MATCH OF THE ROUND
Umina 1 – 0 Terrigal
As expected, it was an extremely close contest between these two sides looking to finish the year as League Champions and for the third time this year, Umina recorded a victory over Terrigal as the E-Gals go three points clear of second place with only one round left.
In an extremely back-and-forth contest, Terrigal controlled the majority of the first half as they knew they needed a win and nothing else from the match this past Sunday. The game was played between the two 18-yard boxes as both teams were unable to get any balls into threatening positions inside the opposition box. There were a lot of turnovers from both sides which made for a lot of transitions as the players seem to struggle to deal with the immense pressure that was on the game. The scoreline remained locked at 0-0 after the opening period of play.
Terrigal, unfortunately, had to change their game plan after their centre-back, Caitlin Johnson was injured and unable to return to the field. Umina eventually found a bit of space playing out to Nicole Carmichael who charged down the right sideline and then played the ball through to Chelsea Campbell who passed it around the opposition keeper in a one-on-one to find the back of the net. Terrigal pushed hard for the last 30 minutes in the hopes of finding an equaliser, but the Umina defence held strong to see out the 1-0 victory.
“Congratulation to Umina on the win, they are the most consistent team in the competition and deserve their success. We played some great football today and it is a shame we did not come away with the result. When teams are this close, injury and errors and the bounce of the ball can make the difference, a small error allowed Umina to capitalise. The coaching staff are very proud of our squad for playing a great style of football this season. The adversity we have faced every week has made it a very difficult and challenging year, but we are not done yet, and we will throw everything at East Gosford next week to make the finals,” stated O’lasses head coach Gregory Parker.
Umina now just need a point to secure League Champions for their fixture against Ourimbah next weekend. “It was a really scrappy game to watch, but a scrappy game that was filled with intensity and drama knowing mistakes were constant. Our defence won us the game today though. They’ve often been underappreciated but boast the best defence in the league and a clean sheet against a top team to match. They really held strong, especially in the last thirty minutes limiting Terrigal. One more week to go,” stated E-Gals coach Steve Donaldson.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Graeme Gurr
East Gosford 1 – 1 Woy Woy
Woy Woy keeps their finals chances alive by sharing the points with the Rams while the draw sees East Gosford miss out on the opportunity of being crowned League Champions in 2022
It was a huge game for both teams this past Sunday as they looked to submit a spot inside the top four. Straight from the kick-off, you could sense the intensity in the game, and it felt like it was final’s football already. With both sides trying to get into their rhythm, possession was the key. The first half saw East Gosford with the majority of field positioning but struggled to find any clear goalscoring opportunities. As the half progressed, the experienced Nicola Sullivan started to gain control of the midfield, finding space, and directing traffic in front of her. It was a great through ball from Nicola that found teammate Laura Mundy on goal with only the opposition goalkeeper to beat. Mundy managed to get a shot off with her favourite left foot that managed to beat the outstretched Nubia in goals, hitting the post and making its way into the back of the net to give Woy Woy a 1-0 lead at halftime.
As the second half commenced, it started the same with Woy Woy creating clearer chances at goal as the Roosters hit the post twice. With 20 minutes to go, East Gosford called over one of the captains to change formations and tactics. This change seemed to help East Gosford create more scoring opportunities and with five minutes to go a long-range shot from Jessica Dominello was too hot to handle for the Woy Woy keeper as the dropped ball bounced in front of goals, gifting Grace Bryant the equalising goal. The Rams continued to push for another goal and with the last kick of the game they thought they found the winner with what looked like the ball crossing over the line, but with no assistant on the side, the goal was not allowed as the contest finished as a draw.
“Fantastic game played by both teams, such a tight contest and well fought match,” said Lucy Metcalfe of Woy Woy.
East Gosford coach Jorge Chavez had nothing but praise for both teams after the game. “It was a great game, both teams gave it all they had, it had finals feel to it. Super proud of what Lucy and co have accomplished at Woy Woy this year, and even more proud of our girls for us to create history at the club because our goal difference almost guarantees finals football for the first time in Rams history. Super proud of our club, squad and everyone involved. We now look forward to a massive game next week with Terrigal as I am sure they will be hungry for the win as a loss to them could leave them in the fifth spot by the end of the round.”
MATCH OFFICIAL – Daryl Webb
Wyong 0 – 16 Southern Ettalong
An emphatic and clinical performance from the Lionesses sees them jump into second place and guarantee their spot in the 2022 WPL finals series.
Determined to be crowned the 2022 WPL Golden Boot Winner, a determined Emily Diaz had six goals to her name by halftime. Facing a squad of players who already had a full game under their belt, Diaz was relentless in front of goal this past Sunday.
Diaz finished the game with ten goals to her name, taking her tally of the year to an outstanding 37. Emily Trengrove was also featured on the scoresheet multiple times as she recorded four goals to her name. Alana Currie and Letisha McCormack both recorded single goals in a 16-0 win that saw the Lionesses secure a finals spot and jump into second on the competition ladder.
“Another tough game for the exhausted squad after a long season, but we now turn our focus to next week to close out the year. Week in and week out this season these girls have shown what it means to play for the badge and I’m so proud of this squad.”
“Much respect to Wyong, they were cramping, struggling for air, and fought to the 180th minute as they all played both games. Absolutely admire those women. I’m happy with today’s result and proud both my first and reserves are sitting top two. We have now secured finals in both grades, and we are so excited to work hard and see what upsets we can bring into the 2022 finals. Now onto Woy Woy, a tough team and the only team we have not to beat this year, so we want this win, and we want our top two finals spot.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Rodney Mcleod
Kanwal 3 – 1 Killarney
In their last game of the year, Kanwal was able to end their season on a high as they defeated a resilient and courageous Killarney outfit on home soil.
It was a reasonably contested first half between these two sides. Kanwal lost veteran Jen Tatum with what looked like a serious knee injury in just the 8th minute of play. Killarney push hard for the opening 20 minutes, but Kanwal was able to hold out and fight back. Both teams were very even up until the halftime whistle as the score remained locked at 0-0.
Kanwal opened the scoring at the 53-minute mark when Lucy Pratt scored a well-worked goal for the Bulls to take the lead. Killarney replied almost instantly with a goal of their own when they received a free kick just outside the box, Maddie Wan Dijk took the free kick which saw Holly Collins get on a free ball and put it in the back of the net to level the scoreline. Looking to bounce back and restore their lead, Kanwal took a quick corner which Killarney wasn’t awake to, and Hayley Green was able to find Megan Green who found the back of the net with her well-placed shot. Kanwal maintained their share of possession and was rewarded with another set piece goal, this time scored by Courtney Smith who delivered the game’s final goal.
“Full credit to Kanwal for the way they played,” voiced Adam Tait after the game.
MATCH OFFICIAL – Matthew Frail
Golden Boot Standings –
| 37 | Emily Diaz (Southern) |
| 29 | Candice Phelan (Terrigal) |
| 21 | Kelly Hogan (East Gosford) |
| 15 | Kate Styles (Umina) |
| 13 | Laura Mundy (Woy Woy) |
| 11 | Kayla Vanderfield (East Gosford), Jennifer Reeves (Kanwal) |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
