Camden Tigers 1 Blacktown City 3
The Football NSW League One Women’s Under 20s season came to its conclusion at Ron Dine Memorial Reserve in Camden as Blacktown City secured a top-half finish on the final day. Brianna Tinney’s superb strike was cancelled out just before the break by Emilia Michalak’s close range finish to tee up an exciting second period. The contest was in the balance until City struck twice in two minutes, first Hayley Reynolds coolly slotting home on the break before Lucia Franulovic gave us a contender for goal of the season with a fabulous long-range shot and matching celebration. In truth, this occasion had a festival feel to it, a mid-table end-of-season encounter played on a difficult surface that produced few moments of class, and the City finishing brightened an otherwise grey afternoon in South West Sydney.
Perfect conditions for football greeted the two teams, the lush grass by the corner flags giving way to a barren wasteland in the centre of the park; mastery of the erratic bounce would be impossible. Blacktown signalled their intentions by foregoing the usual pump into the corner for the wingers to chase, and Issy Saunders tried her luck from halfway right from the kick off, goalkeeper Natalya Robertson fielding comfortably. City tried to play their usual brand of flowing football, but the surface was giving them challenges, Annabelle Gerard feeding Tinney, who cut inside, and Robertson made the save with her legs before grabbing the rebound.
Jess Harkin was then forced into conceding a corner on the Camden right, but the corner from Samantha Fulwood was straight into the side-netting. Soon after, wayward distribution from Blacktown goalkeeper Amy Harkin played Gerard into trouble and Michalak (E) fired wide. Harkin (J) and Harkin (A) had a moment of miscommunication as the shout was ignored, and City were struggling to get the ball away from danger.
When they did finally emerge with the ball, Niamh Nolan tried to split the defence with a through ball for Saunders, but the ball was just too strong and Robertson intercepted.
The danger continued from the home team, Michalak (E) again the danger on the right. Her cross was scrambled clear by Aurelia Smith and Matilda Post sent in an effort that Nicola Ciocca deflected behind for a corner. Michalak (E) then found space on the right to send in a telling cross; Thalia Caruana met the cross on the run at the far post but couldn’t force the ball home. City were being exposed and the Tigers were gaining confidence from the space they were creating.
Gerard turned her defender Montanna Taff who slipped to the floor, grabbing the ball on the way down; the referee was lenient and kept the yellow card in his pocket. Smith and Tinney combined on the right in a flowing move with Nolan, but again the final pass wasn’t finding its target.
Camden’s Felicity Hutchinson was causing all sorts of trouble on the right, and Post almost bundled through on a mazy run, but her shot was weak and easy for Harkin (A) in the City goal.
The opening goal was a piece of individual thinking from Tinney. She read a pass from Robertson and reached for the ball to intercept. Her ball in for Saunders on her left looked dangerous, but the City winger twisted and turned one time too many and her shot under pressure was blocked. The ball deflected perfectly though for Tinney, who smashed a low shot past Robertson for 1-0, the City players celebrating in relief at the sweeping finish.
Tinney then battled well to win a ball and almost played in Saunders again as City pressed, but Camden were persistent and continued to trouble their visitors, this time Katie Ayling played clean-through on the right; her low shot was brilliantly saved by Harkin (A) and when the follow-up fell for Post, she screwed the shot wide. The game was ebbing from end to end, and when Saunders won a corner on the break, her cross saw the heads go up, the ball drop for Sam Wickremeratne, and the midfielder hooked the ball over the bar from close range.
Post, Michalak (J) and Ayling combined brilliantly but Harkin (A) did well to block the shot, Smith seeing the ball out for another corner to the home side. When Ciocca raced across to deal with Michalak (E), she collapsed to the floor in agony, fears of a knee injury as play was stopped and the dominant City defender was assessed for damage. Unfortunately Ciocca was unable to continue, and in the next move, Smith was penalised for a non-existent handball and the dangerous Fulwood readied herself to swing in the free-kick from the left. Her looping cross-shot was pushed over acrobatically by Harkin (A) and the resulting corner to the far post wasn’t dealt with and Michalak (E) finished low past Harkin (A) at the second attempt to level the scores.
The half-time whistle saw a shell-shocked City trudge into the changing rooms with a lot of work to do to try and secure a final day victory. They had been outfought in midfield and Camden were becoming more and more adventurous; anything could happen from here.
Lily Thompson and Hutchinson collided at the beginning of the second half, as a scrappy passage of play gave no clues who would take the three points today. Smith’s tackle saw the ball squirm out to Reynolds, who raced to keep the ball in and her fizzing cross flashed across the face of the goal with no takers. Camden had a corner on the right, and cries for handball in the penalty area had arms raised. Midfield enforcer Sienna Bell then introduced herself to Michalak (J) with a crunching tackle, Isabella La Malfa’s free-kick wasted.
Saunders was lively for City, and she raced onto a long ball, for a one-on-one with Robertson, but Taff was quick and caught up with the Blacktown flyer to snuff out the danger. Michalak (E) then raced up the right to cross for Caruana, whose close-range shot was blocked by Harkin (A) and Lara Underwood had a glorious chance on the follow-up but Harkin (A) made a superb reflex save to keep the shot out. Michalak (E) then fired in a shot from the right that was struck with venom but straight at Harkin (A) as the home side turned the screw.
Tinney spun to shoot weakly at Robertson, and then Fulwood fired wide from long distance at the other end. Reynolds flattened Aqeelah Osmany and Thompson followed it up with a shove in the back right in front of the referee a minute later. Fulwood’s cross caused an almighty scramble at the far post, Post couldn’t force the ball home and Harkin (A) somehow fielded the ball with a crowd of players vying for the ball almost on the line.
Just when the home side looked to be putting their foot on the gas, City came up with a dellightful goal to blow the contest wide open. Good control from Tinney in the middle of the park saw her play a neat through-ball for Reynolds racing through centrally. A touch to control, the pacy striker unleashed a cracking shot past Robertson and into the net for 2-1 – we’ve been craving such ruthlessness all season, and Reynolds made it look easy with the cool finish and was clearly delighted to do so.
With their noses in front again, the best move of the match put the visitors in the driving seat. A superb dummy and turn by Saunders on the left saw her advance and play a beautiful ball for Reynolds to run on to. Robertson was quickly out to force the ball away, but Reynolds recovered the attack and fed Tinney. When the ball then bounced out for Franulovic, her eyes lit up and she unleashed a screaming shot, Robertson knowing she was beaten as it left her opponent’s foot, and the ball flew over the stranded Camden goalkeeper for a sensational third City goal. The celebration was something else too; you’ll have to ask the player herself, but it had the flavour of Olympic breakdancing.
The game wasn’t over though; Gerard copped a nasty bounce as last defender and the ball hit her hand; a free-kick on the edge of the area, Fulwood with the shot, but Harkin (A) made a good save, and the flag was up for the follow-up, Harkin (A) grabbing the ball before the striker could pounce.
Lara Green made a positive run with her first touch after coming on, racing down the left to deliver a dangerous cross. Tinney then combined with Reynolds to force a corner. The bouncing ball from the corner saw Reynolds battle well to win the header, and Tinney lobbed the ball goalwards, but it dropped wide of the post with Robertson scrambling.
Bell then played in Green down the left, and her whipped cross was dealt with by Robertson with Reynolds in attendance, before Bell teed up a shot, but didn’t catch it right and the ball ran through for an easy save. Camden continued to threaten up the right, Shae Paananen looking dangerous, but a relatively peaceful end to the game, as the threat of rain became more real, saw Bell tee up Tinney, whose shot was sliced wildly and almost fell for Reynolds to apply the finish.
The final whistle sounded to bring the game and the season to its end. City did not play to their potential today, but three valuable points combined with a heavy defeat for rivals Bankstown meant that it was Blacktown City that would take a top-half spot. A great reward for a solid season, where youth was the key, and we will never know what the Under 20s of 2025 could achieve, with the age group dissolved ahead of next season. Camden’s ninth-placed finish was more than respectable and they had given Blacktown quite a test here today.
It was all smiles as the players gathered for the post-game debrief, and a tinge of sadness as this group of talented girls disbands ahead of next season. Thanks for following the exploits of Blacktown City in the Football NSW League One Women’s in 2025, we hope to see you back here soon.
Many thanks for your readership. There is so much more football to come before the next Football NSW Leagues season. Stay tuned for Socceroos, Matildas, Australia Cup, Sydney FC men’s and women’s and everything in between as this part-time journalist and increasingly obsessed football photographer continues his love affair with the beautiful game.
Look out for the new book release in October right here, a fiction novel with a women’s football theme with plenty of inspiration from our Blacktown City girls. See you soon!