Killarney 0 – 5 East Gosford
After a successful preseason which saw East Gosford book their spot in the Grand Final of the Premier Autocare Association Cup on Anzac Day, the Rams were extremely excited to get the 2023 winter season underway and keep their momentum going.
As for the weekend’s hosts, Killarney’s Association Cup campaign was unsuccessful losing all three of their games. However, Adam Tait and his side proved last season that when they play at their best, they are able to compete with the best this WPL competition has to offer.
Although they entered the match as favourites, the Rams were missing a few players from their starting line-up which saw Killarney start the contest as the better and more organised team. The game was very end to end in the opening half as East Gosford slowly worked their way into the match with their passing and created a few chances that were stopped by the very reliable Killarney goalkeeper Abbey Omayao.
Playing with quite a defensive approach, Killarney started to frustrate the opposition as the Rams found it hard to break down the Terrier’s backline. It took the Rams 40 minutes to find their first goal of the game when Kelly Hogan managed to work her way into the box with some quick and tidy footwork before placing the ball into the bottom right corner to give East Gosford the lead at half-time.
Killarney’s best chance of the match would come in the first half as a free kick tested Ram’s goalkeeper Narissa Dolbel who made a fantastic save, tipping the ball over the crossbar to ensure her side went into the shed 1-0 up.
Despite leading at the break, East Gosford decided to change formation heading into the second period as they wanted more success when going forward against the well-disciplined Killarney defence. With three strikers up front, East Gosford took control of the match and some clever play saw them put four goals on the Terriers in the space of 25 minutes.
A double from Lucy Metcalfe and a goal each to Tahlor Thackray and Annika Hansen in the second half saw Jorge Chavez’s team walk away with all three points. Although her side came up short, Abbey Omayao played a significant part in keeping the scoreline at just five as she continued to make multiple saves to deny the opposition’s attack in the second half.
I’m pleased with the result as we look forward to versing Umina after our bye weekend over Easter. Knowing that Umina is the team to beat as they have proven that in the preseason cup, we look forward to the challenge and challenging ourselves against the best in the competition. Hopefully, it will be a good game with both teams looking to play good football as we look for another three points,” said Jorge when reflecting on the game.
Killarney’s coach Adam Tait had nothing but praise for the opposition after the game as well as stating he was joyful with the way his side conducted themselves until the very end “Credit to East Gosford, they are certainly a quality team. I’m very proud of the Killarney girls for never giving up.”
Match Official – Philip McNab
Golden Boot Standings –
| 2 | Lucy Metcalfe (East Gosford) |
| 1 | Annika Hansen (East Gosford), Kelly Hogan (East Gosford), Tahlor Thackray (East Gosford) |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
