Nepean FC 2 Blacktown City 1
The coldest night of the year in Penrith served up a classic between Nepean and Blacktown City to warm the fans as this twice-rescheduled fixture was finally resolved. Two first-half goals from the exciting talent of Lania Fili set up an intriguing second half where Blacktown struck back through Zoe Thompson but couldn’t find a second goal that their possession merited. A game played in good spirit on a slick surface in chilly conditions, this was a perfect advert for the Football NSW Girls Youth League 2 with skill and power all over the field.
The familiar Nepean backline of goalkeeper Samantha Callaghan behind the two central defenders Addisyn Ives and Abbey Cox would have their work cut out tonight with Bree Tinney recalled up front for Blacktown, but it was the home side that took advantage of the constant breeze in their favour to start the game off on the front foot. City goalkeeper Courtney Mackenzie was called upon twice in the early stages to race out and clear a through ball, and her team would find it hard to clear their lines. City did venture into the Nepean half, Emily Jackson racing down the left to win a corner off her defender, but when Rachel Fry’s corner was cleared, Nepean broke quickly through Tanishi Reddy and City were lucky that she ran out of space.
The lively Charkotte Miller then combined with Jezebel Yuletian, but Mackenzie was quick off her line to clear again, before Blacktown fashioned their first effort on goal, Thompson hassling her defender out of possession and Tinney firing in a shot from distance which was easily held by Callaghan. City continued to probe, a good move by Jackson and Aurelia Smith in midfield seeing Thompson released in a dangerous position, but she chose to pass instead of shoot and the chance was gone. Madeline Southers was running the show for Nepean in midfield, but City were still dangerous on the break. Thompson was hacked down on the left as she cut in; her short free kick was woefully short but the ball fell to Smith whose deflected effort was shepherded out for a corner by Lily Waterhouse to keep the pressure on. Alas, the corner into the danger zone by Fry didn’t find a head and Nepean survived.
An excellent team move by City with Waterhouse getting the ball to Lara Green on the left ended with a cross too close to the goalkeeper, while at the other end Courtney Kitching showed great composure when racing back with Yuletian to chest the ball calmly back to Mackenzie in the City goal. Smith then fed Fry and released Mikayla Gadd on the right, but her cross / shot was easy for Callaghan.
Nepean turned up the heat. Miller played in Southers who shot but Mackenzie was equal to it, and when Yuletian played in Claire O’Sullivan, she crashed to the ground, the sniper from the grassy knoll playing their part in preserving parity. City then conceded a corner, Jackson forgetting where she was for a moment when the ball was bouncing around, Southers taking advantage of a slip by Kitching in the box, but City survived.
A rare foray upfield for City eased the pressure, Smith to Thompson, but the ball back in for the marauding Smith was just out of reach. Kitching then showed her calmness again, heading back to Mackenzie under heavy pressure, but the game was set to change. First, Angelica Conate swept midfielder Fili off her feet in the box amidst heavy calls for a penalty. It looked a nailed-on spot-kick, but Nepean capitalised on the uncertainty, Fili picking up the ball and firing a bouncing shot goalwards. Mackenzie was right behind it, but as she thought about starting the counter-attack, the ball bounced at her feet, and trickled through into the net for a freakish opening goal. Muted celebration for the goalscorer, but it was a shot on target and it went in.
City were straight on the attack from the kick-off, Smith feeding Thomson, but her fierce shot was blocked, and Tinney picked up a ball outside the area and fired goalwards, but a deflection took the sting off the shot and the ball bounced harmleesly through to Callaghan.
We were treated to Fili’s trickery on the right touchline as she danced past a challenge with deft footwork, then Fili got around the back of the Blacktown defence to fire in a shot that was athletically tipped away by Mackenzie for a corner. Two successive corners were dealt with easily by the City defence and they counter-attacked, Green racing up the left before smashing the ball into Skye Haladus’ face from close range. The tough defender was up quickly. The drop-ball confusion that followed was comedy gold, but Nepean were back on the break soon after, Miller playing in Southers, the shot going wide.
The half ended with Nepean on the break. The City defence got in a mess, leaving Fili in space on the right side of the box, and her shot arrowed across Mackenzie’s goal, the City goalkeeper slow to dive at full stretch and the ball nestled inside the post for 2-0, the half time whistle sounding just as the game kicked off again.
City were shell-shocked, but still supremely confident of a turnaround, the persistent wind at their backs in the second half, and they started on the attack. Tinney turned her defender beautifully, but her whipped cross was just too far for Thompson. City then conceded a corner as the midfield was caught out, Smith down injured on the floor, Mackenzie fielding the ball well from the subsequent cross. Kitching was then caught in possession trying to wriggle out of a tight spot, but she was back quickly to mop up when Nepean threatened. Gadd then battled well on the left to win the ball and somehow won a corner, the ball taking a deflectiopn on halfway and rolling out over the goal line.
Fry’s corner was cleared only to Thompson who lifted the ball to the far post, Kitching unable to sort out her feet to control the cross and the ball bounced harmlessly away for a goal kick.
Yuletian then broke up the right, Conate with the vital interception to foil the Nepean attack, before Tinney won a duel on the right, Fry lifted in a great cross, but Green’s attempt on goal was totally miskicked. Hannah Sproule then caused panic in the City defence when she bundled through two tackles and advanced on goal, Kitching clearing up the danger, and the swift counter attack was foiled when the ball bounced through to Callaghan.
A fabulous move then had City a whisker away from a goal, Tinney riding a challenge and squeezing a pass through for Thompson, who laid a ball in for Green, but the speedy winger’s shot under heavy pressure was smothered by Callaghan as she raced from goal. This looked like being ‘one of those nights’, but City struck immediately after that, Green and Thompson battling to win the ball and releasing Thompson, who smashed the ball home past Callaghan for a lifeline for the visitors. Game on at Jamieson Park!
Green’s persistence won a throw on the left and City continued to badger their opponents, and Thompson’s throw saw Smith in a race with Cox, the tall defender standing her ground to win the goal kick as Smith tried her best to dig the ball out. Chloe Bowden then raced forward for City, almost connecting with a one-two from Thompson, but Nepean showed they were not done yet, Ives riding a crude challange by Tinney to play in O’Sullivan, but Mackenzie was out quickly to clear.
Thompson then chased a long hopeful ball up the left to win a throw-on against all odds and Tinney was shoved in the back to win a free kick on the right. The pressure was intensifying, but so was the frustration, Tinney finally booked after lashing out with a needless hack on her defender. The close-control and intricate passing from City was wonderful, Green bursting through to force a ball through for Tinney, whose turn was sublime, but the shot from Fry lacked power and Callaghan easily fielded. Thompson was played in by Tinney, but Callaghan did well to race out, a concerning injury to her defender holding up the game for a minute in the aftermath.
City had gone on the offensive to try and find the equaliser, but when Fili bounced over Kitching’s wild tackle, Conate had to race across and the cross was brilliantly cleared by Bowden. Fili was again taking control, but City continued to push the envelope. Sarah De Sousa was hurled to the ground to win a free kick on the right. Green then battled to win the ball and turned sweetly, firing in a powerful shot that Callaghan did well to smother at the second attempt.
A moment of inexperience then followed; Green was cramping up and, instead of heading off the field to be replaced with time running out, sat down to get the physio on, time ticking furiusly towards the ninety. Green was up after treatment, and immediately chased down a lost cause to win a corner. Despite warnings from the referee, De Sousa then pushed the goalkeeper as Jackson’s cross came in, and a good position was squandered, the penalty area packed with City players.
City were throwing everything at their opponents. Fry played in Smith who slipped a ball through for Jackson on the right. She left her defender for dead and fired in a shot that was well saved by Callaghan. The chance for Nepean to wrap up the three points was still there though with a minute remaining, Kitching bumped off the ball, but Yuletian couldn’t find a way past Mackenzie. City pressed to the end, Fry feeding Jackson, but the cross was flashed across goal with no takers. The game ended with De Sousa battling to win the ball, and the final whistle was met with relief from the Nepean players and despair from the visiting City contingent.
This had been a fantastic contest, and an exciting game to watch for the hardy souls who had braved the first wintry evening of 2025. A game that City goalkeeper Mackenzie may choose not to revisit for that moment of madness in the first half, but one that gave us a glimpse of Liana Fili and her outstanding close skills as Nepean went on to win the game 2-1.
The uncertainty surrounding the weekend fixtures has City wondering whether their trip to Nowra is likely to go ahead; South East Phoenix will be an intriguing fixture on a muddy grass field after a three-hour drive south. Nepean should continue their good early season form when they entertain Camden Tigers on Sunday, weather permitting. Make sure you check the fixtures before you head off to see a game on the weekend!
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