City flicker, but Flame burn brightest

Blacktown City 1 South Coast Flame 3

Blacktown City pushed high-flying South Coast Flame all the way in a pulsating Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s encounter at Landen Stadium on Sunday. A deflected shot from Annalize Kotis gave the visitors an early lead against the run of play and Imogen Woolnough punished the City defence just before half time to give Flame a commanding lead. A long range free-kick by Issy Saunders brought Blacktown back into the game and the home team pressed for an equaliser only to be undone by Shayne Atkin’s clever chip to seal the three points. A much improved performance from the home side after they were thumped in the reverse fixture in Kembla Grange, City will reflect once more on their failure to convert when chances fell their way.

A day that coaxed spectators into leaving their winter jackets in the car turned bitterly cold as the game kicked off, and Blacktown City took the game to their opponents from the opening whistle. Flame won the toss and elected to change the teams around, City attacking the Prospect Highway end, and it was Hayley Reynolds who started the home team’s assault by winning an early corner on the right. Whilst the corner from Emily Jackson was cleared, the attacks continued, Saunders tricking her way past two challenges, drawing goalkeeper Abigail Inman off her line to make a smart save. The corner was swung in and Reynolds was a whisker away from connecting at the far post.

South Coast Flame were handed their first chance when Annabelle Gerard’s push presented a free kick inside the City half. Set-piece specialist Lili Rosandic floated in a ball that goalkeeper Emma Kociper and defender Lily Thompson both went for, the ball bouncing between the two and harmlessly behind, but a big warning sign for the home defence. Samantha Shallcross played a neat ball to Kotis, whose ball was neither a shot nor a cross, and when Sienna Bell upended her player, Rosandic’s free kick had too much on it and the ball sailed over the bar.

A good move involving Niamh Nolan and Reynolds saw Inman smother the ball at the near post as Blacktown threatened up the right, before the visitors took a surprise lead. A move down the right looked to be going nowhere, when Kotis received the ball in space in the middle of the park. Her speculative effort looked comfortable for Kociper at the near post, but the ball struck Gerard on the foot and spun away towards the opposite corner, with the Blacktown goalkeeper wrong-footed and unable to react in time to prevent a freak goal.

City reacted as Brianna Tinney changed down her defender and swept into the penalty area. Her shot was pushed away spectacularly by Inman for another corner. Jackson lifted in a cross at the second attempt and Reynolds fired wide on the volley. A clever run by Mel Napoli then saw the ball bounce kindly for Tinney, who bravely challenged for a header, the ball pushed away by Inman as South Coast Flame lived dangerously.

Bell, Tinney and Saunders then combined beautifully on the left, Saunders racing through and testing Inman again. The corner was fired in, Gerard getting her head to the ball, and Inman again made the save look easy. Saunders then jinked up the left and switched play, Nolan set up Reynolds who hit the byline and won another in a series of Blacktown corners. In the ensuing melee in the middle of the penalty area, the ball fell to Bell, who bundled the ball home, the music blasting and the main stand cheering only to be quickly cut off when the assistant referee’s flag quite rightly ruled out the goal for offside.

The action continued at quick pace, the players enjoying the cooller conditions much more than those watching on from the freezing sidelines. Rosandic’s quick free kick almost caught out Thompson and Kociper, the Blacktown City goalkeeper happy to field the ball just ahead of the South Coast striker. Saunders then caught out Ella Churchill, stealing the ball on the left, but she was closed down quickly, and a very late tackle by Bell went unpunished as the referee gave her the benedit of the doubt.

Woolnough then played a precision through ball to Atkin in between the defenders, but Kociper qas quick to spot the danger, and Thompson was then mugged on the edge of the area when trying to dribble out of trouble, Woolnough getting the shot away but Kociper showed safe hands to make the save. City pressed well as Flame tried to play their way out from the back, Jackson firing a shot wide when a stray pass under pressure was cut out. It was end-to-end stuff. Saunders played a delightful ball to Tinney who pressured Layla Pierags, who did well to clear, while at the other end, Kotis was left in acres of space in the centre of the park, but she chose to shoot and the ball ended up on Ashley Brown Reserve

The game was open and entertaining, and Saunders won another corner on the left. Jackson lifted in the corner, which fell to Napoli after the scramble, but her shot was lifted over the bar. Kociper then played a disastrous ball out from the back that was intercepted easily by Atkin, but her attempt on the empty goal was wide of the target and City could breathe a sigh of relief after the potentially catastrophic error.

South Coast then finished the half with a period of dominance that paid dividends. Churchill won a corner off Lara Green, Tinney doing well to clear the lines from the dangerous corner. Nolan then had to concede another corner. Kotis was there as Kociper misjudged the flight of the ball, but Tinney was in the right place to hack the ball clear. The Flame’s pressure was mounting as Woolnough played in Atkin, her cross well fielded by Kociper, but a moment of hesitation was to catch out City. Nolan let the ball run across her and she was pick-pocketed by Shallcross. The bustling winger found the byline and played in a superb cross for Woolnough, who finished well at the near post to give Kociper no chance.

The half-time whistle brought a fabulous half of football to a close, City wondering just how they were going in 2-0 down at the break after making most of the running.

The South Coast players were out early, the referees were in place, but Blacktown City were nowhere to be seen. Coach Jake Gomez obviously had plenty to say at the break, and City came out firing again. Napoli’s ball through for Reynolds was inch-perfect but she had strayed offside. Tinney then pirouetted well to find space and fired in a shot that Inman saved well, before Flame presented a chance to City as Rosandic sliced a ball out for a corner. Saunders’ cross was right into the six-yard box where Reynolds was free to connect on the volley, but she missed the ball completely and the chance was gone.

Moments later, Green was fouled, the referee awarding a fairly soft free-kick and Saunders moved into position to take it. She went for power and height, and the ball sailed through the air, catching Inman out as it dipped viciously and just under the bar for an incredible goal. All of a sudden, we had a contest on our hands, and Saunders was playing like a demon possessed. Pierags was forced into conceding a corner as Green tried the big switch, but the referee adjudged Bell to have fouled Inman from the corner and the danger passed.

Foul throws were an unusually common feature today, Pierags guilty on more than one occasion, and from one of the throw-ins that City won, Tinney tried to squeeze a ball through for Reynolds, but the ball was just too strong on the slick surface. The visitors reminded the hosts that there was still defending to do, Woolnough sending Atkin just a little too far wide with a piercing through-ball. City then attacked down the right, Reynolds and Nolan combining to release Tinney, but a deflection took the pass away from her. Green and Saunders were busy fashioning crossing opportunities up the left, and Saunders found herself a moment of time in the box, but her shot was smashed over the bar with force.

Bell and Jackson then got in each other’s way, Woolnough getting the bounce to run on and fire in a shot that was on target, but faded just past the post with Kociper beaten. South Coast had a corner, Rosandic playing her ball just too far at the far post, before the visitors made an important change, Inman replaced in goal by Ciara Wade. A slip by Gerard then saw Marwa Sulaiman break through but Kociper was out to smother the danger. Bell was given a talking-to by the verbose referee after one challenge too many, joining Woolnough as players walking a yellow-card tightrope. Sulaiman then won another corner, but City had their eyes on an equaliser and continued to press.

Just as they looked to be turning the screw, they were caught out by a sucker-punch. Atkin’s miskick ended up being a pass to herself as she read the bounce of the ball ahead of all the defenders, and she raced through and lofted a shot over Kociper and into the net for 3-1 before the defence could mobilise to the danger. It was a tough one to take for the hosts, after pressing their opponents and looking the most likely to score the next goal, but it showed that South Coast Flame are cut-throat and will pounce on any opportunity with devastating efficiency.

There was still life in City though, as the rain fell. They wouldn’t let the two-goal deficit deflate them. Saunders raced through and won a slightly fortuitous free-kick when challenging with her defender on the run. Saunders herself got up to take the free-kick, blazing the ball high and wide, but the referee had already blown the whistle for a retake for encroachment from the defensive wall. Saunders let Jackson take the retake, and Jackson’s thrilling effort was athletically tipped over by Wade, the goalkeeper’s celebrations suggesting that it was indeed a fabulous save.

Blacktown kept up the heat, Gerard delivering a free kick from the right, Aurelia Smith helping the ball on, but Saunders couldn’t quite keep the ball in. The eagerness to reduce the arrears almost backfired as Atkin galloped up the right to deliver a cross that somehow evaded everyone and found Sulaiman at the far post. The shot though was scuffed wide, and with it the final chance of the game as the fina whistle sounded.

This had been a marvellous spectacle at Landen Stadium today, Blacktown City more than matching their powerful opponents, and if they had the cutting edge of the visitors, we could have been looking at a different result today. In the end, it was two unfortunate bounces and a mistake that cost City, but take nothing away from the deadly Flame strike-force who turned half-chances into goals with remarkable proficiency.

South Coast Flame continue to chase the leaders Hills United, hoping for a slip-up, and they have a relatively comfortable trip to Nowra next weekend to continue the pressure at the top. Blacktown City have a catch-up game against Nepean midweek to try and keep their chances of a top-half finish alive, before facing close rivals SD Raiders in another home fixture next Sunday back at Landen Stadium. Stand by for a busy week of Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s action.

Thanks for taking the time to read all about Blacktown City’s Under 20s team for 2024, and thanks to South Coast Flame for sharing this report too. It makes it all worthwhile to see players and supporters of City’s opponents enjoying a good old-fashioned match report. If you like what you see, come back for more! If you spot any errors, let me know too – thanks Lily for correcting last week’s mistake!