Blacktown City 1 Marconi Stallions 0
The Football NSW Under 18 Girls Youth League 2 served up a thriller at Landen Stadium on a dreary Sunday in North West Sydney as Blacktown City’s rearguard action protected a goal of the season contender and the home side prevailed. A superb long-range strike from Emily Jackson midway through the first half, the culmination of a team move that swept from left to right, was perhaps against the run of play as the much-fancied Marconi put pressure on the City goal. A miracle second-half goal-line clearance from Mikayla Gadd was worth a goal in itself as the hosts defended stoutly, and the relief at the final whistle was palpable as the three points stayed in Blacktown and the home fans saw their first win of the season.
The on-off drizzle may have kept the majority of the crowd in the main stand and the umbrellas up elsewhere in the stadium, but conditions were perfect for football as the two teams stepped out on to the increasingly rubbery field for this round 4 clash. Marconi, who were so dominant in the pre-season fixture between these teams earlier this year, were full of confidence and it showed in their final warm-ups. The game though started with Blacktown City on the attack, Emilie Chandran freeing Sienna Bell on the left, and when Rachel Fry helped the cross in to Sarah De Sousa, the lively striker was unfortunate with the bounce and the miskick rolled harmlessly wide. At the other end, Dominique Ashton presented a ball straight to the Marconi striker but got away with it, and Bell was unceremoniously sliced down by Sofia Fragomelli, who was fortunate to escape the first yellow card of the game. Ashton’s free kick was whipped in to the near post, but goalkeeper Aesha Rosas saved well.
Marconi always posed a threat in attack, and when superstar Jaydaleah Browning slipped in Eden Babakian, Courtney Kitching had to move quickly over to concede a corner. City’s next chance was presented by the visitors, as Amber Mitchell’s backpass went under Rosas’ foot and was hacked away off the line, Jackson fighting for the ball and Aurelia Smith firing in a shot that was saved at the near post. Fry then flicked the ball over the last defender and with her goalkeeper stranded, Mary Palogiannidis swept the ball away from goal. The resulting corner saw Kitching connect on the volley at the near post, but the ball bounced wide.
A shaky moment at the back as City goalkeeper Courtney Mackenzie presented Browning with the ball from a scuffed clearance resulted in another corner which was well cleared again by the towering Kitching. Browning then played in Mitchell on the left for a run on goal, but Ashton did well to cover and Mackenzie saved well.
City raided down the left, Bell playing a neat ball in for Fry who forced the ball out right to Gadd who had joined the attack. The momentum seemingly lost, she turned the ball inside for Jackson who rode a challenge and advanced, teeing up a thumping shot from 25 yards. As soon as it left her foot, the crowd were off their feet as the shot sailed into the top right hand corner of Rosas’ goal, the Marconi custodian unable to get anywhere near it, Jackson wheeling away in delight and mobbed by her teammates to celebrate a superb goal. Rosas had fallen awkwardly and was helped away to be replaced by Shaina Ahani.
The home team had their tails up, looking good in possession, but Marconi had attacking options all over the field, and when Angelina Putrus played in Isabella Samo, Mackenzie was bravely out to smother at her feet, taking a heavy knock from the striker in the process. Good play by Lara Green at the other end saw fullback Gadd strike on goal, her shot sailing wide, but it was Marconi knocking on the door. A long ball into the corridor of uncertainty saw Mackenzie and Gadd leave the ball for each other, and Fragomelli had a clear shot on goal from the left but could only hit the side netting. Fragomelli was again through, played in by Lujain Gad, but again the shot was weak and Mackenzie made a comfortable save.
The game was in the balance. City attacked, Fry flicking the ball to Bell who won the corner as the home team eased the pressure. Putrus then fended off the challenge of Chandran after Mitchell had played her in on the right and Mackenzie got down well to save as a dangerous cross was fired in. The combination of Fry and Bell was paying dividends on the left, City with another corner, but there was no end product from the set pieces. Ahani was finally handed a bib when the referee realised that the substitute goalkeeper was in the exact colours of Blacktown City.
The half ended with a bizarre moment as the referee held the whistle in his mouth to blow for a foul by Smith. The free kick didn’t eventuate and the ball had broken in City’s favour, Fry realising and racing onto the ball down the left; her cross found Evdokia Papafilopoulos in a good position, but the bounce hit her hand and the chance was gone. City had ended the half in attack, and that was what they needed to do in the second half to keep the ball away from their own goal – this could be a siege in the second half.
Rosas was back between the posts in the second half as Marconi started with intent. City couldn’t get the ball away for more than five seconds, Gad wriggled to the byline to cross but it was too far, and was then played in past the final defender but again there was too much on the cross and the ball bounced away into touch. Elliana Englen was playing a safe game at left back, safety first the motto as Green kept the pressure on. Green flicked a ball over her defender and raced onto it, but ran out of space. Angelica Conate against Browning in midfield was an intriguing match-up, two terriers going at each other, and Green somehow escaped a yellow card when she hauled back Samo with a fistful of her shirt. Faith Bugeja was starting to dictate play for the visitors, as City were hemmed in with little to no attacking options to ease the pressure.
City finally got sight of goal when De Sousa played in Green on the right, who tucked the ball back in for De Sousa who in turn forced a corner. Ashton’s corner was close to the goal, catching out the Marconi defence who were pre-occupied with the players running in. De Sousa was there to challenge, Smith kept the ball alive, but Kitching’s effort was over the top, Marconi showing a little panic at the back, contrary to their otherwise calm and collected defensive play.
City almost undid their good work, Ashton’s heavy touch bringing the ball out of defence pounced on by Bugeja, but Mackenzie made a smart stop to force the ball behind for a corner. Browning came steaming in at the back post from the cross, the only player reading the flight of the ball, but her header was wide. Browning again won the ball in an advanced position as the home side buckled, Amelia Luke firing wide as the ball fell to her perfectly. The game was on a knife-edge.
The footballing gods shone down on City though when they got in a tangle at the back. A bouncing ball fell for Ashton to clear after Mackenzie had stretched for a cross, she drilled the ball into Kitching and the ball spun towards the empty goal. Time stood still for a second as the City players looked on in terror, but Gadd appeared from nowhere to slide the ball off the line for a miraculous clearance, the crowd on their feet at the game-changing moment. Gadd was soon in the action again, injured on the right, the referee stopping play and then forcing her off the field and refusing to let her back on.
Bronagh McKeown was having a superb game at right back for Marconi, keeping the City attack in check, and it was from one of her clearances that Georgia Arbolino and Gad combined, the shot saved by Mackenzie. Browning then teased the City defence, but after making space for the shot, the final effort was scuffed as the defence closed in. There appeared to be only one way this game was going, but Mackenzie and her defence stood firm.
City tried to play their way into attacking positions, De Sousa played in Liliana Waterhouse who showed good feet to win a corner, the pressure taken off the defence for a moment. There were cheers and olés from the travelling fans as Marconi stroked the ball around magnificently in midfield, the one-touch play lighting up a dull day, but again the City defence repelled the attack.
A cross from Waterhouse found De Sousa as City broke, and she managed to dig out a shot but with no power and the next wave of Marconi attacks could start. The Blacktown players looked out on their feet, and the game management started as they tried to run down the rest of the minutes to an unlikely victory. All of a sudden, Palogiannidis miscontrolled a long kick by Mackenzie and De Sousa was onto it in a flash. She raced towards goal, Palogiannidis in close attendance, finally making a strong tackle on the byline to clear the ball away. De Sousa had taken a knock in the process and was down, the referee allowed the physio on and De Sousa hobbled off in discomfort, the Marconi players incensed at what could have been seen as time-wasting. Marconi still had time though, and Ashton did well to force the ball behind for a corner.
There was a huge cheer as the dangerous corner was plucked out of the air by Mackenzie and the City faithful knew that the game was over. The referee brought an intriguing match to a close, and the Marconi players were distraught. Blacktown coach Michael Gadd was stoic as he congratulated his exhausted players, lauding their resilience in the face of an unrelenting onslaught.
This was a fantastic way to grab a first win of the season, a fighting display against a talented team who became increasingly agitated as the game went on. The second-half goal-line clearance from Mikayla Gadd and the first-half missile from Emily Jackson will be remembered fondly as Blacktown City went on to win for the first time in Under 18s. This moment in history could be the springboard for a good season ahead, get yourself to a game and enjoy top-quality youth football from the cream of New South Wales.
Thanks for reading. As always, any corrections to names are welcome, as is any like, share or comment on social media. Stay tuned for more exciting action next week as Blacktown City head to Nepean.