Blacktown City 2 Inter Lions 1
A beaming hot day in Blacktown brought Inter Lions to Landen Stadium to face a resurgent Blacktown City and it was the home team that came away with three points after a slender victory. A penalty smashed home by Annabelle Gerard gave City the lead in a strong start, but Inter were level before the break when Sarah Bownas reacted first to a calamitous moment to tap home. The lead was restored just before the break when Hayley Reynolds romped through to score, and Inter had goalkeeper Jemma Horley to thank for keeping them in the game. A second half that produced numerous chances for both teams ended goalless, but the entertainment was high, sending the bumper crowd home happy.
It wasn’t actually that hot, but the heat radiating from the surface of Landen Stadium combined with the beaming sunshine made for furnace-like conditions for this clash; fitness and conditioning would be key to lasting the 90 minutes. With an assistant referee calling in sick, the prospect of a referee calling offsides and throw-ins from 30 metres was something that needed to be managed, and this had the potential to be a fire-cracker of a game.
Captain Lucia Franulovic set the scene early on with a surging run through midfield to set Issy Saunders away at the Ashley Brown End, and the pacy striker took a touch before drilling a shot into the side-netting. Lara Green’s first contribution was to flatten Annabelle Banfield with a huge tackle that delayed play for some time while the unfortunate Inter Lions player received treatment. When play resumed, Green’s exuberance had spread to the rest of her team and the players were really up for it. Emily Jackson slipped in Saunders again, but the roll of the ball took the ball behind for a goal kick.
The home team would definitely not have this all their own way though. Banfield raided down the right and Gerard had to make an important tackle to clear the danger. All of a sudden at the other end, goalkeeper Horley gifted the ball to City with a mis-placed clearance and Saunders had time to control and send back a searing shot that went just the wrong side of the post. A huge let-off for the visitors, but their insistence on playing out from the back was costing them dearly; an overhit pass went out for a corner, which Saunders delivered into the penalty area where Gerard rose highest to power a header just over the bar. Another scrappy clearance saw Saunders turn into the box and, under pressure from her defender, she crumbled to the floor. The referee looked unmoved at the theatrical dive, but took his time to signal a penalty, to the amazement of the Inter Lions defence. It was definitely one for VAR, but the penalty stood. Gerard stepped up and almost ripped a hole in the net with a thumping drive from the spot to give her team the lead.
Hayley Reynolds raced down the right after breaking free, but her cross was cleared, Jackson slipped in Saunders on the right side of the area but again her shot hit the side-netting and Inter escaped. A scramble in the area then fell for Jackson, who fired in a shot that was well saved by Horley, before Saunders played in Reynolds, the Inter Lions goalkeeper racing out to save smartly at her feet.
The spectre of the foul throw raised its head again, Green punished this time, but the chances kept coming for City. This time Gerard played a magnificent ball for Reynolds to run on to. Her ball in for Saunders presented a one-on-one situation with the onrushing Horley, and the visiting keeper did very well to block the shot.
Mira Thomas played in Mia Micalizzi for a run on goal but City keeper Amy Harkin saved well. The imposing figure of Cleo Gavagna in the visitors’ midfield was starting to pull the strings, and her ball to Banfield saw another shot well saved by Harkin.
Lily Thompson then split the defence with a ball through for Saunders, but Horley was out quickly to force the ball behind for a corner. The corner from Saunders was cleared to Gerard who blazed the shot over the bar, City unable to extend their lead. And they paid for their profligacy soon after when Gavagna played in Bownas. Harkin and Niamh Nolan somehow got in a tangle leaving Bownas clear on goal. Her simple finish wasn’t that simple though, the ball striking the bottom of the post before Bownas reacted first and rolled the ball into the empty net for the equalising goal.
City were straight back on the offensive though, Reynolds playing in Nolan who slipped a ball in for Saunders, but her pirouette in the area didn’t fool the defender and the ball was hacked clear. Gavagna was running the show for the visitors; she smashed in a shot that just went over and City were panicked at the back.
City then turned up the dial. Thompson played in Green whose cross was cut out by Horley, Green then sent in a cross that Reynolds raced on to, but Horley did well to smother from point-blank range, and Franulovic slipped in Nolan but again the fast surface took the ball too far. Inter then almost took the lead when Bownas danced up the left to feed Emilija Jaglica who got the better of Gerard and crossed. Harkin made herself big to block at full stretch with the goal open and, before an Inter player could finish the job, Green smashed the ball away and City had survived.
Just as the bumper crowd was thinking this was going to be one of those games, City struck with stunning simplicity. Franulovic played in Saunders, who touched the ball into Reynolds’ path, and the ace striker smashed an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of the net to give Horley no chance. The celebrations turned to frustrations again within a minute though as Napoli was set clear only for the referee to bring play back for a mystery offside, coach Jake Gomez earning a stiff talking-to from the referee just as half-time ticked over. Blacktown had the lead though. Could they build on it?
A no-nonsense triple substitution by City shook things up for the second half and the home team came out firing. As City continued to press, defender Paris Kambouris played a loose ball and Jaglica was clear, but the City defence regrouped to clear. Another lengthy stoppage for Inter Lions’ Ellen McCartney to receive treatment and eventually leave the field gave the teams a chance to reset, and City continued their onslaught.
A routine catch was spilled by Horley, who didn’t know where the ball was for a second. Asha Eveniss was straight on to it, teeing up Thompson, but the shot was wide. A handball then gave Gerard the chance to lift in a dangerous ball, but the offisde flag was up early. Green raced down the left and her persistence won a corner. With regular set-piece expert Saunders off the field now, it was Brianna Tinney who lifted in the corner, and Eveniss was close to getting her head on the ball at the near post.
A beautiful ball with the outside of the foot by Thompson then set Green away and her determined run took her to the edge of the penalty area where she shot, but Horley made the save. Nikki Roach then raided up the left for Inter Lions, Nolan doing well to force the corner, but the dangerous cross by Gavagna was cleared at the near post. A cheap free kick conceded by Franulovic was then sent into the area by Gavagna, but it was a wasted effort, the ball well wide of the goal with penalty area stacked with Inter Lions players.
Play had become scrappy. Sienna Bell was introduced to try and bring some order back into the midfield. Kambouris then embarked on a surging run, ghosting past two players as the midfield opened up, and she found Tinney, whose expert dummy under heavy pressure let the ball run through for Eveniss to shoot on goal, but again Horley was there to make the save.
At the other end, a moment of hersitancy from Harkin saw Gavagna close her down with her enormous strides, and the City goalkeeper’s clearance rebounded off her and back over her head towards goal. City’s luck was in though, Harkin racing back to field the ball and start the next attack as if nothing had happened.
Reynolds then rode a challenge on the right and played in Tinney whose shot went just past the post with Horley beaten. Industrious work by Reynolds then forced a corner which Tinney delivered right into the six-yard box, and after an almighty scramble, Gerard put her foot through the ball and smashed a shot over the bar that may still be travelling as you read this.
A great ball by Thompson set Green away up the left again, and her cross/shot was foiled by Horley. Reynolds then raced onto a ball on the right to feed Tinney. There was an almighty tussle on the edge of the six-yard box, Green tried to tee herself up for a volley and then shot just over the bar.
Thompson was booked for a late tackle as Inter pressed for a second equalising goal, but the City defence remained resolute. The final chance of the game came to City, Reynolds played through, but she put this one wide, and the final whistle came soon after to put Inter out of their misery and confirm an important three points for Blacktown City.
The pattern of City games is becoming clear. Tight defence, industry in the middle of the park, speed on the wings, but the end product not quite there yet. The xG calculator was left to be hosed down again after catching fire, and there is a deluge of goals waiting to be scored once the City strikers start to relax and convert the numerous chances. There is excitement and frustration in equal measures, but patience is required. It will come!
Today Blacktown City were worthy winners, they came up against a goalkeeper in fabulous form, and had to be alert to deal with the threat of Inter Lions throughout the whole game. A six-day turnaround now takes City to league leaders South Coast Flame for a late kick off in Wollongong on Saturday, while Inter Lions travel to Sutherland on Easter Sunday for what should be a morale-boosting visit to the basement club. Stay tuned for more fantastic action from the FNSW League One Women’s U20s as the season gathers pace.
Thanks for reading. Please like and share if you came from social media, and let’s put the Women’s Under 20s on the map. Quite possibly the worst set of photos I have ever done, I really need some coaching at sports photography in different light conditions! Hopefully the words make up for the pictures!