Blacktown City 5 Sutherland Strikers 2
An unbelievable turnaround at Landen Stadium earned Blacktown City three valuable points in the Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s, as Sutherland Strikers finally caved under the pressure in a five-goal second half salvo. What looked like being an off-day for the home side, with a penalty from Chaeli De Brincat and a goal to Leila Szczepanik seeing them well ahead at the break, gradually turned in Blacktown’s favour after Issy Saunders had scored a freak free-kick in the early stages of the second half. A sparkling hat-trick of expert finishes from Brianna Tinney was bookended by another Saunders goal to embellish the scoreline as City finally flexed their muscles in front of goal. The inquest will continue though following the no-show in the first half where the City midfield stood off and watched as their opponents took the initiative and were given the freedom of Landen Stadium.
A sunny winter’s afternoon in Blacktown met these two sides, led out by the expert refereeing team for a formal line-up in the centre of the field on a picture-perfect Sydney day. Sutherland had picked up points in their previous two matches and looked composed in the early stages, Saunders putting the pressure on De Brincat early on, but the defender did well to pass her way out of trouble. Sabine Kafle was showing tricky feet and it was her ball to the right that set the busy Szczepanik away beyond the defence. Her cross looked to be fielded by Aurelia Smith but the ball bounced up off her leg onto her hand and the referee pointed immediately to the spot. A disastrous start, and Smith’s endeavour to get back and clear had been harshly punished. De Brincat tucked home a low penalty to Emma Kociper’s right to open the scoring and a rattled Blacktown set about putting things right.
Jenny Hughes, in the starting line-up on the road to recovery, won a corner that Emily Jackson swung in, and Tinney connected with the flick. The ball eventually fell for Saunders who smashed a shot across the face of goal. Hughes then cut inside from the right and smashed in a shot that goalkeeper Stacey Ellis did well to block, but there was no one following in to apply the finish. The crosses were coming in from City, but there was a reluctance to attack the ball, and City were scrambling back when they were caught upfield; Nicola Ciocca had to be alert to turn the ball behind for a corner.
Elka Coombes was then left in acres of space and her raking shot was tipped over by Kociper for another corner. The pressure was eased when Saunders won a dubious free kick on the left, her shot easily saved, before Saunders was freed by a long ball from Annabelle Gerard and won another corner. There continued to be no joy from the set pieces, but City fashioned their best chance of the half when Hughes prodded a glorious ball through for Saunders on the left, and her high looping cross was met by Tinney at the far post. Alas, the difficult chance was smashed over the bar. The chemistry between Tinney and Hughes was starting to emerge, a one-two just too short for Tinney to race on to, but it was in midfield where City were losing control.
All of a sudden, Sofia Lopez was given copious time and clipped the ball into space, setting off on goal past a static flat defence. Kociper made a fabulous stop to deny the first attempt, but Szczepanik was on hand with the freedom of the penalty area to ram the ball home for 2-0. Coach Jake Gomez had seen enough and shuffled his pack. The lightweight midfield was shored up and City went on the attack.
Saunders raced away down the left and turned inside her defender, but Ellis made the save. Abby Duggan weaved into the box to feed Tinney, whose shot was also saved. The corner by Jackson was scrambled away only to Saunders who smashed in a shot that Ellis may have touched onto the post, but was definitely fortunate not to deflect the ball back into the goal, the ball deflecting off her back at speed and away to safety.
Saunders raced onto a Gerard cross-field ball to fire a shot past the post when there was more space than she realised, then Hughes dummied her opponent to open up the defence, but the shot was slashed wide. A snapshot from Tinney was well saved by Ellis, and from the corner Saunders sized up another shot that was well handled by the busy Sutherland goalkeeper. City were looking more potent and there was at least a bite to the challenges, but still they looked frail when the visitors attacked. Rosie Degnan almost beat the whole City team, advancing into the penalty area and finally stopped by Ciocca before she could get a shot away. Szczepanik was enjoying the time and space on the right. Again, Ciocca was there to stop the tricky winger, and the referee brought a tough first half to a close. Debate surrounded the award of the penalty, the City coaching staff in conversation for some time with the officials, but there was no doubt about the second goal, and no doubt that City were in deep trouble after a poor half.
The home team and the referee were left waiting by the Strikers after the break, the visitors working out what to do with a surprise two-goal lead in a game that they had largely controlled. There was consternation as Szczepanik teed up Lily Warnes, whose shot bounced off the bar, and City had survived the first attack of the half, keeping the score at 2-0. That changed soon after though, with Jackson obstructed in the middle of the park to win a free kick. This was within range, and with the sun starting to get lower and more troublesome for the defence, Saunders took the chance to fire in a shot. Ellis seemed unsighted and deceived by the bounce right in front of her, and somehow the ball went straight through her into the net for a freak goal. Saunders was not taking any acclaim for it, but she’ll gladly accept the goal.
The familiar sight of Sienna Bell putting herself about warmed the crowd up, but still City had to defend. Coombes fired in a long-range shot that wasn’t far wide and the visitors still held the lead. A long ball by Gerard then set Saunders away, but when she cut in and the defence opened up, her mis-hit shot was well wide. Saunders then won a free-kick for handball, but fired the shot handsomely over, before Niamh Nolan raced up the right to win a corner. The tide was turning. Nolan played the ball back neatly for Tinney who fired over the bar from outside the box; would the profligacy that has plagued City in the first half of the season continue to haunt them?
City were back on level terms with twenty minutes remaining. Jackson’s clever play and defence-splitting through ball set Saunders free down the centre. Ellis did remarkably well to make the save, but the ball fell for Saunders again, who had the presence of mind to square to her teammate Tinney, and Tinney rasped the ball into the net for 2-2.
The game had switched into Blacktown’s favour. Could they maintain the pressure and complete the turnaround? Jackson and Saunders combined to win a corner which was well dealt with despite Ciocca’s leap, then Duggan raced into the Sutherland half and played in Tinney. The in-form striker took a touch and fired in a shot that was well held by Ellis. Tinney then turned provider, playing in Nolan, but Ellis was out quickly. Mel Napoli traded passes with the influential Jackson but Ellis saved again, and then Gerard and Tinney combined, the defender firing in a shot that went just past the post.
It was time for something special, with only ten minutes remaining on the clock, and City sliced open the Sutherland defence with devastating precision. Jackson’s through ball was perfect, Tinney raced on to it and struck first time past Ellis for the third City goal to give them the lead for the first time in the contest. There was joy on the faces of the Blacktown players and a renewed vigour about their play. Saunders and Jackson combined to tee up Tinney, but her shot lacked any power. A free kick was won by Napoli, but Saunders couldn’t make the shot count. It was again Jackson, pulling the strings in this second-half show, who found herself in a great position with the goal at her mercy, but she played in Tinney instead who had time and poise to complete her hat-trick with a superb finish.
The Strikers weren’t done just yet, Anneliese Bell racing through, but Duggan was there and Kociper raced out to smother at her feet, leaving a patch of skin from her leg on the unforgiving surface. City kept the attacks coming, Napoli sprinted up the right as Lily Thompson prised open the defence with a neat ball, and City did get their fifth goal with another piece of Jackson magic. The inspirational midfield maestro played a teasing ball between the defence and the on-rushing Ellis, and Saunders got there first with the most delicate of dinks, the ball rolling towards goal and Saunders ushered the ball into the unguarded net to complete the scoring. The referee brought this topsy-turvy game to an end, and City had turned a two-goal deficit into a three-goal win within the space of forty heart-stopping minutes.
Blacktown City continue their climb up the table, closing the gap on those in the finals spots, but still a good distance behind. Many lessons would have been learned today, and the ugly scoreline at the break was justified for a below-par performance. The somewhat fortunate first goal of the second half set the game up perfectly before City swamped their opponents in the final ten minutes to win convincingly. A hat-trick for Brianna Tinney and a brace for Issy Saunders will send belief into the City strike-force, and they can put that into action next week when they visit league leaders Hills United. Sutherland will look back at that first half and wonder just what went wrong in the second. The games don’t get any easier, with South Coast Flame and Central Coast Mariners the visitors in a busy week for the Strikers.
Stand by for more action from this exciting women’s league as we enter the final six rounds of the season.
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