Blacktown City 0 Mt Druitt Town Rangers 4
Big hitters and favourites for promotion to the promised land of NPL1 Women’s football Mt Druitt Town Rangers were locked at 0-0 with Blacktown City at the break, both teams having opportunities to take the lead on a beautiful winter’s afternoon in North West Sydney. The game changed when Tasmyn Hill lobbed in from 30 yards, and further goals from Tiana-Louise Barton, Isabella Williams and Sienna Cooper-Durant blew the scoreline out late in the game. The visitors’ power, stature and prowess from corner kicks was in evidence as Blacktown surrendered, but this was not a straightforward victory for Mt Druitt and the margin paints a cruel picture for the Blacktown City girls.
Blacktown were dealt a blow early in the game when Alyse McCutcheon limped off, but she was soon to reappear after some repairs on the sideline. A slow start to the game where the surprisingly swirly wind on an otherwise magnificent day gave the players a challenge. Brianna Tinney turned sharply in midfield to feed Hayley Reyolds on the charge, but the ball ran away from the galloping winger. The danger of Mackayla Crouch on the right was evident from the start and she raced away to feed in a stinging cross towards the dangerous Williams. Emma Kociper was quickest to the ball though and the City keeper would be the busiest of the two goalkeepers. Cooper-Durant then ran onto a quick throw from Jorja Smith but fired wide as Mt Druitt continued their bright start.
Blacktown almost fashioned an opening goal when Lara Green found herself in an advanced position and scooped an intelligent ball over the defence where Reynolds and Abby Duggan raced in to challenge with goalkeeper Laura Tredinnick and Duggan was only an inch away before the ball was cleared. Hill slotted a ball through the middle for the chasing Mt Druitt attackers but Kociper was out quickly, then Williams robbed Lucia Franulovic in the middle of the park, but Nicola Ciocca was quick to see the danger and snuffed out the threat.
City were given a good chance from a set piece when Lara Green dispossessed Mia Watson on the City left and played in Tinney who was upended. Annabelle Gerard stepped up and curled a shot over the wall, and the Rangers defence looked on as Tredinnick sized up the task and tipped the ball over the bar for a thrilling save. The home team’s corners were drawing a blank as they have done all season, and play went straight up the other end for a glorious chance for the visitors.
Crouch did the hard work racing up the right and getting goalside of her defender. The cross was only half cleared by Ciocca and Williams lifted a shot over Kociper, the crowd roaring as the ball bounced off the bar and Niamh Nolan put the ball behind for a corner. Crouch then played in Smith with a defence-splitting pass, and Kociper raced out of her goal to intercept with an unorthodox stop, hacking the ball clear after making the save on the edge of her area.
Reynolds then raced away on the right, choosing to cut the ball back, but it was behind McCutcheon, and the game began to open up. Smith raced past Gerard and Ciocca headed the cross behind for another Rangers corner. Williams met the corner at the far post with a header that just cleared the cross bar, a good chance gone begging. Williams was then floored in a seemingly inoccuous tackle with the busy Franulovic, the players heading to the sideline for refreshment.
When play resumed, Cooper-Durant and Smith combined well on the left, before Williams sliced a shot wildly wide of goal when well placed. City continued to threaten on the counter-attack as Reynolds raced onto Tinney’s through ball, but this time her cross was harmlessly behind. A clever chip over the defence by Emily Jackson then saw Tinney and Tredinnick clash, but the ball was cleared. Williams then fed Cooper-Durant, who raced past Duggan but shot wide of the post as the chances started to arrive. McCutcheon sized up a shot at the other end but sliced her shot, Reynolds almost able to fashion a chance out of the miskick, but the ball ran wide.
Cooper-Durant then took advantage of an unfortunate slip by Duggan, but her shot was cleared by Ciocca, and Crouch turned well on the edge of the area to shoot well wide, the referee bringing an increasingly tense encounter to its half-time break with the score locked at 0-0.
McCutcheon failed to appear for the second half, a reshuffle from the home team gave the game a different feel and City were hemmed in for the opening stages. Sarah Polinsky fired over from distance as the ball popped out in her direction, Duggan and Gerard got in each other’s way with Isabella Bonnici firing wide, and Kociper and Gerard were dicing with danger from a goal kick, but got away with it this time. It took a few moments for the home team to settle. Reynolds raced up the right and cut in to fire a low shot towards the bottom corner, Tredinnick making the save.
City fashioned their best chance so far when Reynolds played in Jackson who drew the defence to feed Green on the left. She rode a challenge to set up a shooting opportunity, but the ball flashed past the post with Tredinnick beaten and the crowd off their seats.
The game turned on a moment ten minutes into the second half when Hill found space and looped a shot goalwards. Time stood still and Kociper could only watch as the ball sailed over her head and into the corner of the goal for a freak opening goal, Hill more than happy to take the acclaim for what may have in fact been a speculative punt. The City players were left wondering if this entertaining game would be decided by such a moment but the onslaught continued.
Williams and Ciocca clashed in the penalty area, Ciocca down for some time, and then Williams played in Smith, but the offside flag was up smartly.
A low-key moment then could have changed the game. There seemed to be little danger as Barton controlled a ball in defence. She dallied and was caught in possession by Tinney. The ball fell for Issy Saunders who was alert to the situation, and with Tredinnick out of position for a second, she fired towards goal, but the ball bounced just past the post. Instead, in the next attack Green did well to keep up with Crouch and poked the ball away for a corner. The corner was delivered right into the six-yard box, where Kociper was muscled out of the challenge and Barton swept the ball home for 2-0.
Green was kept busy on the Rangers’ right and Crouch delivered a sliding cross-shot soon after that flashed across goal with no takers for the finish.
There was only brief respite for City, Jackson striding through midfield to slide in Saunders on the left, but Tredinnick was there first. Rangers continued to press. Crouch got lucky down the right this time and managed to worm her way past Gerard on the byline. The cut-back was perfect for Williams, whose low shot was well saved by Kociper at the near post. Molly Jones was now on to give City even more headaches up the right and Gerard was forced into another corner as the heavyweight visitors pressed home the advantage. Polinsky played in Cooper-Durant who held the ball up well for Williams to fire wide.
Suddenly Reynolds found herself in possession in an advanced position and threaded a ball through for Saunders, but the reluctance to take on her defender led to the move breaking down. Rangers took advantage, and a simply brilliant move gave the scoreline a more polished look. Jones raced away down the right and delivered a sensational ball in for the on-rushing Williams, who smashed home from in front for the most devastating counter-attack goal seen at Landen Stadium this season.
At 3-0 down, Cuty continued to try and find a way through, Jackson’s flicked header finding Saunders, but she was crowded out as she tried to find space for the shot. Jones was running riot on the Mt Druitt right, and from another corner, the visitors completed the scoring, Cooper-Durant rising unopposed to head home with the Blacktown defence unable to keep the ball out. The four-goal scoreline was a little harsh on the hosts, especially after the first half showing, but the referee’s whistle brought the contest to a close and the green and gold powerhouse from Mt Druitt continued its march on NPL1.
This was a tough one to take for City, who have enjoyed a season of tight defence but low goalscoring. They will need to dust themselves off for the final home game of the season next weekend, with St George coming to Landen Stadium. A win is a must if Blacktown, now in a mini-league of 5th to 8th position, are going to yield a better finish than their current rung in the ladder. For Mt Druitt, only a suprise set of results will see them pip Hills United for the premiership, but with the club championship seemingly wrapped up, the visit of South Coast Flame next weekend should be merely a test of their NPL1 credentials.
Stay tuned as the Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s enters its final two rounds; the final two rounds ever of Under 20s football before the competition is restructured for 2025. See you next week.
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