Bankstown City 1 Blacktown City 0
The B-town City battle in the Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s on Sunday afternoon saw the Lions edge the Demons by a solitary goal, but only after a miraculous save by Ivana Franulovic kept the lead intact late in the game. A brilliant finish by Lucy Coxsedge had the home team in the lead against the run of play in a first half that ebbed and flowed from end to end. The second half was all Bankstown until the closing stages when Blacktown laid seige, but the shot-shy visitors can have no complaints about the defeat on a day when nothing went right.
Absolutely perfect footballing conditions at Jensen Park in the industrial heart of Regents Park, and after a slight delay as the referees went through the incidents of the previous game, this Under 20s game got underway with both teams looking lively. An early range-finder from Coxsedge on the Bankstown left had hearts in mouths in the Blacktown defence, but it wasn’t long before the visitors roared forward. Lucia Franulovic lined up a shot from distance that sister Ivana saved comfortably as the family rivalry boiled to the surface.
Brianna Tinney then released Issy Saunders on the left, but she was closed down after a poor touch at the expense of a corner. The first sign that this might be a tough day came when playmaker Emily Jackson, so precise from her crossing, dispatched the corner kick behind the goal. However she was quick to make amends, charging down the clearance from the goal kick, but the result was only a throw-in.
Blacktown were then forced to defend as Coxsedge made in-roads down the left, Niamh Nolan and Annabelle Gerard doing just enough to keep the sprightly attacker in check. A long-range effort from Kahtia Bedano then warmed the hands of Blacktown goalkeeper Emma Kociper, but the play was immediately transferred to the other end.
Jackson again charged down her defender, Lily Thompson played a superb ball out to the right for Tinney, who flashed in a cross. The defence partially cleared and Thompson raced in to connect, but the ball ran through for Franulovic in the Bankstown goal. Saunders was released on the left but was shackled well, and when the ball popped out to Nolan on the edge of the area, she squeezed a pass to Jackson, but the shot wasn’t troubling the Bansktown goal and was easy pickings for Franulovic.
Blacktown were living on the edge at the other end. A miscommunication between Kociper and Nolan saw Coxedge upended in the box, but the referee was right there to wave away the appeals. Gerard was then forced to screw a clearance behind for a corner as the home team upped the tempo, but the busy Lia Athanasiou echoed the visitors’ luck by floating the cross disappointly into touch.
Saunders then sprayed a ball out to Nolan, advancing up the right, who took on her player only to fire a cross wide, before the visitors had their best chance of the half. Tinney took the ball up the right and fed Saunders; the winger cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot that skimmed the outside of the post to oohs from the crowd. This flowing game then saw Bedano and Athanasiou combine on the right for Bankstown, but Nicola Ciocca was there to clean up for Blacktown.
Lara Green’s throw-in on the left allowed Tinney to spin past her defender; her eyes lit up as she got sight of goal, but the shot was blazed over, clearing the high fence behind the goal. A hopeful lofted ball forward by midfield maestro Caitlin Bleeker then caused panic in the Blacktown defence, but Kociper was quick to race out before Athanasiou could capitalise.
The game changed in a flash. Blacktown were on the attack when Tinney turned into trouble instead of keeping the ball moving and Bankstown broke upfield. Krystallia Kallidakis combined with Athanasiou to free Bedano who fired wide of the post. From the resulting goal kick, Kociper and Gerard tried to play out from the back, but Coxsedge intercepted and smashed a shot high over Kociper and under the bar for a dramatic opening goal. The visiting defence looked lost at sea as the home team pressed the advantage, and Athanasiou played in Aniese Ismail who shot wide from a good position.
A glorious ball from Jackson then got Blacktown on the front foot again, Saunders smashing in a cross that Franulovic saved well, but the 60 seconds of head tennis that followed, deep in the visitors’ half, was testament that this game would not be decided by top-level skill today.
Blacktown‘s Lucia Franulovic was awarded a cheap free kick 25 yards out in a central position. Jackson took command but fired just over the bar. Kallidakis and Ismail combined again up the Bankstown right, but Kociper made a smart save down low as Green applied the pressure on the shot. Hayley Reynolds then galloped into space to win a corner. Jackson’s corner kick squirmed through the legs at the near post, Gerard racing in to meet the cross could only watch as the ball cannoned off her shins in front of goal, another corner the result. Frustratingly, Jackson delivered another cross into the side netting and the impetus was lost.
Blacktown still had the momentum as a sweeping move saw Gerard find Reynolds. The ball to Tinney was helped out to Green who won another corner. This time the cross was good, but well dealt with by Sienna Broughton, and Green chanced her arm from 40 yards with a shot that was no trouble for Franulovic.
Saunders won a corner and took it herself, the ball again cleared comfortably, before the half ended with a contentious moment. Tinney conceded a free kick in midfield as the clock ticked past 45 minutes. Play was allowed to continue as the referee was generous with his time, and Kociper was forced into a low save. Had that resulted in a goal, there would have been apoplexy from the visiting bench. Instead, the game was finely poised at 1-0 to the home team, despite Blacktown having the lions’ share of the attacking intent.
Blacktown kept the hosts waiting and Bankstown kicked off looking like a new team. They were first to every ball, and unlike their opponents, every touch seemed to go to one of their players. Ismail was played in for an early attack, but chose not to cross, then fullback Lauren Wells threatened to dance through the whole of the Blacktown team on the left as Bankstown started the half with extra fizz.
This would not be one-way traffic though, and Tinney found Reynolds on the right, who took a touch and rifled a shot into the side netting. Jackson then released Tinney with a smart ball but Franulovic was there to pluck the cross out of the air. Tinney was then quick to react as Kallidakis threatened down the Bankstown left, conceding a corner and then clearing the corner herself. Tinney then held the ball up brilliantly in midfield before feeding Saunders on the run. The pacy winger beat Franulovic to the ball and took the ball into the penalty area, but miskicked at the wrong moment and the chance was cleared. Tinney was again involved as Reynolds raced to the byline to win a corner, but again the corners were having no effect.
Gerard earned a deserved yellow card for the handful of shirt she grabbed as she raced to close down Coxsedge on the left, but it was her brave header that won a free kick for a high boot soon after to diffuse the situation. Nolan raced down the right but her low cross was hacked clear, before Green raced away up the left, the ball eventually finding Jackson for a pot-shot from distance that was well saved by Franulovic.
The home team were looking to kill off the game on the counter attack. Ciocca gave the ball away but was relieved to see Ismail offside. Ciocca then watched a ball back to Kociper, who got the ball tangled between her legs with Ismail hovering, but a handball calmed the storm and the introduction of Alyse McCutcheon gave the visitors extra power up front. A foul on Ciocca allowed Gerard to get the ball forward and McCutcheon won a corner on the right. Gerard was there to meet Jackson’s corner, but the ball bounced kindly for the Bankstown defence in the ensuing scramble.
Enterprising play by Jackson won a throw-in on the left. Aurelia Smith’s throw found McCutcheon, who took the ball to the edge of the area and fired in a shot that was well saved by Franulovic. McCutcheon tried to get Green in on the left, but the ball was just too far. It was McCutcheon though who made space for herself on the edge of the area with a smart turn, and the defence opened up for the shot. The well-placed strike towards the bottom corner of the goal was athletically tipped around the post by Franulovic, an amazing save to keep the score at 1-0.
Sienna Bell was then fouled on the Blacktown right and Green won a corner from the resulting cross-field ball. McCutcheon caused havoc again to win a final corner with time ticking away; Jackson lifted the cross in, Smith was there with the header, and just couldn’t get the final touch as she reacted quickly, Tori Hronopoulos clearing from in front of goal with the final touch of the game. The whistle sounded, Bankstown had deservedly won, but for the visitors this will be a tough one to take after looking so dominant in the first half.
A fine spectacle in perfect conditions, this B-town City derby saw Bankstown close the gap on sixth-placed Blacktown City in a congested second tier mini-league in the Under 20s ladder. Blacktown now have the chance to disrupt the natural order at the top and perhaps do their neighbours Hills United a favour by beating Mt Druitt Town Rangers next week. The Premiership race will be over if that is the case, and the top-four is now nailed on with three games remaining of the regular season.
Bankstown travel to South East Phoenix next week and should have no problem taking care of business in Nowra as the race to avoid the wooden spoon remains the main talking point. Today though, the Lions were good value for their slender victory, showing good fight at the end of the game to repel a surge from the visiting Demons. Stay tuned as we enjoy the final three games of this exciting season as the players put themselves in the shop window with the 2025 season high on everyone’s agenda already.
Thanks for your time in reading all the way here. You did well. I had to put Blacktown in bold, as even I was getting mixed up between the two teams! Give this a like and a share on social media if you enjoyed the read, and we’ll see you here next week as City aim to derail the Mt Druitt promotion train.