Women's NSL - Season 2004

Women's National Soccer League


Supplied by AWSA and transcribed by Thomas Esamie

Home Teamv Away Team
Round Three (played October 17)
Venue : McKellar Stadium, Canberra
Canberra Eclipse
Amy Beattie, Samantha Blacka, Gill Foster, Erin Frewin (Amy Spence 60), Kim Channing, Stacey Stocco, Ellie Brush (Michaela Day 89), Megan Kehoe, Caitlin Munoz, Georgia Chapman (Korri Chaivannacoopt 46), Gipsy Hosking
0 - 2 Northern NSW Pride
Alison Logue, Melanie Cotts, Gemma O'Toole (Leaha Guiffre 92), Emma Howes, Meegan Shepherd, Elizabeth Kermode, Emma Stevenson (Debra Searle 86), Cheryl Salisbury, Lindsey Jones, Kate Gill, Ashley Wilson
Goals : Kate Gill 8, Lindsey Jones 26
Northern NSW, woodenspooners last season, have played at least one more game than most of the opposition, but would be happy with the solid start to gain the early leap on the rest of the pack.

Pride took an early lead against Canberra, and scored a second goal within the half-hour. After a slow start, Canberra gradually worked their way back into the clash. The second stanza was more of an even contest, but although chances were created at either end, there were no additional goals.

Northern were today without the services of Australian Team playmaker Joanne Peters, whilst Canberra had Matildas defender Rhian Davies out through injury, but Australian teammate Gill Foster returned to the lineup after missing Friday's game.

Pride, although playing their third match in eight days, were sharp in attack from the opening whistle. Kate Gill was imposing as she dribbled her way through the 18-yard box and cut in along the goal-line before cutting the ball back but her teammate's shot was blocked at close range. From the resultant corner came the first goal, the floated ball too high for the first run of a Pride player but falling perfectly for the well-timed follow-up of Gill who finished with a strong header, for her third goal in as many games.

Canberra started to shut down their bigger opponents all over the park, and won a little more possession of the ball. However, Northern doubled their lead in the 26th minute when American Lindsey Jones scored her first WNSL goal with a neatly executed strike into the top far corner of goal from wide on the left.

After the break, Eclipse looked determined to pull a goal back, and Kim Channing was in the thick of the action twice within the first three minutes, a long range effort inches over, before meeting a heavy collision by the defence in pursuit of a diagonal ball into the danger area.

Gill was still the busiest up front for Northern and was denied with a fantastic reflex save by Canberra goalkeeper Amy Beattie in the 70th minute. Several more opportunities were created at both ends but failed to change the scoreline.

Venue : Marconi Stadium, Sydney
NSW Sapphires
Dmitra Poulos, Neisha Klessattel (Rebecca Simadas 85), Lisa Gilbert, Olivia Kennedy, Belinda Ristevski, Taryn Rockall, Katie Hilder, Rebecca O'Neill (Katherine Cavanagh 83), Joanne Burgess, Servet Uzunlar (Renee Rollason 85), Renee Cartwright (Aysha Adalis 75)
Goals : Lisa Gilbert 48, Servet Uzunlar 50, Aysha Adalis 88
3 - 0 Western Waves
Ashley Bennet, Nicola Williams, Stacey Woodfin, Tal Karp, Tanya Oxtoby, Kylie Chatto, Hayley Crawford (Laura Turnbull 34), Luciano Colangelo, Kerry McGawley, Sara Gawned (Lindsey Jobling 61), Stephanie Grant
In Sydney, NSW Sapphires, although without their ten Australian U19 representatives, came away with a 3-0 victory over a tiring Western Waves today, after setting up the win with two goals within the first five minutes of the second half.

The Waves competed well in what ended up a scoreless first half, but visibly tired in this their third match on the road in six days. Western had also been left with a small travelling squad with Sarah Cunningham suspended and Ciara Conway injured, and were further set back when Hayley Crawford came off in the first half injured.

The home side, trying out new combinations of players, made a shaky start to the game, and a tight contest ensued as both tried to become familiar with the large pitch of Marconi Stadium. Western's best chance fell to Stephanie Grant on the half-hour, whilst the Sapphires finished the half with a flurry of opportunities, Lisa Gilbert's header coming closest but saved by the goalkeeper.

Within three minutes of the restart, NSW's Gilbert broke the deadlock when she rose above the pack to convert a Taryn Rockall corner kick. Two minutes later, rookie Servet Uzunlar scored her first ever league goal with a well-struck low drive from long range which found the target through a crowded 18-yard box to take the lead to 2-0.

From then on, NSW dominated the game, and the visitors lost their spark, although still fought on to the end. After some great saves by goalkeeper Ashley Bennet to keep Western in the game, Sapphires' victory was sealed with two minutes remaining when substitute Aysha Adalis unleashed a powerful drive from outside the box, her first WNSL goal.

Venue : Springvale White Eagles SC, Melbourne
Victoria Vision
Melissa Barbieri, Rachel Lamb (Andrea Totsidis 74), Daniela Digiammarco, Maika Ruyter-Hooley, Georgia Koutrouvelis, Katrina Smith, Sarah Groenewald (Leigh Terek 84), Belinda Pannella, Amy Jackson, Sarah Fitzgerald (Chrissy Baxendale 70), Anthea Vardakas
0 - 0 Adelaide Sensation
Luisa Marzotto, Sarah Baker (Katrina Bexis 82), Renee Harrison (Tanya Harrison 82), Amy Shigrov, Chichi May, Nenita Burgess, Vicki Balomenos, Danielle Barbiero, Christine Papageorgiou, Kirralea Brock, Tanya Katianos
It was a real battle, with few highlights to entertain the spectators, and the shared outcome was a fair result on the balance of play.

Victoria dominated the possession in the first half but were unable to translate that into chances on goal, whilst Adelaide resorted to trying their luck from distance. Belinda Pannella had the best chance for the home team, her strike from the edge of the area fumbled by the keeper then palmed wide in the 33rd minute.

In stark contrast, the second half saw Adelaide enjoy the better of the play, looking the more dangerous. They came closest in the 56th minute, a nice build-up up the left saw the ball squared to Christina Papageorgiou in space but she chose to control the ball before making a weak shot.

Both sides made a last ditch effort to snatch the win, but a Vision freekick sailed over the bar in the 89th minute, before Adelaide substitute Katrina Bexis shot wide in stoppage time.