Match of the Round
Kanwal 1 – 2 Terrigal
Sunday’s match of the round clash lived up to all expectations as Kanwal and league leaders Terrigal battled it out at the Bull’s home ground of Wadalba Sports Complex.
Despite Terrigal’s first half appearing comfortable on paper, the period saw both teams equally exchanging attacks without converting chances.
Kanwal’s persistent pressure tested Terrigal’s defence, which appeared shaky at times as the Bulls had a few opportunities to take the lead thanks to their high press and quick counter-attacking style of play.
However, neither side could find the opening goal of the afternoon until the 27th minute when the visitors broke the deadlock.
Kaitlyn Knight seized the moment with a determined effort against her former club, pouncing on a rebound after an initial save by the Kanwal goalkeeper to give Terrigal the lead.
The goal lifted Terrigal’s spirits, leading to Indiana Moyes extending their lead just before halftime with a powerful header off a Sophie Piltz pinpoint-delivered corner.
Despite being down by two goals at the break, Kanwal’s halftime talk was extremely positive as they believed in their abilities based on the chances that could have seen the Bulls enter the break on even terms.
Kanwal’s plan was to keep their heads and control their defence as they were sure the goals would follow.
In the second stanza, Kanwal mounted a spirited comeback. Tasharn Smith ignited hope with a stunning long-range strike, narrowing the deficit to one goal as Terrigal conceded their first goal of the season.
Despite Kanwal’s renewed energy and chances, Terrigal’s defence held firm as did Bulls goalkeeper Sigauney Rowsell making numerous critical saves. At the same time, defender Nicole Swinfield’s resilience kept the scoreline intact.
Despite their best efforts, Kanwal were unable to find an equaliser as Terrigal kept their perfect winning record intact, claiming another crucial three points.
Terrigal’s Gab Blanch had high admiration for the opposition when reflecting on the contest. “Kanwal threw everything at us today, credit to them for their never-say-die attitude, and credit to Tasharn for an absolute bomb of a goal.”
“Not displeased with our Girls, we have definitely performed better, but our creativity and creation of goal-scoring opportunities were again highly evident for me today. We are hopeful for a consistent run of weather so we can keep training and playing and building on our form.”
Match Official – Con Pantos
Woongarrah 0 – 4 East Gosford
With the wet weather causing such a disruptive start to the season, East Gosford met Woongarrah for their second straight fixture, looking to record their second straight win over the Wildcats.
Knowing they have three games in seven days, East Gosford were up for the challenge which was shown from kick-off as the Rams started on the front foot.
Woongarrah set up defensively allowing the opposition to have the majority of possession which benefited the Rams who created multiple chances on goal in the early stages of the game.
East Gosford found the opening goal 8 minutes in thanks to Emma Hurley. Hurley, who was playing at her old stomping ground, was able to find the back of the net to take the game to 1-0 in favour of the away side.
Shortly after, East Gosford were able to double their lead from a well-worked set piece that ended with a scramble in the Woongarrah box as Laura Mundy was able to pounce first on the loose ball for her first goal of the day.
East Gosford were dealt a huge blow when their captain and centre-back Grace Kay was forced to leave the field 15 minutes into the contest after an injury.
The early substitution forced East Gosford to make a slight reshuffle in formation but it did not change their possession-based style of play as they were able to continue to create attacking opportunities and were unlucky to go into the break without adding a third goal.
The second period played out almost identically to the first as East Gosford maintained the majority of possession and Woongarrah worked hard to keep the Rams at bay.
A fantastic one-two combination between Jess Dominello and Laura Mundy saw Mundy strike an effort on goal that was parried by the opposition goalkeeper.
However, the ball was swiftly followed up by Dominello who made no mistake with her chance on goal to further East Gosford’s advantage to 3-0.
Another great combination play through the midfield saw Mundy manage to find herself on goal as she expertly secured her brace, taking the game to 4-0 and recording her eleventh goal of the season.
Jorge Chaves was proud after the game as he now looks towards the top-of-the-table clash on Wednesday night.
“It was a great game for us, losing Grace early on was not ideal but it was good to see we kept our composure in the midfield and continued to dominate which I thought was the difference on the day.”
“We now look forward to the physical game as we face Terrigal mid-week. We know what they are going to bring we just need to make sure we match it as best we can. They are a great defensive team that counter very well, we need to be switched on from the first whistle and hopefully walk away with the three points.”
Match Official – Stephen Wrightson
Killarney 3 – 1 Kincumber
A determined Killarney District welcomed Kincumber Roos to EDSACC for what was a tough Sunday for the Roos as a win for the Terriers sees them overtake their opponents on the ladder and finish the weekend inside the top four.
It took the home side just 6 minutes to find the opening goal of the game. A goal-mouth scramble in the Kincumber box fell nicely to Tori Robertson who was able to slot the ball into the bottom right corner with her second attempt on goal.
Soon after going ahead, it was another in favour of the Terriers who doubled their advantage.
A well-executed play into the wide area for Kirsten Barrett saw her deliver a driven cross into Aleisha Radford who was able to evade her defender and find some free space at the back post to finish first time just outside the 6-yard box.
Kincumber Roos started to gain structure and shape, building momentum. Just before halftime, Kincumber were awarded a penalty after their striker was taken late in the box.
Unfortunately, the Roos were unable to capitalise from the spot, placing the shot wide as it remained 2-0 in Killarney’s favour going into halftime.
The second half was a more even matchup as both teams were fighting for control of the game knowing how important the next goal would be.
Kincumber’s persistence resulted in a goal for Charlotte Heath as she pounced on a 1v1 opportunity with the Killarney keeper and was able to produce a tidy finish to restore the deficit back to one goal.
However, Killarney continued to push with Mellisa Young making a surging run through the middle of the park, beating three defenders in the process and shooting on goal that was blocked.
However, Young was the quickest to respond as she found her way back to her feet and finished the second phase opportunity in the bottom left corner.
With only 10 minutes left to play, Killarney’s on-field captain Laura Knight received two separate yellow cards as her side were forced to finish the game with just 10 players.
Killarney were able to hold onto their lead, securing a well-fought 3-1 victory as Kincumber felt extremely disappointed with the loss.
“My Girls are getting better by the day,” voiced a proud Jai Menser after securing his third win of the season.
“I know we have the personnel around us to go all the way, we celebrate today as we make our way into the top four, which is the first time in a long time for Killarney Vale WPL. There’s a process and the girls are executing and believing it”
Match Official – David Hughes
Golden Boot Standings –
| 11 | Laura Mundy (East Gosford) |
| 9 | Jessica Dominello (East Gosford) |
| 8 | Kate Styles (Umina) |
| 6 | Kelly Hogan (Woongarrah), Madelene Yates (Terrigal), Charlotte Heath (Kincumber) |
Points Table –
Division 1
Round 10 Results –
Points Table –
