Inter Lions 0 Blacktown City 2
With the main route between Blacktown and Concord blocked by a serious traffic accident, with City players caught up in the incident itself, and with only four of the visiting players in attendance at the scheduled arrival time, preparations for this Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s clash were in disarray. Blacktown City were sheepish as a result in a cagey first half, the game locked at 0-0 at the break. However, a second half transformation that matched the weather saw the visitors crack open the resolute Inter defence, substitutes Hayley Reynolds and Lara Green keeping their cool to deliver the three points in the bright afternoon sunshine.
A chaotic weekend for sport in Sydney, with heavy rain taking out most turf fields, the pristine synthetic surface of Majors Bay Reserve in Concord was an oasis of calm, Inter Lions kicking off with dark clouds looming. The home team looked determined to pressure their visitors with every opportunity, and were on the front foot early on, winning a corner. Captain Cleo Gavagna’s corner kick was cleared to Annalija Drazenovic whose shot was charged down by the City defence. A foul throw by Abby Duggan didn’t help steady the visitors’ nerves, but a superb flick by Brianna Tinney into the path of Issy Saunders certainly did, the cross cleared by Isabel Dresser.
Mel Napoli, recalled to the team in a shake-up of City personnel, did well to hold up the ball to play in Saunders on the right. The fleet-footed winger stepped around her defender and made off towards goal, smashing a low shot goalwards that Inter goalkeeper Ashley Mcintyre touched onto the inside of her near post, the ball just falling behind Lily Thompson on the follow up. The referee had his whistle to his lips moments later as Dresser miscontrolled a ball in her own penalty area and the ball seemed to hit a hand, but there was no appeal from the away team.
A clever steal from Napoli on the right saw her play in a low cross for Tinney to sweep just wide and Blacktown were looking dangerous. However, Annabelle Gerard was mugged by Grace Kranitis and Emilija Jaglica, and Kranitis shot, but the ball was well wide of the goal.
Duggan then raced on to a through ball down the right, in acres of space. Her low cross was bundled behind for a corner, Tinney in attendance. The corner from Saunders saw Gerard fire a shot goalwards that was deflected over. From the second corner, Tinney found space for the header, but couldn’t get it on target, the ball bouncing wide of the far post.
Inter were still creating chances of their own, and when Mira Thomas was played in by Jaglica, her shot was well wide of goalkeeper Emma Kociper’s goal.
Napoli’s hold-up play was impressive, and she touched a ball back into the path of Tinney, who took a touch and rifled in a stinging shot that Mcintrye saved. Niamh Nolan gave chase to a lost cause soon after, the referee somehow adjudging the ball to have come off the defender, and City had another corner. The corner kick from Saunders found Nicola Ciocca, but her header was directed over the bar. A delightful move between Nolan and Tinney then saw Saunders race clear, but the ball ran out of play before the pacy winger could get her cross in.
The corner count continued as Saunders won another corner on the left, and her corner kick was bravely challenged by Ciocca again, the stooping header flashing just wide of the goal.
There seemed no danger when Duggan picked up the ball on the right, but the defence parted to let her race through, and she unleashed a superb shot that was rising as McIntyre plucked it out of the air. Annika Lee fouled Emily Jackson on the Blacktown right, Gerard’s free kick not giving Mcintyre any trouble, and Inter broke quickly to fashion a great chance. Kranitis played in Gavagna who spotted Sarah Bownas in space on the right, but she screwed her shot badly wide under pressure, a good chance missed.
The referee team seemed to be a little disconnected, the assistant referee’s flag unseen for a good twenty seconds as confusion reigned on the benches, and from the subsequent move, Jaglica’s free header bounced wide as Inter threatened again.
A handball decision in City’s favour as Tinney challenged for the ball saw Saunders, equipped with her Mary Fowler gloves, fire a shot wide of Mcintyre’s goal. Up the other end, Gavagna was penalised for a foul on Ciocca, but contact was minimal and the visitors escaped. Another good run by Saunders, saw her race into the penalty area, but Mcintyre was out quickly to hack the ball away. Tinney showed great feet to keep possession in the middle of the park, and Gerard played a superb ball through the gap for Napoli, who advanced and fired on goal, but the shot lacked conviction and Mcintyre saved easily. Tinney then turned sweetly and fired just over the bar from distance, before Inter finished the half strongly.
Gavagna’s corner was well dealt with by Kociper in the City goal, palming the ball away from the striker’s head. When Kranitis was fouled on the edge of the area though, Inter had a good chance to test Kociper. Gavagna’s shot was high and handsome, the half-time whistle coming soon after. This had been an absorbing game for the neutral, and Inter Lions were matching their opponents for grit and determination, but it was City who had fashioned the best chances and had also hit the woodwork.
Whatever coach Jake Gomez said at half time saw his City troops come out fighting at the start of the second half. Tinney played a superb ball to Sienna Bell, who laid the ball into the path of Napoli, unmarked in the penalty area, but the shot was straight at Mcintyre. A great chance, and more was to come; Duggan raced down the right and her cross saw Tinney challenge with Mcintyre, the ball cleared with the goalkeeper down on the ground. Jackson then took on the whole Inter defence, evading two challenges and heading towards goal until she was well tackled.
Gavagna and Lee combined on the Inter left, the City defence holding off the powerful midfield general, but the calm heads would not panic for Blacktown and the dangerous moments passed without Kociper having to make a save.
Saunders was upended on the left. She dusted herself off to fire in the free-kick herself, the floated effort high, wide and not hit with enough venom to trouble Mcintyre. There was always the possibility of Inter catching out the City defence, and when Claudia Janus broke through, Ciocca had to be swift to nullify the danger.
Saunders was a constant source of attacking intent, and she raced up the left again, cutting inside before Dresser snuffed out the shot. Bownas almost unlocked the defence at the other end, pouncing on a loose ball on the right, but losing her head, firing wildly wide of Kociper’s goal when well-placed.
Green was enjoying plenty of the ball on the left, and she raced up the wing on the overlap, cut in and fired in a teasing ball that Napoli just couldn’t reach. The match was reaching the stage where a goal could be vital. Napoli was caught offside when fed by Gerard. The crowd could feel the tension; a slip by either side could lead to a telling goal. Tinney and Reynolds combined well on the right, the ball in from Reynolds just too far in front of Saunders in the centre, but the intent was there, and City started to turn the screw.
Reynolds again romped up the right, making for the byline, and her ball in was perfect for Tinney, but the shot was arrowed just over the bar. A superb move, and City were edging closer to an opening goal. The offside flag was again frustrating the visitors, Reynolds caught offside this time, and still the game was hanging in the balance. A misdirected header from Green gave Inter a corner, and Kociper was up highest to divert the ball away from the Inter heads.
Aurelia Smith won the ball on the right and fed Jackson; her cross found Tinney, but again the shot didn’t trouble Mcintyre. Nerves were jangling when Gerard headed behind for a corner for the home side, and Kociper had to be commanding to punch the ball away for a second corner.
There was applause as Sam Wickremeratne took the field, her first appearance of the season after a long injury lay-off, and she was involved almost immediately. An exquisite ball from Thompson was controlled by Wickremeratne and she played a piercing through-ball to Reynolds, who side-stepped the onrushing Mcintyre, took another touch and finished coolly into the unguarded net. The players all rushed to congratulate Reynolds, and her newly introduced teammate who had set up the goal. It could be said that the goal had come against the run of play at that time, but it spurred on City and they kept up the pressure.
An absolute pearler of a through ball from the marauding Jackson freed Green on the left. The left-sided City flyer strode forward, opened up her body and placed a superb shot past McIntyre into the goal. It was the finish of a player full of confidence, and made a mockery of some of the finishing we had seen earlier in the season from City strikers faced with the same situation. There was palpable relief in the visiting players, the score now 2-0 and the game looking more comfortable.
The contest wasn’t over yet though. Smith and Reynolds combined well down the right again, but the ball ran away from the speedy winger. Smith then gave us the game’s second foul throw, a bemused City bench at odds with the referee’s interpretation of what constitutes a foul throw. Ciocca was harshly deemed to have fouled her player and the Lions won a corner from the free kick. The ball popped out for Annabelle Banfield, who smashed her shot wide of the goal. Kociper’s game management was first-class, before Tinney was booked for a seemingly inoccuous challenge in the middle of the park. The long free-kick was straight at Kociper and the game ended with a fired-up Tinney getting increasingly agitated, blood from her nose standing out on her white shirt after a collision.
The referee brought the game to a close, Blacktown overcoming their traffic nightmares from earlier in the day to record a second successive win that keeps them in the hunt for a top-half finish. An eighth clean sheet for the season tells a story of a strong defensive unit, and with the goals starting to flow, City will be looking to build on their form and continue their upward trajectory.
Inter Lions continue their search for their first points on home soil when they face bottom club Sutherland Strikers next weekend in the ultimate six-pointer. For Blacktown City, they have a free-hit against high-flying South Coast Flame at Landen Stadium. What a great opportunity to see how far they have come this season, having been completely outplayed in the first round in Kembla Grange.
The Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s action continues. Stay tuned for more exciting football as your favourite team looks to take some scalps along the way to a strong goalscoring finish to the 2024 season.
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