Camden Tigers 0 Blackown City 8
Blacktown City’s pre-season preparations took an interesting turn on Sunday when they went goal crazy at Ron Dine Memorial Reserve. Once Liliana Waterhouse had popped the cork midway through the first half, the goals flowed against Camden Tigers, Courtney Kitching, Sarah De Sousa and Dominique Ashton also on target before the break. Any chance of respite for the beleaguered home team in the second half was dashed when Zoe Thompson scored twice, and Lara Green and Waterhouse again added their own embellishments to the scoreline before the end. A gameplan that may have been better served during the season, City at least now know that they have goals in them with the GYL2 season just around the corner.
When the Camden Tigers huddle only had ten players, with shouts to the bench to get another player on, the signs were ominous. Goalkeeper Natalya Robertson and central defensive pairing Matea Saba and Charlotte Warner were in for a busy afternoon in the late summer sunshine, but they were relaxed and made it look easy early on. Robertson fielded a weak shot by Waterhouse, Evdokia Papafilopoulos was putting herself around in the challenge for City, but Camden looked comfortable.
A superb ball from midfield by Aurelia Smith for Rachel Fry to run on to was a sign of things to come. Emily Jackson then launched a long ball for De Sousa to sprint on to, but Robertson was quick off her line to deal with the danger. Mikayla Gadd and Waterhouse combined well up the right, but the impetus was interrupted when an injury stopped play on the Camden left. The Tigers took the initiative and sprung attacks up both wings, Alice Stephenson up the right and the lively Annabelle White on the left. That was only to be a brief break from the Blacktown attacks.
Jackson released Emilie Chandran on the burst up the left, and when she combined with Fry, the cross was good but dealt with well by Robertson. Gadd played in Waterhouse, but the ball ran away from her, and then Chandran embarked on a lung-busting run upfield, creating a shooting opportunity for Papafilopoulos but the ball flew past the post. De Sousa was having trouble measuring the through balls, and Camden attacked, Hayley Purkiss and Diana Maracic combining well with no end result.
Could City make the breakthrough with their domination of the possession stats? Jackson’s ball through for Chandran was exquisite, but the flag was up and the Blacktown players knew they had to be patient. Sure enough, when Thompson and Fry combined on the left, Thompson fired in a cross-shot that fell perfectly for Waterhouse, and despite calls for offside, the assistant referee waved play on and the City flyer finished well past Robertson to open the scoring.
Camden hit back immediately, Qynesha Riley bursting through on goal when the Blacktown defence coughed up possession, and it took a sensational tackle, Kitching launching herself out of nowhere, to block the shot and goalkeeper Courtney Mackenzie was relieved to see the ball out for only a corner. Jackson then advanced up the left and delivered a cross that was controlled by De Sousa, and with an intricate turn to wrong-foot her defender, she got the shot away, but Robertson pushed the ball away for a corner. Fry’s excellent corner hung in the air, the Camden defence was static as Kitching was the only player tracking its flight and her bullet header from close range at the far post nestled in the net for 2-0. City were now in command.
Thompson slipped a ball through for Smith, whose shot was in vain with the offside flag raised, and at the other end, Riley went on a searching run up the left, but was marshalled well. Blacktown pounced again, Gadd’s superb through ball sent De Sousa away for a one-on-one with Robertson, and despite getting a hand to the shot, the ball bounced into the net for 3-0.
The source of much of City’s attacks, Jackson then slipped in a glorious ball for De Sousa but Robertson was quick to clutch the dangerous cross and snuff out another chance. Camden then enjoyed a period of pressure, Purkiss raiding up the right but Chandran scrambled the ball away. A free kick from Stephenson caused alarm in the Blacktown penalty area, and White’s ball for Riley sent her clear, but the cross was blocked. De Sousa then raced up the right and delivered a tasty cross for the incoming Green, but the close-range effort was bundled away. Robertson then gifted the ball to Ashton, whose shot was blocked, and Jackson smashed the ball wide from the rebound.
Camden were consistently offside, such was the high line of the Blacktown defence, but Riley slipped away up the left and cut inside, but Olivia Sleap’s last-ditch tackle saved a certain goal. Green and Ava Carney were having their own battle royale on the City left as City ended the half strongly, Ashton racing away up the right hand touchline. When her cross was cleared, she picked up the rebound and tried again, the floated cross becoming a shot as it swirled in the air, and the hand of Robertson was in vain as the ball looped into the net for a freakish fourth goal. Ashton will tell us it was a shot, and if it was, it was a good finish.
Blacktown 4-0 up at the break, and dominating possession. Would the breeze have a factor in the second half and bring Camden back into the game?
No it wouldn’t. Thompson looked hungry as the second half started with Blacktown in attack, battling well on the left to win a ball, and then unlucky to see Ashton’s through ball find the hands of the out-rushing Robertson. When Green advanced out of defence, the Camden defence was caught flat and the precision through ball sent Thompson clear on goal. She still had a lot to do, but waited for Robertson to commit and went around the exposed goalkeeper to roll the ball ito the empty net for 5-0, an expert finish from a striker in form.
Eva Russell then appeared to pass the ball back to her goalkeeper who picked up the ball. De Sousa was convinced it was the true definition of a backpass and appealed, leaving a shoulder in on Russell and earning a ticking off from the referee for her over-exuberance. Green then teed up Jackson for an effort on goal, but the shot was just wide. Camden then found some possession at the other end, White battling well to win a corner, then Maracic and White combining, but Mackenzie plucked the ball out of the air to avert the danger.
Blacktown then fashioned almost a carbon copy of the fifth goal, Green coming out of defence with her head up, and when Thompson made the run, Green’s expert through-ball sent her away on goal, and she fired the ball low past Robertson with a first-time shot under pressure to bring the scoreline to 6-0. Stephenson then took out Papafilopoulos for a free kick on the left, but Jackson’s free-kick amounted to nothing and a good chance went begging. Green was then taken out by Maddison Mackenzie, the free kick played into the penalty area but the flag caught City offside. The series of free kicks continued when Gadd took down Purkiss on the Camden left, and Stephenson’s curled effort was not far past goalkeeper Mackenzie’s left hand post as she watched it wide.
Thompson controlled the ball dropping back in midfield and returned the favour to Green, racing up the left. She had a lot to do and, despite a suspicion of offside, outfoxed her defender to cut inside and drilled a low shot inside Robertson for an excellent goal, the score blowing out to 7-0 with no sign of City easing the pressure. Camden’s offsides in attack were frustrating, while at the other end, the Green / Thompon combination was beating the offside trap, this time Thompson firing just wide.
Charlotte Warner was forced into goal when Robertson limped off, and City attacked, Chandran out to Waterhouse and her long-range effort was brilliantly saved by the newly installed Warner. A shot from De Soua was then palmed wide. The corner from Fry caused an almighty scramble, but the ball fell to Waterhouse, who thrashed the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle to make it 8-0. Jackson squeezed a through-ball in for De Sousa who won a corner off Warner. Fry’s corner kick was palmed over for another corner from the other side, this time the ball met by Kitching with a thumping header that smacked off the crossbar in one of the game’s most thrilling moments.
Jackson then cut inside and stung the palms of the busy Warner, Papafilopoulos was played in by Fry but couldn’t beat Warner, and then Smith lined up a long-range shot when the corner was cleared, but the ball sailed wide of the post. Gadd then played a superb through ball for Papafilopoulos, but Warner was out in a flash to smother. City were finishing with a flourish, but the last word went to the home team, Purkiss getting a rare shot on goal with the last kick of the game, but the ball went past the post and the final whistle brought the game to its conclusion.
What did we learn today in this pre-season encounter? We definitley saw Thompson at her devastating best in front of goal, Kitching was dominant in the air all day and Jackson was the pivot in midfield whose vision was the source of much of the Blacktown attacking play. The final game of pre-season next weekend should present more of a test as City head to Majors Bay Reserve for a season-opener dress-rehearsal against Inter Lions. Will they go for the jugular again, or will this be a final chance to try new patterns ahead of the opening day at the beginning of March? Whatever the case, this season is shaping up to be exciting; from what we’ve seen in pre-season, there is quality across the park in the squad. Despite losing two players during the week as pre-season transfer market dealings took their toll, there is a sense of hope for a great season ahead. Let’s go City!
Thanks for reading. As always, any inaccuracies, let me know; it will be a strange week if we don’t find any!