Blacktown City 0 Hills United 2
A three-minute spell at the beginning of the second half was enough for Hills United to score the two goals required to win this Football NSW Women’s League One Under 20s match at Landen Stadium on Sunday. Goals in quick succession from Portia Berios and Liana Vella gave Blacktown City too much of a mountain to climb and the only question remaining was how many goals the free-scoring league leaders would score to consolidate their shared top spot with South Coast Flame. In the end an inspired goalkeeping performance and a touch of bad luck in front of goal kept the scoreline down, while the hosts were unable to find any way past the league’s most miserly defence.
Conditions were surprisingly warm following an evening when winter jackets were pulled from cupboards, and the Landen Stadium artificial surface added another five degrees for the players to make this a hot and glary derby meeting. The game got underway at an alarming frenetic pace, Brianna Tinney upending Hills’ Keira Culnane to finally give the players a moment of respite. Molly Warren’s free-kick was cleared but the ball was worked out by Berios to Vella, whose cross was well saved by Amy Harkin in the City goal.
It was one way traffic. Ava Paolini blasted over when well placed, before Berios burst clear on the left with Paris Kambouris slow to react, but she overran the ball on the slick surface and Harkin was able to dive at her feet to smother. Lucia Franulovic headed behind for a corner, which was in turn half cleared and again blasted over by Paolini. Berios then played in Paolini but Abby Duggan was there to clear up the danger.
City were struggling to get any meaningful possession in the Hills half, so when Lara Green raced through the middle and cut onto her right, she was well within her rights to fire a shot on goal from distance, although the ball was easily fielded by the under-employed Bridget Brien in the Hills goal. The visiting players were incredibly sure-footed with their touches, but their shooting was a little wayward; Jamison Quinlan lined one up but shot weakly, Berios and Isabelle Pace combined to free Vella, but she decided not to pull the trigger when well-placed and the chance was gone.
Duggan raced up the right to win a throw-in, but touches on the ball in the Hills half were like gold dust. Berios then raced up the right and outpaced Annabelle Gerard to flash a ball right across the face of the goal. A deft flick by Berios then got her into a great position to cross, Pace was there to apply the finish at the far post, but Duggan beat her to it at the expense of another corner. Berios headed to Vella who fired over from a great position as City battled to keep a clean sheet.
Hills won another corner when Duggan got a toe in to thwart another dangerous attack. This time Harkin pushed the ball away, finding Sianna Fleming on the edge of the area who shot on sight, the ball sailing over the bar. City’s passing was low quality, way too often the ball easily intercepted by an alert Hills player, so when Green flicked the ball over her opponent and advanced into the Hills’ half, the crowd cooed at the flash of inspiration. Despite the hard-tackling endeavour of Sienna Bell, the ball wouldn’t run for City. Both Bell and Culnane were forced to get treatment for seeping knee wounds, the referee oddly letting the players stay on the field to get treatment as the game continued.
Pace played in Berios but Niamh Nolan was there with a strong tackle to clear the danger. Her next clearance though had hearts in mouths as she drilled the ball into Gerard and the ball trickled past the post with the wrong-footed Harkin looking on, rooted to the spot. A bouncing ball then found Pace in the area and well placed, but she leant back and the ball was once again fired over. All of a sudden City switched off and Berios was clean through, but Harkin saved bravely from point-blank range.
A push on Bell saw City finally get a clear chance on goal, a free kick some 25 yards out, and Gerard fired in a shot that was well handled by Brien on her line. A foul on Quinlan then gave Hills an exact replica at the other end, but the referee blew for half-time before the free kick could be organised and the scores were locked at 0-0 at the break.
A half-time break can work in one of two ways. It either disrupts the rhythm or gives an opportunity to change. What we saw from Hills at the start of the second half was an intent to be more direct and it paid off within two minutes of start of the second half. Firstly, Vella played in Berios in space in the penalty area as the City defence stood still, and the finish was comfortable for 1-0.
City responded briefly with Nolan and Tinney combining but the ball through was too strong for Asha Eveniss. The ball was straight up the other end moments later and this time it was Berios dissecting the defence for Vella to run on to, and she made no mistake with a low finish to extend the lead to 2-0, only two minutes after the first. City were letting their opponents play, and with midfield enforcer Bell forced off with an injury, Franulovic was throwing herself into tackles, fortunate to escape a yellow at one point for a crunching collision.
Tinney and Nolan combined, Tinney trying a speculative shot from the edge of the area that brought the crowd back to life, the ball bouncing just wide, but it was still Hills dominating, Quinlan and Alyssa Thomson battling well to keep the attacks flowing. Thomson was the threat that wouldn’t go away, and she fired a shot in that Harkin saved.
City’s best chance of the game came when Tinney hustled a ball from a Hills midfielder and the ball fell to Emily Jackson, whose instant shot was well saved by Brien on her line.
Aaliyah Wawi then raced into the City area but scuffed her shot, Harkin saving easily, and as the game opened up, Jackson did well up the left wing, jinking past her player to the byline but the ball into the area was cleared.
The threat of Thomson was unrelenting, and she bundled through a challenge from Kambouris, but Harkin was behind her fierce shot. Berios then beat Gerard on the right, but the City defender was back quickly to clear for a corner. The end-to-end nature to the game was akin to the last throes of a cup tie, and Jackson played in Issy Saunders, but her touch evaded her and she ran out of pitch.
Javiera Mondaca raced clear for the visitors as time ticked away, but Gerard was back to block the shot, Harkin grabbing the ball gratefully. Franulovic, who had toiled all day for little reward then played a long hopeful ball over the top as City rolled their last dice, but Brien dealt with the danger. The game ended with a Thomson free kick in a decent position, but the defence and Harkin watched the ball wide. The final whistle was a relief to both teams, the conditions slightly warmer than comfortable, and City relieved to have kept the score to two.
Coach Jake Gomez was impressed with his team’s resilience today, and there were many positives to come out of the game, especially in a battling first half. The lack of attacking threat and intent though was alarming, and City were reduced to a handful of long-range efforts that were never going to trouble this quality Hills defence and goalkeeper. It all came down to two moments of concentration at the start of the second half and, had that not happened, City would have always been in the game with a chance at nicking a goal and recording an unlikely smash-and-grab win.
City now have a big week ahead of them, with the transfer window opening and the A-League players filtering into the NPL system. City are expected to strengthen in first grade which could have a trickle-down effect and make the Under 20s competition even stronger. Marconi Stallions are the visitors to Landen Stadium next weekend, while Hills look to maintain their brilliant run, entertaining Nepean at Bella Vista. Stay tuned for more exciting action from the Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s competition as we start to see the front runners and those jostling for position behind them in this fascinating league.
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