Canberra United 1 Sydney FC 0
The best ever scheduling of a rearranged A-League game gave us a 4pm Wednesday kick off at McKellar Park for a potential crowning of Sydney FC as unlikely premiers of the A-League Women’s 23/34 season. Tacked on to the Socceroos’ Tuesday night in Canberra, this timing allowed us to spend a day in the nation’s capital and then be home in Sydney at a reasonable time to wrap up the working week before Easter. The thought of a jolly trip home up the highway with the Premiers’ Plate was thrown completely out of the window though as Canberra weathered the storm and wrapped up their home season with an almighty win. The relief at seeing Michelle Heyman on the bench turned to despair as she came on and swept home a rebound to score the only goal of the game. She then hit the post when clean through which would have put the nail in the coffin, but instead we had to endure a final fifteen minutes of false hope as our Sydney girls floundered in front of goal.
Thoughts turned to Sydney FC after watching the Socceroos demolish Lebanon at GIO Stadium the night before and our pre-game took us to the Verity Lane market for a first pint of the day and a seafood paella, only just into the afternoon. Determined to do something touristy and actually see some of Canberra for the first time despite numerous visits, we escaped the flies and wasps and headed up to Mount Ainslie to take in the views of our intriguing capital city. The plague of lady beetles was worth the visit alone, but we could take in views of all the sights of the city in one place, and it was a great way to see the city in the limited time we had. With kick off just over an hour away now, we got back on the road to head out to Belconnen Soccer Club, a short drive away in McKellar.
Parking was incredibly easy and free of charge; we scored a spot right by the gate, and the players came out soon after. Everything was very accessible. There was a canteen, a drinks stall, a gelato marquee and the whole stadium was bathed in warm sunshine. The two ends were small grass hills, the far side had some rudimentary seating, but the main stand was impressive, the press box at the top shared by Canberra United and Sydney staff as well as the ground announcer Russ. This was superb. A real NPL feel and it felt like a great place to call home for the Canberra locals.
The Cove took up a spot in the shady corner and Sydney FC would end up shooting our way in the first half. The pride-coloured corner flags were a nice touch, and so was Canberra United’s line-up, danger-woman Michelle Heyman left on the bench. The Sky Blues looked strong, Ante Juric resisting the temptation to throw the youngsters back in, and the game got underway with our girls in complete control.
Cortnee Vine lined one up after a swift pass into her feet had opened up the Canberra defence, but there must have been a deflection and the ball flashed wide. Sydney FC had plenty of corners, the first of which had Princess Ibini firing in a low shot that was blocked, and they were all different in execution by Mackenzie Hawkesby in front of the travelling fans.
There was good noise from the Cove. The Socceroos drum was put to good use and we felt as though our encouragement would urge the players on to get the all important first goal to break the seal. But it just wouldn’t come. Chloe Lincoln in the Canberra goal got behind Vine’s drive from another corner and the Hawk smashed in a free kick that was spectacularly saved low down. The first half was summed up when Vine played in Hawkesby, clean through with a defender giving chase, but her finish was not that of a seasoned striker and we continued to wait. Meanwhile, the home team were looking like world-beaters, some Maradona-like skill on the left wooing the crowd as Canberra ventured forward on a rare foray.
Half time was spent planning for the weekend. Regardless of the scoreline here, Sunday’s game with Melbourne Victory is going to be a big one, but how good would it be to wrap things up here and have the celebrations all to ourselves?
The second half was only ten minutes old, with Heyman now introduced to the fray, and Sydney had continued to pepper the home goal. Princess Ibini had a good chance at the near post from another Hawkesby corner, but when Vesna Milivojevic got on the ball, we held our breath. The silky player who caught our eye at Leichhardt Oval fired in a shot from the edge of the area which Jada Whyman did well to stop, but the ball squirmed away from her and lo and behold, the one player who you’d expect to be poaching was there, Heyman taking a touch and tapping the ball home for 1-0. The excited celebrations of the home players showed that they were really up for this one today, and who could blame them? What an opportunity to stick one to the reigning premiers and shine a spotlight on a club in deep trouble.
The noise from the Cove was incessant, and Sydney were piling forward. So much so that they left massive gaps at the back. All the cards had been played, Indiana Dos Santos thrown on, Shay Hollman, Maddie Caspers, Shea Connors, surely there was a goal amongst them. Milivojevic showed us some more of her dazzling array of skills to beat three but her shot was straight at Whyman, then Heyman broke completely free as Sydney went all-out, but she could only hit the outside of the post. The day was topped off when Connors crossed to Vine, unmarked and central, but her hooked volley was way off target and hands were left on heads. Charlotte McLean tried a speculator that went over and Sydney threw everything at the home side, but the goal wouldn’t come. The final whistle was a massive kick in the teeth to all those fans who had travelled for today’s game in the hope of celebrating a premiership win, and the players came across following Ante’s post-match spray to applaud apologetically to their adoring fans. MMTV gave the rousing pump-up that they all needed and focus had already turned to Sunday with a request to beat, beat, beat Melbourne.
Canberra’s youth delighted in goading the Sydney fans in a comedy moment; the crowd had been dead silent until the last two minutes when the main stand finally found its voice when the win grew closer.
Post game saw a number of posters regarding Save Canberra United taken onto the field by the players to reinforce the stance of the Canberra public. What a travesty it would be if this club disappeared, through no fault of their own. The Sydney FC players sat disconsolate in the technical area. This had been a tough one to take for them and for their fans. Ante was collared for the interviews in front of the temprary sponsor board; good luck putting a positive spin on this one.
So, it was time to leave and we left the car park with an encouraging word for Ante as he walked dejectedly to the bus on his own, hopefully formulating a winning team for Sunday’s title decider against Melbourne Victory. A pit stop at the Big Merino to fill the car and the Sydney coach pulled in as we were leaving. That must have been one sombre coach ride for the team, and the morale-building exercise of having all the players travel together had well-and-truly backfired.
Big shout out to the Women’s Cove members who made this a thoroughly enjoyable day in the nation’s capital, and here’s looking forward to an altogether more positive outcome from Sunday’s key game against our old Melbourne foes. How unlucky would it be for them to miss out if Newcastle Jets win and pip them to 6th spot on games won? And let’s hope we’re not relying on Perth in the game after ours. Peak A-League!