the line in a bid to keep the Quake lead intact.
With Easts pressing hard Campbelltown’s Renee Rollason placed a pin-point through-ball to Malone who put it in the bottom corner with a brilliant finish to make it 3-1.
Hakoah weren’t done yet and threw a powerplay Quake’s way but the home side held firm for hard-earned victory.
Coach Mel Keith was succinct: “We fought hard for this one. No Lida Dudek or Zoeie Redman tonight and the young girls who played up were outstanding to compete with international players – no one more monumental then Bree [Clarke] in goals… some performance!”
“We are finding what it takes to win and stamping our mark each week on the competition, so I am happy. Next up – Magic! Put your seatbelts on!”
Northside bounce Boomerangs
UTS Northside shut out Boomerangs FS 2-0 in a tight Saturday-evening tussle at the AIS Training Halls.
Daisy Arrowsmith and Alexia Guerinoni goals gave the visitors a 2-0 jump at the changeover, but they couldn’t shake a pesky Boomerangs outfit in the second term to carry the same scoreline to fulltime.
Magic smash Allstars
It rained goals at Valentine Sports Park on Saturday evening when Inner West Magic dished out a merciless 12-0 scoreline to struggling Enfield Allstars.
It was 5-zip at the break and the onslaught continued with Rhianna Pollicina notching up four goals, while Ceyda Cambaz, Doris Osman, Tori Tumeth and Amy Dahdah each scored doubles.
Even Inner West coach Matteo Maiorana admitted they were near-perfect.
“I was very happy with our performance yesterday. We were clinical and unselfish,” he said.
“The girls are getting better and better every game and it’s exciting to see. We are yet to have our full squad for a game this season but we are beginning to get that continuity back.
“We take on Quake next week and that’s a game we never like to lose. I’m sure the girls will be buzzing.”
Vipers strangle Majik
Mascot Vipers tackle made mince-meat of Mountain Majik winning 8-2 at Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night.
The home side started brilliantly and scored the opening four goals to blitz the Mountaineers. The visitors pulled one back and kept it to 5-2 for a whiles, but three straight Mascot goals settled the matter.
Mariel Hecher netted a hat-trick for Vipers, and Natasha Aitken and Marcella Santos supported her with braces, but it was a wonderful welcome back for Zoe Gomes who scored on her comeback after seven years away.
Coach Zvi Ben David was steady. “One game at a time. A very pleasing result,” he said.
Hecher’s scored 10 goals in five Majik meetings; this was her second hat-trick.
She’s also hunting the league’s top scorers over the last eight years like a, well, Viper! She’s now eighth on the list in just three seasons of action with 39 goals, and the players in her sights – Quake’s Claire Walsh (43), [inactive] Ashlie Crofts (47), Enfield’s Caitlin Campbell (48) and maybe even PL2 Dural’s Rachel Perrins (55).
[Ed: Stay tuned on the usual futsal media outlets for a feature story on the brilliant Mariel Hecher and Mascot’s Brazilian Connection!]
Next games
2019/20 Women’s Futsal Premier League round-five Saturday action features Campbelltown Quake against Inner West Magic at Minto Sports Stadium (3.50pm), Eastern Suburbs Hakoah host Mascot Vipers at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre (5.30pm), UTS Northside play Mountain Majik at PCYC Dee Why (5.40pm), and Enfield Allstars face Boomerangs FS at Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre (6.50pm).
