Camden Tigers 0 Blacktown City 4
Blacktown City’s return to form continued on Sunday in Sydney’s South West when a battling Camden Tigers were soundly beaten in the Football NSW Girls Youth League 2 Under 18s. Another captain’s goal for Courtney Kitching from a set piece was followed by an Olimpico from Zoe Thompson as Blacktown recovered from a sluggish start. Goals from Aurelia Smith and Rachel Fry added gloss to the scoreline in the second half as the game went up a notch, the teams trading yellow cards as the occasion became heated, and City now move into the top half of the table as we enter the second round of matches for the season.
This was the game that no one expected to go ahead after torrential rain midweek, but a sunny weekend allowed the two teams to take advantage of perfect footballing conditions at Carbiz Stadium. A slight delay to proceedings saw the game kick off a little late and City’s low energy pre-game warm-up continued into the first five minutes where they found themselves under pressure. Stefanie Hristovski broke free in the City penalty area but Angelica Conate was there in an instant to clear the danger. An early moment of controversy then saw Blacktown goalkeeper Courtney Mackenzie race out of her goal to clear, only to be caught with a late challenge. Incredibly the referee awarded a free kick to Camden after the players had recovered from the meaty collision, an interpretation that could have resulted in a unjustified red card if the letter of the law was strictly applied and the City defenders were non-plussed.
Lara Underwood took the free kick and bounced the ball off the bar as the City defenders looked at each other wide-eyed. Smith took the game by the scruff of the neck and intercepted a pass high up the field, bundling through two players and striding on to strike a low shot past goalkeeper Natalya Robertson but against the base of the post. Moments later the busy midfielder was at it again, bursting forward to strike a shot low to Robertson’s right, and the Camden goakeeper got down well to push the ball around the post for a corner. Thompson delivered the perfect corner from the left and Kitching was allowed the freedom of the six-yard box to poke home on the half-volley for 1-0.
Lily Waterhouse was fouled on the left as she threatened to break, Robertson throwing the ball away in contempt, and Kitching’s long-range effort bounced just wide. More enterprise from Smith freed Lara Green, who won a corner on the right, Thompson this time unable to clear the first defender and the Tigers cleared. An untimely slip by Emilie Chandran then gave Hristovski a run on goal, but Kitching was swiftly on the scene to clear.
Camden’s frequent substitutions were keeping them fresh, and Underwood fired well wide under pressure from Smith. Blacktown looked dangerous on the break, and when Thompson released Green up the right, the pacy winger smashed in a shot that was rising all the way over the bar. Thompson then fed Waterhouse, whose snapshot lacked power, and Myah Colyer’s handball on the Blacktown right gave Kitching another sighter on goal. This time her lofted effort was right into the sun for Robertson, who lost the flight of the ball but watched as the ball bounced harmlessly wide.
Evdokia Papafilopoulos battled well to create a chance, Robertson racing out of her area to clear, but the ball fell to Emily Jackson, who sent the ball back towards goal, only to be hacked away by the last defender. Thompson picked up the ball again and fired goalwards, the ball hitting the same post; City were at least creating chances. At the other end Annabelle White was causing havoc, Conate having her work cut out to contain the livewire attacker.
Persistence from Waterhouse up the left saw her find Smith bursting from midfield, and the pass set Green away again on the right. The shot was again still rising as it cleared the cross bar, another chance coming and going. White then took on Kitching on the Tigers’ left and cut inside, but the offside flag was up before she could get the shot in. Kitching was forced to play a dangerous ball across the face of her own goal to get out of trouble as Camden looked for the equaliser.
Thompson assumed free-kick duties on the right this time and Kitching challenged with Robertson in the Camden goal. The ball spilled to Waterhouse on the byline, who tricked her way around her defender and fired in a low cross that went under Robertson and across the empty goal with no takers to finish the chance. Another free kick for a silly shove then gave Thompson an opportunity to test Robertson, a thumping effort spectacularly tipped onto the bar and away by the Camden shot-stopper in a heart-stopping moment. Thompson wasn’t to be denied though, and it was her in-swinging corner that caught out the Camden defence and nestled inside the far post for a Kyra Cooney-Cross special. There was only muted celebration, the crowd not knowing what had happened, but the score was now 2-0 and City were in control.
Rachel Fry was denied by Robertson, who raced from her goal to slide the ball away, before Thompson and Green combined to feed Smith on the edge of the six-yard box, but the shot was well wide. Another searching run by Green on the right then saw her play in Thompson, who cut inside, but her shot went harmlessly wide of the post. City 2-0 to the good at half time and surely looking to increase that margin in the second half.
Camden Tigers kept the referee and Blacktown City waiting, and City were straight on the attack, Green winning a corner and Thompson firing in a shot when the ball was half-cleared. Thompson’s corner then struck the post, but the ball had already gone out, the third time she had hit the woodwork already. Good play by Smith set Green away again on the right, and the cross found Jackson, who shot wide.
An inoccuous collision between Kitching and White led to a free kick to Camden Tigers, the City defenders remonstrating with the referee over the decision. Mackenzie was grateful for a touch of the ball as the shot sailed into her arms. Hayley Purkiss and Diana Maracic combined for the home side, Maracic beating Kitching, but she couldn’t get around Conate.
A splendid ball by Smith sent Fry away on the left, but the final ball towards Thompson asked a little too much and Robertson was able to clear. Moments later Waterhouse played in Thompson over the top and Robertson was forced to race out of goal again to clear. This time the ball fell to Smith, some 35 yards out, and she kept her composure to place her curling shot over the stranded goalkeeper and into the empty net for 3-0.
Waterhouse again was the orchestrator, playing a ball over for Green; the ball sat up nicely and Green caught the half-volley well but the shot was wide of the goal. Underwood then cut inside on the Camden left and shot, Mackenzie right behind it, as the home team threatened.
A glorious move on the right saw Mikayla Gadd’s clever throw-in find Thompson, and her cross was met first-time by Sarah De Sousa, but the ball screwed wide of the post. Camden then had a period of sustained pressure. Elaine Panayotopoulos forced a corner from Kitching who was visibly frustrated at the referee’s call, and when Underwood swung in the corner, Panayotopoulos went with the unorthodox and hooked an overhead kick well wide of goal.
The fourth City goal was simple and devastatingly effective. Kitching delivered a long ball for Fry. She took an awkward first touch, but then finished coolly with her second, clipping the ball over Robertson for a classy goal to make it 4-0. A slightly underhit backpass from the returning Dominique Ashton caught Mackenzie by surprise and she had to be brave to keep her clean sheet. Panayotopolous then lunged in needlessly on Mackenzie to earn a yellow card, which was followed almost instantaneously by a yellow card for Thompson for a contemptuous shove on her defender as the game threatened to boil over. Jackson and Colyer got into a shoving match, the referee having to intervene to stop a minor skirmish escalating.
A missed handball then had City incensed again, the referee somehow choosing to award a free kick to Camden, and then De Sousa was shoved in the back to earn a free kick to City 25 yards from goal. Colyer was down though, struggling for breath and the game was paused as the dynamic midfielder looked in some discomfort. When play resumed, Jackson’s shot was spilled by Robertson, but she grabbed the rebound before De Sousa could inflict further damage.
Gadd won a corner on the right, Thompson swung the corner in and Robertson did well to punch the ball clear uncer heavy pressure. There was a comedy slip by Chandran that threatened to open the door for Camden, before we saw another contenious moment, Kitching shepherding the ball out for a throw-in, her opponent hitting the floor and the throw-in being awarded to the home team.
A long ball by Jackson then set away Green on the right, who slipped past her player and fired in a shot that was well saved by Robertson in the Camden goal. The resulting corner was lifted in by Ashton, and Papfilopoulos hooked an effort towards goal, but the ball bounced wide. Green was down cramping as the game drew to a close, and the final whistle saw an entertaining game conclude, the visitors running out deserved winners, but not having it all their own way.
Three points, four goals and a clean sheet. This was not a vintage performance from Blacktown City, but it was enough to grab the points and keep the upward impetus going.
City entertain a fast-improving Inter Lions next weekend as the action returns to Landen Stadium, while Camden entertain Marconi Stallions looking to kick start their faltering season against a team only two points ahead of them on the ladder. Half a season has gone, and we now begin to see the ladder shape up, a surprise dip in form by Hills United opening the door for Central Coast Mariners to close the gap at the top, with three other teams on their tails. See you next week.
Thank you for reading. If you see a mistake, let me know and it will be changed. Strange set of photos today, an off-day with the camera on a day of glare; normal service hopefully resuming next weekend!