MATCH OF THE ROUND
East Gosford 1 – 5 Southern & Ettalong
An Emily Diaz hattrick has helped steer Southern to a fantastic win over former league leaders East Gosford in the round 15 match of the round.
With the competition so tight in the WPL, the three points today were crucial for both teams. It was East Gosford who started the game on top, controlling the tempo of the game and enjoying the majority of possession. It took the Rams only 8 minutes to break Southern’s backline and score the opening goal through an amazing shot from Kelly Hogan. East Gosford continued to create chances and was extremely unlucky not to extend their lead inside the opening 15 minutes after they missed a 1-on-1 and also an open goal. As the game went on Southern finally settled and began to play to their ability, pressuring the opposition and breaking down their strengths. East Gosford seemed to take their foot off the accelerator and Emily Diaz took full advantage as she scored a goal from nothing to level the game at 1-1. This seemed to give Southern even more confidence as they continued to press East Gosford. A minute before halftime, Southern’s Letisha McCormack pounced on a loose ball in the six-yard box to give her side the lead heading into the break.
As the second half started East Gosford now found themselves running into the wind and the Rams failed to keep any possession of the ball as Southern continued to press high. The Lionesses high press paid off as they were awarded a penalty for a handball inside the box. Emily Diaz comfortably converted to record her second goal of the day. This seemed to be a massive turning point for East Gosford who didn’t look like themselves for the remainder of the fixture. Diaz would once again capitalise on the opposition’s mistakes as she managed to score her third goal of the day and her teammate Alana Currie finished things off with a goal of her own.
East Gosford coach Jorge Chavez was disappointed with his team’s performance this past Sunday. “It was a big game today, full credit to Southern as they came out hungry and wanted the three points more than we did. This was by far one of our worst performances of the season. We played good for the first 15 minutes but seemed to lose our way after they scored. You just can’t give a team like Southern any sniff at victory as they have players capable to punish your mistakes. Diaz is Diaz and she showed today why she is the golden boot leader and in my opinion the league’s MVP, she can change a game within seconds. I believe with Diaz, Southern is the team to beat this year. For us hopefully, we get to train this week and work on what we need to do going forward. The competition is too tight this year to have an off day, especially against an opposition that has a player like Diaz.”
Despite their impressive win, head coach Marcus Warwick has his sights set on improving even further as they look to be the best team in the league. “East Gosford is a great team with a very good coach. They have great players all over the park and are nothing but a respectful woman. We are relentless, fit, fast and most importantly we never give up. We will continue to train hard and prove week in and week out we are the most dangerous team in the competition.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – John Shaw
Terrigal 1 – 0 Ourimbah
Emma Power’s first-half goal was the only difference between Terrigal and Ourimbah as the O’lasses extend their tremendous winning record.
Looking to improve on their first-half results against Terrigal, Ourimbah is now starting to see consistent pressure applied to the opposition’s midfield whilst creating a defence block in front of their goals. The game’s only goal of the day came from a wonderful build-up play that made its way to Emma Power who rifled home into the top corner of the goal to give her side the lead at the break.
Ourimbah commenced the second half of action with an altered attacking formation which created a mid-field battle as both teams create and enjoyed scoring opportunities. Terrigal pushed additional players forward in the last 20 minutes of the contest in the hopes of extending their 1-goal led but Ourimbah’s defence remained solid. Ourimbah couldn’t find an end product as they tried to counterattack and catch the O’lasses defence off guard, but the score remained locked at 1-0 as the full-time whistle sounded.
Although they continue to show signs of improvement every week, Dave Hurley states that his squad felt disheartened not to grab any points. “Credit to our players for shutting out Terrigal with very limited shots on goal, whilst creating a few counter-attacking raids from our front third. As with our previous two games, we are definitely seeing the improvement for our previous games, however, we left a bit disappointed to not take any points from this game.”
Gregory Parker admitted his side did not play to their potential today as his focus continues to remain on picking up results in their upcoming fixtures. “We were far from our best today for many reasons. Congratulations to Ourimbah whose stifling defensive tactics prevented many more goals. I am sure they will surprise teams in the second half of the season with their improvement. We look forward to getting back to playing football regularly and getting results in our catchup games.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Daryl Webb
Woy Woy 3 – 0 Killarney
Three unanswered goals from Woy Woy saw Lucy Metcalfe’s team jump back into first place after their win this past Sunday.
It was a very windy day on the peninsula, Killarney found themselves with the wind at their back in the first half but failed to make the most of any of their chances. Woy Woy, who was without their captain-coach Lucy Metcalfe, struggled to get going in the early stages of the match. Woy Woy however was able to make the most of the opportunity when it came as Tahlor Thackray grabbed the only goal in the half and sent her side into the shed 1-0 up.
Now with the wind backing them, Woy Woy had a lot more success when going forward as the Roosters created multiple chances. Killarney’s goalkeeper did a fantastic job of keeping the score at bay, but it was only a matter of time before Woy Woy would find themselves on the scoresheet once again. Tahlor Thackray added another to her name and her teammate Laura Mundy was also on hand to find the back of the net as Woy Woy picked up a 3-0 win and regained their position on top of the WPL ladder.
Adam Tait commented on the hard work his team continues to show but how they couldn’t find an end product. “It was a start-stop game with the wind, but Woy Woy had too many players that can win the game. Killarney didn’t stop trying all game and put in so much effort but just didn’t get rewarded.”
“We were against the wind in the first half and did well to lead at the break. Both teams played really well, their keeper made some great saves to keep them in the game, but we were too good in the end,” forwarded Lucy Metcalfe who was told about the events of the game.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Jeffrey Smith
Umina 2 – 1 Kanwal
Umina fends off a late comeback attempt from Kanwal to secure all three points at home and close the gap behind the fourth spot to just one point.
It was a game where both teams struggled with the wind and lack of match fitness and also where both teams didn’t seem to be able to take full control of the game. Umina had a fair few one-on-one chances in the first half but was brilliantly denied by the Kanwal goalkeeper Kim Burke. The majority of her saves were done miraculously by her feet as she was instrumental in keeping her side level. Umina eventually found the breakthrough when Hayley Fulwood broke the lines of the Kanwal midfield and played a ball through to Gemma Crowson who was able to put the ball in the bottom left corner, finally converting a chance and giving her side the lead at halftime.
Umina went into the half knowing a 1-goal lead would not be enough against a Kanwal front line. Umina found themselves close to doubling their lead with multiple opportunities but was denied by the crossbar on two separate occasions. Umina finally found their second goal of the day that came from a great play out from the back by Nicole Carmichael who lofted the ball over for Gemma Crowson who then directed the ball onto Kate Styles with an open net to score in and double Umina’s lead. Kanwal instantly replied as they were awarded a penalty that was well converted by Hayley Ballard. With Kanwal searching for an equaliser, it made for a very nervy last 15 minutes for Umina, but the E-Gals rounded out the game with a great defensive display to take the three very crucial points for their season.
Allan Bourke commented that the loss leaves his side well outside finals contention football. “It was a very even encounter with Umina capitalising with goals in the 27th and 69th minute. This leaves Kanwal falling short of the top four.”
Steve Donaldson had high praises for Kanwal’s style of play. “Kanwal plays arguably the most pleasing to watch football in the competition when they’re on the front foot, with a style of play that is obviously etched into the reserve grade squad too, but we just found ourselves with a few spaces in their defence and my team was able to take advantage of.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Graeme Gurr
Golden Boot Standings –
| 23 | Emily Diaz (Southern) |
| 16 | Candice Phelan (Terrigal) |
| 11 | Laura Mundy (Woy Woy) |
| 9 | Yasemin Lawson (East Gosford), Kelly Hogan (East Gosford) |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
