Match of the Round
Terrigal 1 – 0 East Gosford
Terrigal hosted East Gosford on Sunday afternoon, seeing Terrigal take all 3 points and the League Championship with a game in hand.
Right from the whistle, Terrigal exhibited an unwavering determination, pressing relentlessly and dominating possession.
The first half became a showcase of Terrigal’s offensive prowess as they weaved intricate passing sequences and launched a barrage of shots towards East Gosford’s goal.
The echoes of collective gasps from the crowd could be heard as the ball ricocheted off the crossbar and the young East Gosford goalkeeper, displaying incredible reflexes, and producing daring saves to deny Terrigal’s opportunities.
Despite the relentless pressure, East Gosford’s defence managed to hold their ground, thwarting Terrigal’s attempts time and again. It wasn’t until the 45th minute, just as the first half was coming to a close, that the deadlock was finally broken.
With a mixture of determination and a bit of luck, Terrigal’s Candice Phelan found herself in the right place at the right time, capitalizing on East Gosford’s failure to clear the ball as she smashed the ball into the back of the net for the perfect return from an injury stint.
The second half played out very evenly, with East Gosford creating a few chances, however, Terrigal’s defence was just too good.
The final 10 minutes saw a frantic push by East Gosford, throwing numbers forward to try and salvage a point, but to no avail. The contest finished at 1-0 in favour of Terrigal, taking the three points, remaining unbeaten, and securing the 2023 WPL League Champions honour for the first time in the club’s history.
“Today’s game was exactly what we expected. It was tough, we had to grind out the result in the end, but I feel that’s our strength. East Gosford threw everything at us, we remained disciplined and got the result,” voiced Gab Blanch when looking back on the win.
“I’m beyond proud of this group of players and what they have achieved so far. We look forward to a highly competitive finals campaign.”
Jorge Chavez credited the champions on finding a way to win this past Sunday, “Another tight game against Terrigal. They just find ways to win the big games. Full credit to all involved at Terrigal for their achievement to date. They have a very talented and fit squad.”
“We tried different players in different positions today and believe we will be better prepared in two weeks’ time when we will face them again in the major semi.”
Match Official – Jeffrey Smith
Killarney 0 – 3 Umina
Despite a tremendous effort from the Killarney goalkeeper Abbey Omayao, the E-Gals were just too strong for the Terriers who remain without a win in 2023 as Umina continue to build momentum as they look to retain their title of WPL Premiers come the finals series.
Umina got their first after filtering the ball back to their backline after a corner. Freyja Murray took space down the middle attracting players and laid the ball off to Kirby Squires who found captain Chelsea Campbell who finished well in the bottom left corner for the game’s opening goal and the only goal of the first period.
Umina doubled their lead midway through the second half when Hannah Batten kept the ball in on the left sideline, playing a great ball to Kate Styles just outside the box who beat four opposition defenders and also finished well in the bottom left corner.
Enjoying a 2-0 lead, Umina wasn’t done yet as Bella DeMeyer found Chelsea Campbell with a neat pass, Chelsea beat her marked player and expertly finished for her second of the day and Umina’s third and final goal of the evening.
Steve Donaldson commended the opposition coach post-match. “Adam gave his players a job to do, and they did it really well. Killarney frustrated us for large parts of the game.”
Steve also had very high praise for Killarney’s goalkeeper who he names his player of the match. “Special mention to their keeper Abbey. Best performance from a keeper over my five years in this competition. Easily my three points. The only goals going in today had to be perfect shots and luckily we got a couple.”
Match Official – Con Pantos
Kincumber 2 – 1 Southern & Ettalong
The Kincumber Roos have recorded another win in their return season to the Women’s Premier League, securing a 2-1 victory over SEU at Frost Reserve.
To develop a sustainable WPL presence, the Kincumber Roos Football Club has worked hard to consolidate a WPL pathway program for their talented junior girls. This program began in earnest on Sunday when rising Roo’s stars Lucinda Miranda and Olivia Melenewycz from the U16As made their WPL First Grade starting debuts.
Lucinda, a back, and Olivia, a striker, both had sensational games and looked right at home in the top grade. Along with Sunday’s debutantes, many outstanding junior girls at the club will transition into the WPL over the coming seasons.
The Roo’s first goal came after a great run from Olivia Melenewycz down the right sideline delivered a superb cross to Helaina Wellington, who smacked the ball into the back of the net.
A determined Southern equalised 20 minutes later when a scramble in the box following a corner kick saw Tina Wakefield pounce on the ball for the Lionesses as she found the back of the net and recorded her first goal of 2023.
It was 1-1 when both teams, exhausted from the heat and fast, open football, looked for shade for their half-time break.
The Kincumber Roos gained much of the ascendency in the second half, and with the fast and fit strikers, Emily Smith, Helaina Wellington, and Olivia Melenewycz creating havoc with their attacking raids, the SEU backs were beginning to feel the pinch.
Centre-back Nicole McNamara had her usual strong game for SEU, and without her brilliant defensive play, the Roos may have scored a handful of goals.
The Roos broke the deadlock midway through the second half when another strong run and cross from Olivia Melenewycz found her skipper Emily Smith who expertly finished in front of the goal to give her side the lead once again.
SEU pushed hard in attack looking for that elusive equaliser, only to be denied by some great defensive work from Emilie Piltz, Ellinya Kirkman, Georgia Cameron, Lucinda Miranda, and Tyla O’Toole as the Roos secured their fifth win of the season.
Match Official – Graeme Gurr
Golden Boot Standings –
| 24 | Kelly Hogan (East Gosford) |
| 23 | Tahlor Thackray (East Gosford) |
| 19 | Jordan Evans (Kanwal) |
| 18 | Kayla Vanderfield (East Gosford) |
| 14 | Gabrielle Blanch (Terrigal) |
| 13 | Kate Styles (Umina), Chelsea Campbell (Umina) |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
