UNSW FC reach first ever historic Sapphire Cup final

UNSW FC and Hills United played out a tightly contested, end-to-end battle, with UNSW FC securing a 2-1 victory and earning the club’s first-ever place in a Sapphire Cup final.

Hills made a strong start, enjoying early possession, with Erin Tavares taking a solid pass in range before it was intercepted by the UNSW defence.

Poppy Channing did well to secure the ball in a tight contest as Hills dominated the opening minutes of the crucial semi-final.

An Aisling Davidson header created another chance for Hills to open the scoring, delivering the ball to Neve Burns in extremely close range, but the effort couldn’t quite get over the line.

Maddie Iro proved a saving grace for Hills as Chloe Smith looked to capitalise on UNSW’s first significant chance of the match in the 6th minute but was denied by the opposition goalkeeper.

Hills’ Jessica Garrett made a clever interception in the 12th minute but was taken to the ground momentarily, leaving the defence exposed; however, the UNSW attack was unable to capitalise on the opportunity.

Angelique Hristodoulou attempted to find a teammate with a long ball into attack, but it was played straight to the feet of Iro.

The 18th minute saw Leia Puxty and Koulizakis combine in close range as UNSW looked to find the opening goal. Although they held off the Hills defence for the longest spell of the match to that point, Hills ultimately regained possession.

While Hills United had arguably enjoyed the easier run in this Sapphire Cup campaign, having not faced a fellow NPL side until this semi-final, they did not show up passively, instead delivering a clinical and driven performance early on.

In the 20th minute, a significant shot from Plessas went just wide of the Hills goal, marking the first real warning from UNSW.

As the first half progressed, the match became increasingly tight, with most of the action taking place in midfield as UNSW looked to assert dominance and unsettle an in-form and clinical Hills side.

Georgia Plessas earned a free kick that threatened the Hills defence, and although on target and travelling through a sea of yellow shirts, the ball struck the crossbar.

A stunning 29th-minute strike from Aya Seino opened the scoring, giving Hills a deserved lead after well-worked build-up play.

Just a minute later, UNSW responded as a Bianca Gittany shot rebounded off the crossbar. The goal sparked controversy on the pitch, with Hills players arguing it should be disallowed, but it was ultimately awarded, bringing the match level in the 32nd minute.

The goals quickly turned the match into an end-to-end thriller, with both sides pushing relentlessly for the lead before the half-time whistle.

In the dying minutes of the first half, momentum swung further in UNSW’s favour, with Bianca Gittany’s control of the ball playing a key role in shifting the contest.

With a spot in the Sapphire Cup final at stake, a first in either club’s history, both sides came out swinging in the second half.

An excellent deflection from Davidson in the 48th minute kept Hills out of danger once again as a determined UNSW attack searched for a breakthrough.

A scramble in the box saw a dangerous effort from Smith expertly saved by Iro. The move continued as the ball was turned in by Smith, but it was quickly ruled offside and the goal was not awarded.

A 61st-minute strike from Gittany was brilliantly blocked by Garrett, keeping Hills under pressure.

UNSW took the lead in the 62nd minute through a Koulizakis header from a Puxty cross.

Hills responded in the 74th minute as Burns and Seino linked up in close range, causing problems for the UNSW defence, but they were ultimately denied.

Despite significant and desperate efforts at both ends, no further goals followed, and UNSW held on to secure victory, booking their place in the Sapphire Cup final where they will face Manly United.

Post match UNSW FC goalscorer Demi Koulizakis said reaching the Cup final was one of the club’s objectives this year.

“Reaching our first ever Sapphire Cup Final means a lot to all of us as a club.

“This was always one of our goals at the start of the season and now we cannot wait to fight for it next month.”

Match Stats

UNSW FC 2 (Gittany 32′, Koulizakis 32′)

Hills United FC (Seno 29′)

Referee: Isabella Mossin

UNSW FC: 5. Leia Puxty 6. Aya Yamahata 7. Poppy Channiong, Demi Koulizakis(,13. Sonali Singh) Chloe Smith.( 21. Jennifer Kokoris)14.  Leah Burton, (16. Skye Casaqchhia)17. Angelique Hristodoulou 18. Georgia Plessas (9.Lexie Moreno)24. Milan Hammond (15. Abbey Lemon) 32. Bianca Galic 99. Dimitra Vais

Substitutes not used: 59. Georgiana Brown

Yellow Cards: Nil 

Red Cards: Nil 

HILLS UNITED: 3. Aisling Davidson 7. Paula Boza (19. Portia Berios) 8. Aya Seino 10. Bianca Galayini (4.Charlotte Hogan) 11. Natalie Casha, 12. Zoe Murdoch 17. Olivia Sloan 18. Erin Tavares 20. Madeleine Iro 22. Neve Burns 25. Jessica Garrett

Substitutes not used: 2. Helena Berridge, 13. Maddison Edmonds 28. Zayra Plebani

Yellow Cards: Tavares ‘84

Red Cards: Nil

-By Alice de Koster-Kitto