Blacktown City 1 Central Coast Mariners 4
The second round of matches in the Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s season finally got underway for Blacktown City and Central Coast Mariners following a wet start to winter and a blank weekend. The free-scoring Mariners raced into a two-goal lead thanks to a close-range Lara Green own goal and a poacher’s finish from Savannah Lalor but were given a good tussle for the remainder of the first half by a determined City team. Peyton Scollay then blazed through the City defence to make it three soon after the break, before Briana Myers somehow scored a fourth with a freak goal. The threat of a blow-out was real until Brianna Tinney rifled home a consolation goal to reduce the deficit, and neither side could convert their chances as the game drew to a close and the three points headed to Gosford to continue the Mariners’ impressive run of high-scoring victories.
Low-scoring City welcomed their red-hot opponents to Landen Stadium on a beautiful day, the Mariners having smashed 23 goals without reply in their last three games. And Blacktown were doing all the defending early on, Lalor busy up the left, and Aurelia Smith clearing up two corners in quick succession as the visitors pressed. Sienna Bell introduced herself early to the contest with a trademark crunching tackle, waking up the crowd in the main stand, but it failed to stir the home team into action. A mis-directed free kick from Annabelle Gerard had City scrambling, and Sophie Roberts coughed up a free kick for the visitors with her over-zealous hassling. Kara Bloomfield lifted in the set-piece and Andie Chaseling rose unchallenged to meet the cross, the header bouncing wide of the post.
The danger continued and the deadlock was broken in unusual circumstances when Lalor breezed up the left, cut in and delivered a stinging cross that the unfortunate Green could only slice into her own net, the ball having been fired into her feet. City responded, an expansive move from the back involving five players almost releasing Hayley Reynolds, but the ball ran away from her and so did the chance.
The lively Tataya Curry-Jones then burst through on the right leaving Green in her wake, but City goalkeeper Emma Kociper stood firm and made the save. Kociper was in the action again a moment later when Bloomfield spun brilliantly and fired a ball goalwards. Kociper tipped the ball onto the bar and Smith couldn’t prevent Lalor from thumping home the rebound for 2-0.
Issy Saunders nipped a ball away from defender Shani Cooney-Cross, but the ball ran kindly for Mariners’ goalkeeper Chloe Carmichael and the half-chance was gone. Curry-Jones was then played clean through on the right after an intricate midfield move, but had her hands on her head as the ball was blazed over. City were hesitant in the tackle and the Mariners were a step ahead in sharpness. Another goal would open the floodgates.
City though continued to make in-roads on the Mariners’ defence and a glorious one-two with Reynolds saw Saunders race clear, but Carmichael made the save and held onto the ball with Jackson closing in. Lily Thompson was quick at the other end to clear up a dangerous situation, and when Gerard was tricked by Curry-Jones, Thompson was there to concede another corner.
Saunders and Reynolds combined to play in Jackson who shot over the bar in City’s best move yet, and Gerard played in Green, but her ball on for Reynolds was just too strong. There were signs of life from Blacktown, and when Saunders went in with a magnificent tackle, straight from the Bell book of big hits, Amaya Shaw came off second best and play was stopped while both players received treatment. When play resumed, Lillia Rae released substitute Isabella Nicolussi, but Gerard was there to clear the danger.
City had another good chance when Jackson laid the ball in for Reynolds, who shot early with the defence closing in, and Carmichael made a fine stop once more. The half ended with the visitors again on the attack. Rae picked out Nicolussi with the long ball and she burst clear of the flat defensive line, but Kociper pushed her thumping shot onto the post and Smith was there to force the ball behind with the attackers closing in. Chaseling was left completely free from the corner to head towards goal and Kociper made a fine stop to keep the score at 2-0 going into the break.
Whatever was in the tea at half-time must have sent Blacktown to sleep. The referees and the visitors were left out on the field waiting for the home team to arrive back on the field, and the half-time music continued well into the second half as Abby Duggan shepherded a ball out for a goal-kick that was in fact a corner. The corner kick was helped to the far post where Rae blazed wide under no challenge whatsoever, a good early chance to wrap up the result passed up and City starting the half slowly.
Curry-Jones was released on the right and her low ball into the area was tailor-made for Matilda Gallagher, but she somehow scuffed the shot over the bar, the Blacktown defence given a let-off.
The home team then had a glorious chance when Saunders burst through a tackle and made off towards goal, but again, the shot was too close to Carmichael, who saved down low. The rebound fell for Jackson, but she couldn’t get any power behind the shot and Carmichael fielded easily. Saunders then chanced her luck from 40 yards when the ball came her way from a loose pass from the back, but again the ball sailed wide.
The game was finely poised. City were looking dangerous, but the Mariners were fashioning chances with alarming regularity. When Gallagher burst through and held off Duggan as she entered the penalty area, she looked odds-on to make it three, but the shot was again high and handsome over the bar with Kociper untroubled. A clever throw-in on the left found Gallagher in space in the box and Kociper came out to narrow the angle. Gallagher chipped to the far post for the unmarked Curry-Jones, but the finish was horrible, the powerful winger disgusted with herself for missing the empty goal altogether.
It took a moment of utter class to kill off the game as a contest. The impressive Scollay burst through two defenders, clean through, and with Kociper advancing, she swept the ball underneath the City goalkeeper for a majestic finish for 3-0. Curry-Jones won another corner soon after, and in the subsequent melee in the area, Niamh Nolan almost dummied her own goalkeeper, but the Kociper was alert and dealt with the surprise.
City’s passing was crisp. The Mariners defence started to take their mind off the job and the passes from the back weren’t sticking. Nicolussi romped forward on the left after a classy one-two with Bloomfield, and Bell was quickly across, adjudged to have fouled her opponent in a dangerous position. Bloomfield strangely went for goal from the most acute angle, Kociper dealing with it easily.
The impressive Scollay then twisted and turned past three tackles down the right and played in a dangerous ball, surely another goal as Gallagher advanced. Nolan was first to it though and cleared the ball into Myers and the ball somehow ended up in the back of the net for a comedy fourth goal. Nolan couldn’t believe it. It was certainly not City’s day at the back.
City, to their credit, never stopped probing. Tinney touched a ball past her defender and Green was clean through. She took the shot early, but flashed the ball over the bar with a wild effort. At the other end Kociper dallied on the ball and was dispossessed, but somehow the shot trundled wide of the goal as the shocked defence scrambled to close down the danger. Myers was then released in the area, Kociper narrowed the angle and made a terrific save to force the ball behind for a corner.
Jackson then broke for City and played a great ball for Reynolds, who chose to shoot instead of find a better-placed striker, the shot straight at Carmichael. Jackson went one better soon after and played in Tinney with a neat ball; she took a touch and dug out a shot that beat Carmichael and nestled inside the post and City had their goal. They don’t get many, and this one was celebrated accordingly, a great strike.
Bloomfield had the Mariners back on the attack, playing in Nicolussi but Bell was across to deal with the danger, and Scollay was running the midfield. She advanced soon after, no one closing her down so she tried her luck, but the shot was high and wide.
Asha Eveniss combined with Reynolds and Nolan to good effect up the right as City looked to reduce the arrears further, and Tinney intercepted a stray pass to shoot from distance but the ball bounced comfortably through for Carmichael. There was time for one more chance for the Mariners, Ava Moller crossing from the right and Nicolussi firing over, but the offside flag was up, and City finshed on a high, creating two chances. First Roberts intercepted and Tinney shot from long-range, the ball bouncing wide, then Jackson played in Bell on the right and the cross was fired on goal by Tinney, but Carmichael again made the save look simple.
The final whistle brought another entertaining game to a close at Landen Stadium as the sun dipped behind the trees. City’s biggest defeat of the season against a top quality Central Coast Mariners team. With Chloe Carmichael making a string of saves, Peyton Scollay running the midfield and Shani Cooney-Cross making the central defensive role look so easy, the result was about right, although City will look to the missed opportunities and ask the question that has been asked all season – when is it going to click?
The Mariners entertain Mt Druitt next week looking to extend this outrageous run of wins, while Blacktown City travel to South Nowra to play South East Phoenix. City need goals. The goals will come. It’s a matter of time. Could it be next Sunday?
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