A late strike from Newcastle Jet’s Katie Gill has defeated Canberra United 2-1 in Round One of the Westfield W-League despite Canberra’s dominance of possession at Wanderers Oval.
A late strike from Newcastle Jet-s Katie Gill has defeated Canberra United 2-1 in Round One of the Westfield W-League despite Canberra-s dominance of possession at Wanderers Oval.
Canberra United were ruing their missed opportunities throughout the match as the deserved three points eluded the visitors in a highly entertaining fixture.
“It just became sort of apparent, the old scenario, that the one team will just get two really good chances and score and the other team would have a thousand chances but just couldn-t score any,” said Canberra United coach Robbie Hooker.
“I think [Jets Coach] Gary [Phillips] will be the first to admit they dodged a bullet today, but there will be games this year I think we-ll will be lucky to get away with that, that-s football.”
Canberra United made the perfect start to their national league campaign when Sasha McDonnell silenced the home crowd when the number five scored within two minutes after the striker got her boot to a Christine Walters cross.
McDonnell started her Canberra United and Westfield W-League career exactly how she finished her stint with Queensland, scoring the last goal in the final of the Women-s National Soccer League in 2004 against Northern NSW.
The Jets struck back twenty minutes later when Gill finished her one on one opportunity against Canberra United custodian Lydia Williams to level the scores mid way through the first stanza.
A minute later, Canberra United came within centimetres of restoring the lead when McDonnell played a through ball to her strike partner Kara Mowbray who rounded the Jets keeper Alison Logue but sprayed her shot wide of the gapping goal.
Despite dominating possession in the first half, the visitors went into the break 1-1 with their Newcastle counterparts.
Canberra United nearly started the second half the same way as they did the first when Mowbray-s shot went straight to the keeper in yet another opportunity.
Ten minutes later, Caitlin Munoz beat the offside trap to find herself with a golden opportunity to reinstate the Canberra lead but a top shelf save from Logue denying the key Canberra United player.
The afternoon was soured when Munoz was stretchered off in the 61st minute with a Grade Two Medial Ligament Strain after coming off second best in a 50/50 challenge as Canberra United pressed for another goal.
While Sasha McDonnell was carried off the round after rolling her ankle on minutes from time but should be right to line back up next weekend against the Queensland Roar.
Further opportunities from substitutes Lucy Allan and Ashleigh Sykes were unable to find the back of the net before Newcastle broke the visitor-s hearts against the flow of play when Gill netted her second of the day to seal the three points ten minutes from time.
Although the points went a-begging, the signs are promising for Canberra United with the side gelling together well despite the limited preparation while Amy Chapman and Cian Maciejewski played very well in the middle of the park to create the opportunities.
“My spirits aren-t down from that [performance] at all…it was really tough and the girls did a really good job, I-m really proud of them,” said Canberra United vice-captain Thea Slatyer.
“We haven-t had a lot of preparation as a whole squad and I think we did really good job of gelling and playing together and I can-t wait to play again with the girls.”
Match Details:
Canberra United 1. Lydia WILLIAMS, 3. Amy CHAPMAN, 4. Bronwyn STUDMAN, 5. Sasha MCDONNELL, 6. Caitlin MUNOZ (18. Lucy ALLAN 61-), 7. Ellie BRUSH, 9. Grace GILL (14. Ashley SYKES 56-), 11. Cian MACIEJEWSKI, 12. Kara MOWBRAY, 13. Thea SLATYER (8. Rebecca KITING 80-), 17. Christine WALTERS
Subs not used: 20. Maja BLASCH
Yellow cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Goals: McDonnell (2-)
Newcastle Jets 1. Alison LOGUE, 2. Hannah BREWER, 3. Samantha WOOD (8. Leia SMITH 65‘), 4. Elizabeth SHARPE, 5. Cheryl SALISBURY, 6. Amber NEILSON (14. Nicole JONES 73‘), 7. Gemma SIMON, 10. Joanne PETERS, 11. Stacy DAY (9. Rhali DOBSON 54‘), 12. Katie GILL, 13. Gemma O-TOOLE, 15. Emily VAN EGMOND
Subs not used: Nil
Yellow cards: Van Egmond (87-)
Red Cards: Nil
Goals: Gill (24-, 82-)
Crowd: 1069
