Sydney FC 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 0
The Sky Blue half of Sydney got their reward on Saturday, a late goal from Caley Tallon-Henniker clinching a precious three points in a game that could have easily ended like the first two A-League games of this watershed season. Both teams toiled in the sunny conditions, a peculiar non-award of a penalty for the home side in the first half provoked more dismay for the lively Cove when a similar challenge was awarded as a free kick to the visitors only a moment later. The longer the game went on, the less likely a win for either side would be. A moment of calm though from Shay Hollman saw Tallon-Henniker smash home the winner with ten minutes to go, and despite never looking comfortable, Sydney FC’s players punched the air in delight when the final whistle sounded. Improvement, definitely, but we’ve obviously been spoilt these last few years. This was still way off what we should be expecting.
A late start to the day had us arriving at the one and only pre-game option, the Orange Grove Hotel, around 12:30pm in time for a quick bite and some suitable refreshment ahead of 90 minutes of singing. Our new women’s Cove shirts picked up from distributor MMTV, we were looking the part, and the short walk to Leichhardt Oval through familiar streets had us in the stadium with ten minutes to spare. Hopes of beating the record crowd and pulling in a 5k attendance today looked unlikely, but there were still a lot of people converging on the stadium for this early Saturday afternoon kick off.
We Are Sydney was belted out as the players lined up, continuing as always until well into the game. Our super capo and drum maestro meant business, and our open-air position in the spiritual Sydney FC corner presented a challenge to be heard. Challenge accepted, and the pocket of loyal Sydney fans was loud. Much louder than their counterparts from Western Sydney, who had not even bothered to show up. We’d lost the toss and the irksome Wanderers had turned us around to avoid our Cove being the second-half X-factor.
On the field there was youth in abundance. Maddy Caspers and Indiana Dos Santos looked like ageing veterans though, up against future Matildas captain Talia Younis of the Wanderers, making everyone feel old when they learned that she had just turned 16 last month. This was a tussle from the start. Mackenzie Hawkesby’s inswinging corner almost caught out the visitors before Princess Ibini hooked the ball high and over. Dos Santos wriggled into the area, showing Maxi Burgess skills, and was upended. Penalty for sure, but play continued, not even a free kick if it was slightly outside the area. Younis then raced to the byline and hooked an amazing cross all the way to the far post where Paige Hayward caught the ball on the volley. From our position at the other end of the field it looked nailed on a goal, but the ball went past the post to the relief of the Sky Blue faithful. This wasn’t going too well.
The Wanderers’ keeper was busy as Caspers fired one in, then Shea Connors nearly scored the goal of the century, turning her defender before screwing the shot so wide that it almost hit the corner flag. Hawkesby then thrashed in a shot that was saved, Connors unable to turn in the bouncing ball, and the Wanderers goal was living a charmed life. There was a mass exodus of the hill once the beaming sun had cleared the clouds, about half the hill disappearing into the shade of the main stand. The Cove sang relentlessly, but the goal wouldn’t come and 0-0 at half time was about right.
The second half opened with the Cove urging their heroes to ‘score a goal’, but it wasn’t looking likely. Matildas star Sophie Harding was looking dangerous, and the Sydney defence was having trouble tracking her dangerous runs as Wanderers tried to catch them on the break. Edwards was nervous from long range efforts, and the game was looking like a goalless draw, or worse, every Wanderers attack causing angst. Captain Nat Tobin had to show no-nonsense defending to concede a corner, and we had Dos Santos to thank for clearing the ball at the far post as Wanderers started to wind up to a grandstand finish.
With ten minute remaining, a corner from Hawkesby was headed goalwards by solid defender Jordan Thompson, but the ball was headed off the line. A glimmer of hope. Ibini and Hawkesby then combined, the ball falling to Hollman who spotted Tallon-Henniker in space on the right. From our spot at pitch level at the other end, we couldn’t tell how far out she was, but she struck a first-time shot that seared into the net past the unlucky Wanderers keeper. Get in! There was relief all round, and it was unexpected. There was still quite a way to go, but the home team did well to keep the visitors at bay. A shot was deflected high in he air, and Edwards back-pedalled to see it onto the roof of the net. The final whistle was welcome, the points had been secured, the Sydney derby had gone the way of the good guys.
The players came across to the Cove as a group for the linked-hands cheering for the victory. We had a swift Super Sydney FC chant, joined in by the whole squad, and then our captain commandeered the megaphone and led the Cove, and the whole stadium, in a Come On You Girls In Blue. Magnificent stuff. This was what a home game was all about, 90 minutes of singing from the faithful to be rewarded with genuine interaction from the players. There is genuine rapport being built. There was extended player signing and chit-chat between fans, player families and friends; no one was eager to shoo the fans out, this could have gone on forever, but the players eventually made their own way down the tunnel to savour the win together in the depths of the Leichhardt Stadium main stand.
Time to leave, and being an early game, there were plenty of options. Despite not knowing whether tickets included public transport, we bussed it along to Balmain and hung out in a funky Mexican bar before calling time as dinner called. The post-game thoughts were of a much-improved urgency from our Sky Blue champions, Shea Connors ran her socks off, Maddy Caspers seemed to have a lot more purpose to her play, although on the flip-side there was concern at how Mackenzie Hawkesby was muscled out of the ball on more than one occasion, and for all of Dos Santos’ impressive trickery, her lack of pace was telling when challenging for the ball. A clean sheet for Bri Edwards will do her the world of good, and we’re convinced that there is more to come from this team that bursts with potential. Today Sydney FC had to work for the win, the two teams were worryingly well-matched; we’ll have to be so much better when we come up against any of the Melbourne teams, and that starts with next week in Unite Round. See you there! Forza Sydney FC! Come and join the fun in the Cove!