Match of the Round
Kanwal 1 – 1 Killarney
The round 15 match of the round saw Killarney travel to Wadalba Sports Complex as the Terriers were forced to share the points with Kanwal after nothing could split these two teams after ninety minutes.
Away from home, Killarney came out with passion and a desire for the ball as the home side started very flat and struggled to get into the game.
Kanwal started to win the physical battle and had more joy going forward when stringing passing combinations together.
Kanwal looked good and likely to find the back of the net first which they did when Hayley Green threw the ball in, finding Hayley Ballard on the top of the 18-yard box as Ballard hit a great strike into the top corner to give her side the lead.
Killarney kept on pushing and showed desire and fight as the Terriers looked to get back on level terms. With ten minutes to go in the opening half, momentum shifted in favour of the visitors.
Jorja Roach, who scored her maiden WPL goal last week, was on the scoresheet once again as her rocket of a shot flew into the top of the net from just inside the box with five minutes left to play in the first period.
Halftime came and the team talk was nothing positive but for Kanwal as Jen Tatum insisted her side needed to relax on the ball and bring the fight and passion into the game like the opposition, and also to pick up the speed when transitioning forward.
As the second half got underway, the tempo and fight were there for both teams as it was a very back-and-forth contest.
An injury to Bulls keeper Sigauney Rowsell will now see her miss a minimum of four weeks out due to injury as Kanwal were forced to bring Adina Hawkins into goals.
With 20 minutes left on the clock and the game still up for grabs, Kanwal looked to the bench as their substitutes brought some much-needed energy as the Bulls pushed for a winner.
As the game was almost at an end and fatigue set in quite heavily, some questionable challenges from tired legs were thrown around from both teams as the game finished 1-1.
“Killarney’s fight and desire is what keeps them going. Big week this week for us with Kincumber where we need to bring the desire and fight for ninety minutes,” stated Jen Tatum.
Jai Menser also commented on the contest. “It was a good arm wrestle between both squads, we weren’t clinical enough to seal the deal on the day and took too long to get started.”
Match Official – Stephen Wrightson
Woongarrah 0 – 7 Terrigal
Under perfect conditions at Hamlyn Terrace Oval, Woongarrah faced a formidable challenge against Terrigal, resulting in a tough day for the Wildcats as the Tords reclaim their spot on top of the WPL ladder.
From the kick-off, Terrigal showed determination, keeping Woongarrah goalkeeper Hannah Crowther busy with early chances. Despite Woongarrah’s resilient defence, the breakthrough came in the 20th minute when Tahlor Thackray struck a brilliant goal from the right sideline, setting off Terrigal’s dominance.
Indiana Moyes, returning from injury, made an immediate impact with two goals in her 45-minute comeback. Just three minutes later, Kaitlyn Knight extended Terrigal’s lead with a clinical finish.
After halftime, Terrigal continued their relentless attack. Rachel Darby added to the tally with a well-timed header from a far post run, marking Terrigal’s fifth goal of the day.
Woongarrah fought hard to maintain possession and occasionally tested Terrigal’s goalkeeper Abbey Omayao but struggled to break through.
In the 53rd minute, Terrigal was awarded a penalty for a handball, that was expertly converted by Maddie Yates to make it 6-0.
Despite Woongarrah’s defensive efforts, Sophie Piltz sealed the victory for Terrigal in the 74th minute with a superb strike into the top left corner, concluding the scoring at 7-0.
Terrigal showcased their attacking prowess and clinical finishing, while Woongarrah demonstrated resilience despite the scoreline.
“Very happy following today’s performance,” voiced Gab Blanch. “We had two solid sessions following a loss and a bye, the aim for today was just to get back to doing what we love doing, and that we did.”
“To have six different goal scorers is an added bonus. Credit to Woongarrah, they are a young team and never stopped trying to play measured football despite the scoreline.”
Match Official – Adam Neville
Kincumber 1 – 2 Umina
Umina travelled to Frost Reserve, the Kincumber Roos home ground, for what was an important match for both sides heading into the second half of the season.
Umina and Kincumber were intent on securing all three points and this showed from the opening whistle.
Kincumber started on the front foot, utilising the outside midfielders and backs to create attacking opportunities. Umina were up for the challenge and their defence shut down all Kincumber were throwing at them.
The pressure soon became too much when Tamara Foster put Charlotte Heath into space in front of the goal where she scored the opening goal, 20 minutes into the contest.
Following Kincumber’s goal, Umina began to build momentum and pressed Kincumber’s defence. Kincumber managed to hold Umina out and keep their slender 1-0 lead heading into halftime after a tough opening 45 minutes for both teams.
Umina emerged from half-time energised and were able to get a goal back in the opening 5 minutes. A cross from their striker found Tori Sheriff in the box who scored Umina’s first of the afternoon.
The rest of the half was an arm wrestle with both sides having opportunities to score and the game was building with intensity as time went on.
In the last minutes of the game, Umina took advantage of back-to-back corners and after a scramble in the box, Sheriff was on point once again, scoring her second goal of the afternoon.
The physical game that finished 2-1 Umina’s way. Both Kincumber and Umina will take a lot from the game and refresh for the midweek games ahead.
Match Official – Nicholas Commins
Golden Boot Standings –
| 14 | Laura Mundy (East Gosford) |
| 13 | Jessica Dominello (East Gosford) |
| 12 | Kelly Hogan (Woongarrah) |
| 9 | Kate Styles (Umina), Madelene Yates (Terrigal), |
| 7 | Charlotte Heath (Kincumber) |
| 6 | Indiana Moyes (Terrigal) |
Points Table –
Division 1
Round 15 Results –
Points Table –
