Women's NSL - Season 2001/2002

Women's National Soccer League


Supplied by AWSA and transcribed by Thomas Esamie

Home Teamv Away Team
Round Nine (played February 16 & 17)
Venue : Toyota Park, Sydney
NSW Sapphires
Kell, Tann, Gilbert, Warrener, McCallum (Garriock 46), Peters, Ledbrook (Davison 56), Kimber, Carney, Golebiowski, Cavanagh (Cannuli 77)
Goals : Catherine Cannuli 84, 88
2 - 1 Canberra Eclipse
Hartley, Borucinski (D Hepperlin 73), Starr, Taylor, Davies, Wainwright, P Hepperlin, Karp, Thomson, Wilson (Kunz 84), Munoz
Goal : Gill Thomson 55
The undefeated NSW Sapphires were down a goal to a Canberra Eclipse before Sapphires' striker Catherine Cannuli came off the bench and posted two late goals for the 2-1 win at Toyota Park, a doubleheader with NSL outfit Olympic Sharks. Eclipse conceded late goals for the second week in a row to drop valuable points.

Canberra was the sharper in the first half, attacking freely up both flanks and backed up by an organised defence. The half-time scoreboard however showed no goals. The excitement certainly picked up in the second half in a fairly even battle before Sapphires lifted in the final twenty minutes.

Ten minutes after the break, Canberra's Gill Thomson finished a neat build-up, scoring from just outside the 18-yard box. As tensions grew, so did the physical side of the game from both sides. Seven minutes after taking the field, Cannuli produced the equaliser. The substitute chested down a cross from the left, but her first time volley was saved. The rebound fell to Cannuli for her to take the simple chance. Cannuli celebrated the winner four minutes later, heading home a Heather Garriock corner.

Venue : Jack McLaughlan Oval, Newcastle
Northern NSW Pride
Betteridge, Ingles (Wilson 86), Shepherd, Attwill, Stevens, Dunne, Amber Neilson, Randall (Tristram 44), McMinn (Colthorpe 65), Gill, Crawford
Goals : Lorissa Stevens 32, Hayley Crawford 77, Lauren Colthorpe 88
3 - 0 Victoria Vision
Barbieri, McEvoy, Romano (A Kapusta 58), Smith, Groenewald, Lamb, Humble, Digiammarco, Vardakas, Terek (Pacella 52), Kuralay
Northern NSW Pride followed up last week's first victory for the season with a second win today, 3-0 over Victoria Vision. An already depleted Vision, this week missing key player Louisa Bisby, were down to ten players after the dismissal of Selin Kuralay, shown her second yellow card ten minutes after half-time.

In a very even first half, Northern broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute. Fullback Lorissa Stevens set off into attack from half-way, played a one-two on the edge of the 18-yard box and nailed her shot from 12 metres. An attacking Pride doubled the lead in the 77th minute, Hayley Crawford the scorer from a goalmouth scramble. With two minutes to go, Pride's Meegan Shepherd hit the crossbar from a freekick, and Lauren Colthorpe put away the rebound.

Venue : Gold Park, Toowoomba
Queensland Sting
Beattie, Bartlett, Grant, Garven, Reuter (Williams 77), Mitchell (Canham 77), Hohnke, Ferguson (McShea 77), Harch (Nolan 88), Mann, Thomas (Cusack 83)
Goals : Lana Harch 32, 56, Jessica Mitchell 60
3 - 0 Adelaide Sensation
Trimboli, May, Burgess (Harrison 68), Gawlik, Slater (Papageorgiou 58), Winn, Salisbury, Stocco, Madden (Katianos 68), Augimeri, De Vanna
WNSL made its first appearance in Toowoomba today, and Lana Harch, one of Sting's four local products, thrilled the crowd with a goal in each half to help set up the vital win.

Defending champions Queensland Sting were impressive in today's important clash, and unlucky not to win by more. Running with the wind in the first half, Adelaide Sensation created danger in attack with the long ball, making for a fairly even contest. However, Sting went on to dominate proceedings after half-time with an effective attacking display.

Adelaide almost snatched the opening goal after three minutes, Lia Augimeri released one-on-one with the keeper with a fine through-ball, but her shot sailing over. Toowoomba's Olivia Hohnke had a run of chances without success before teammate Natalie Thomas hit the woodwork approaching the half-hour mark.

Soon after, Harch gave Queensland the lead. Thomas' raid up the right flank ended with a cross which glanced off the Adelaide sweeper's head in an attempt to clear, allowing Harch to plant the ball home.

Harch's second came in the 56th minute, turning two defenders upon receiving a Jessica Mitchell cross and finishing with a fantastic strike into the top corner of goal from 20 metres. Four minutes later, Queensland scored their third, Mitchell this time the scorer. Successfully taking on two opponents, Mitchell's low shot hit the post and went in.