Match of the Round
Kanwal 2 – 5 East Gosford
Kanwal welcomed East Gosford to Wadalba knowing a win would see them take second spot whilst East Gosford was looking for a positive bounce back after last week’s first loss of the season.
The game was barely one minute old when a Kanwal attack resulted in a chance for Hayley Green, whose effort was well saved by the East Gosford goalkeeper. This would set the tone for the first half as both sides traded chances and opportunities on goal.
Although Kanwal enjoyed more of the possession in the opening 10 minutes, East Gosford slowly worked their way into the contest and got into their normal rhythm of possession football.
Around the 15-minute mark, Taylor Thackray got the ball on halfway and managed to elude and skip pass four defenders before finishing well into the back of the net for the first goal of the game.
Kanwal responded well and scored an equaliser when Lucy Pratt played in Jordan Evans whose left-foot shot found the bottom corner.
Both sides would keep creating chances and it was Kanwal who took a 2-1 lead when Lucy Pratt again found an unmarked teammate, this time Hayley Green who head home to give her side the advantage.
East Gosford then got an equaliser of their own through a simple goal to Kelly Hogan. On the stroke of halftime, a wide free kick from Taylor Thackeray found the net as EG took a 3-2 lead into the half.
The second half started with the Rams gaining control, but Kanwal held firm and eventually worked their way back into the game, creating a few good chances but were unable to capitalise.
After a goalmouth scramble, Kayla Vanderfield scored to make it 4-2 and then from a free kick, Taylor completed her hat trick and cemented the three points for East Gosford.
“Congrats to East Gosford. I don’t think 5-2 was a fair reflection of the game but they took their chances better than us today and that proved the difference,” stated Kanwal’s Ben Raychaudhuri.
“I’m so proud of my girls. We’ve hadn’t had the best week leading into this so to play the way we did was awesome. Credit to our GK Kirstin Dawson who was forced to play both grades.”
“I want to congratulate our Reserves team who played the majority of the match against two of East Gosford’s better players and came away with a draw. The fact both Kelly and Kayla played Ressies was a bit of a slap in the face to first grade but if that’s what they have to do to make semis, good luck to them,” spoke Ben.
Jorge Chavez commended the opposition after the game for their play style, stating he enjoys the way they are coached and play. “I always enjoy playing Kanwal, they are well-coached and try to play good football. Our reserve grade was extremely unlucky not to win today and first grade came out firing knowing the three points were crucial for us to finish inside the top two.”
Match Official – Rodney Mcleod
Kincumber 0 – 4 Umina
A clinical start from the E-Gals against a resilient Kincumber side saw Umina claim their sixth win of the year and move one point behind third-placed Kanwal.
Umina opened the scoring directly from a corner as Hayley Fulwood swung the ball into the box and the opposition keeper attempted to keep it out but failed to get enough glove on the ball as it trailed into the back of the net.
The E-gals then quickly doubled their lead after a pass by Karla Nichols through to Kiara Kelly saw Kelly take one touch around the keeper and finish into an empty net for her first goal of the season.
To finish off a quick flurry of goals, Bella DeMeyer tried to slip a ball through to a teammate which was intercepted and rebounded off a Kincumber player which veteran striker Kate Styles swept up and finished one-on-one to give her side a 3-0 lead inside 20 minutes.
A more determined and focused Kincumber side came out of the break for the second period as the Roos look to salvage anything from this game against the defending champions.
Despite having some success, the Roos couldn’t find the back of the net as Umina grabbed their fourth and final goal of the day, securing all three points in the process.
A neat little play around the box saw Kiara Kelly lay it off to Chelsea Campbell who drilled the ball into the right side of the goal from outside the 18-yard box.
“Really strong start to our game. We found a lot of space in the opening minutes that allowed us to be pretty comfortable, going up 3-0 inside twenty minutes,” voiced Steve Donaldson.
Steve also added, “However, Kincumber came out the second half and tried to rock us a fair bit and tighten the space to their success at times.”
Match Official – Con Pantos
Terrigal 9 – 0 Southern & Ettalong
Terrigal hosted Southern & Ettalong this past Sunday afternoon at Duffys Oval and the league leaders were clinical in their 9-0 win against a depleted SEU, who never gave up until the final whistle.
From the get-go, Terrigal showed their attacking flair, and wingback Abbie Kitchener found the back of the net just four minutes in. This was followed quickly by striker Indiana Moyes, who scored a first-time volley off the back of a perfectly placed cross from wingback Rachel Darby in the 6th minute of the game.
Rachel Darby then found herself in the box, receiving a pass from her opposite wing, though her first shot was saved by Lionesses keeper Morgan Ross before falling at Rachel’s feet again who thumped a well-placed finish into the back of the net, making it three for the home side at the 15-minute mark.
Midfielder Caitlin McMahon was her usual busy self, and after a surging forward run in the 19th minute, she found herself one on one with the opposition goalkeeper and finished at the near post, scoring her first for the season, and for the day.
Terrigal continued to break down a disciplined SEU defensive unit, who played a high line making it difficult for Terrigal to build up in the centre of the park. Terrigal made use of their pacey attacking players, often getting in behind and on goal.
Terrigal were denied by Morgan Ross on many occasions, who was outstanding between the sticks for the full 90 minutes. As Terrigal settled into a dominant display of possession-based football, Gab Blanch got in behind the defensive line, beat her defender at the edge of the box and finished top right to make it five for Terrigal as the half-time break approached.
The second half played out in a similar fashion, and with SEU battling a numbers game with injuries, they found it difficult to keep Terrigal out of their defensive third.
Terrigal’s Gab Blanch struck again from just outside the box, after Indiana Moyes won the ball back from a goal kick, calmly passing for Gab to finish. Indiana then took the opportunity for her second of the day, beating the SEU GK and dribbling it over the line to make it 7 at the 65-minute mark.
Terrigal didn’t take the foot off the pedal and midfielder Caitlin McMahon struck again, in a very similar fashion to her first of the day, with two more goals in the 77th and 86th minute, bringing the result to 9-0 for the home side.
“I am pleased with how we played today,” voiced Gab Blanch. “Southern made it difficult for us to build up and play the way we like. We came in with a plan, and it’s pleasing to see our girls follow a process and remain patient.”
Gab also spoke on the opposition who showed tremendous courage all day. “I am also pleased that we created and finished a lot of our opportunities today. It has been a long time coming for us. I have the greatest respect for Cait and the SEU squad for their never give up attitude. Their goalkeeper in particular was outstanding today, one of the best in the league.”
Match Official – Stephen Wrightson
Golden Boot Standings –
| 16 | Tahlor Thackray (East Gosford) |
| 15 | Jordan Evans (Kanwal) |
| 14 | Kayla Vanderfield (East Gosford) |
| 9 | Candice Phelan (Terrigal), Gabrielle Blanch (Terrigal) |
| 8 | Kelly Hogan (East Gosford), Kate Styles (Umina), Chelsea Campbell (Umina), |
Points Table –
Club Championship –
