Blacktown City 2 Hills United 0
Runaway league leaders Hills United were given a taste of their own medicine on Sunday afternoon as Blacktown City became the first team to shut out the premiers-in-waiting in a deserved 2-0 win. A fabulous finish on the run from ace striker Zoe Thompson set City away in the first half, and they finished the job late in the second half as Evdokia Papafilopoulos calmly lobbed goalkeeper Harkeerat Bhari on the run. This was a game of missed opportunities and controversial moments, but the home team notched their fifth consecutive win to become the form team of the Football NSW Girls Youth League 2 Under 18s and blow the title race wide open.
A bright sunny day with a noticeable breeze greeted the teams at Landen Stadium, the depleted refereeing team announcing kick off 15 minutes later than the advertised time. Hills United had righted the ship after a rocky spell that saw them lose two games in a row and were coming into this one off the back of a handsome 7-0 win. Samara Chiert and Ava Ayres were the brick wall in defence, with Addison Xerri the playmaker in midfield alongside Sarah Burke. The returning Sienna Bell for City was a welcome sight, finally back in the side after a broken wrist, and she was straight into the action, harshly adjudged to have fouled her player as she chased a long ball. Hills looked sharp and precise with their passing, Makiah Bardsley slipping a ball up the right for Isabella Rodriguez to swing a cross in, Courtney Kitching leaving the ball for goalkeeper Courtney Mackenzie as the home fans’ hearts skipped a beat.
Lara Green cut in from left and advanced, threading a ball through for Bell, but the ball ran away. It was Hills with the bulk of possession as Burke slipped through a ball for Charlotte Mear on the right, but Kitching was across smartly. Mikayla Gadd raced away on the right for City as Bell played her in, but Ayres took out the City midfielder and earned a yellow card for the late tackle, giving the home team a moment’s respite from the frantic action. Kitching’s long free kick into the area saw Thompson react first, but she couldn’t connect and a good chance went begging. Bell’s all-action, full-blooded style was the X-Factor that City needed, and she raced onto a long clearance by Kitching, foiled by a meaty challenge from Rodriguez. City continued to probe, Thompson lifting a ball over for Lily Waterhouse, but the Hills defence was straight onto the danger.
A superb move by City then unlocked the watertight Hills defence, Kitching bursting from defence, laying the ball to Waterhouse, who played in Bell on the run, but the referee had a call to make without an assistant and signalled offside, when a defender was playing everyone onside. It was a tough call, and Hills looked to take advantage, Bardsley with a good run on the right to cross, but Courtney Mackenzie again showed good hands under pressure. City weren’t immune to errors at the back, Waterhouse giving the ball away to Bardsley, but Aurelia Smith reacted well to avert the danger; Gadd then coughed up possession and Kitching had to be alert to sacrifice the skin on her knees to slide in and clear. This was a team united with a clear goal.
A moment of hesitation in midfield saw Hills presented with space and time, but Mear’s shot was deflected wide for a corner. The corner half-cleared, the ball was picked up by Olivia Mackenzie who blazed over the bar. Hills looked the most likely team to break the deadlock, but the battling from City was infectious; Emilie Chandran made an important interception with a crunching challenge before Sydney Miller slid a ball through for Olivia Mackenzie, but the shot, when it came, was easy for Courtney Mackenzie in the City goal.
A moment of panic for Gadd on the right of the City defence then saw Keeva LeMaire advance into the empty space, but she shot wildly wide with Courtney Mackenzie exposed. Smith was then turned inside out by Xerri in midfield, who advanced on goal, but the shot bounced harmlessly wide. Bell again won a free kick with her trademark combative play, and when Dominique Ashton’s free kick was cleared, Smith lifted the ball over the defence looking for Thompson. Bhari was quick off her line, but out of her area, and she was forced to turn sharply, letting the ball run through her legs before pouncing on the loose ball in the penalty area, a moment of uncharacteristic panic from the Hills defence.
Hills wasted a good opportunity when Smith was adjudged to have pulled her player; the quick free kick was hit directly out of play with the Hills bench becoming impatient at the team’s lack of composure. Kitching advanced from defence with the ball, the Hills defence was high and Thompson made a darting run. Kitching’s simple ball was perfect for Thompson to run on to, the roar from the main stand carrying her through on goal, and she showed great composure to slot the ball past Bhari for an excellent opening goal before being enveloped by her delighted teammates. City had stunned the visitors, and they would need to weather a big storm to maintain the lead by half-time.
Olivia Mackenzie lifted a dangerous cross in from the right, City goalkeeper Courtney Mackenzie watching the ball out, before a talking point almost turned the game on its head. Hills appeared to have unlocked the City defence, Kitching beaten before Ashton intervened with a strong challenge from behind on Mear. The referee waved play on, the assistant though was flagging, and the initial thought of offside changed to a free-kick in Hills’ favour after a discussion between the officials. A free kick for a foul by the last player could have resulted in a red card, but City escaped, and the free kick was smashed over the wall and just over the bar by the exciting Xerri.
Mear then raced onto a high ball, Kitching trying the spectacular overhead kick to clear but missing, but the City defence swarmed all over the United striker and the danger was cleared. Hills then had their best chance of the game as Mear took it upon herself to unlock the City defence. She weaved past Smith, left Kitching in her wake, advanced on Courtney Mackenzie’s goal but somehow screwed the ball wide to the relief of the City defence. Xerri then played a glorious ball inside the defence for Olivia Mackenzie, who was held up momentarily by Chandran, the ball falling for Susannah Murray, but her shot sailed harmlessly over the bar. The first half action was over, City held a slender one-goal lead and we were teed up for a real battle in the second period.
The pace of the game was straight back to full speed from the whistle, Emily Jackson intercepting a ball in midfield to feed Thompson on the right, and the speculative first-time shot was well saved by Bhari. Murray burst up the left to win a corner off Ashton, and when the ball eventually fell for Miller, she skied the ball into the shrubs behind the City goal with a wild effort. Murray then swept a ball over for Olivia Mackenzie on the right but Chandran raced over to confront her opponent and snuffed out the move.
A cheap free kick on Green gave City the chance to regroup, Ashton firing in a long ball from the set piece to no avail, but the Hills defence was looking less composed than it had earlier in the game. Waterhouse raided up the right after good approach play by Gadd and Jackson, and Miller was mugged by Thompson, who advanced but her left-foot shot was scuffed wide. Hills were panicked. City then had a fantastic chance to make it two when Jackson split the defence for Thompson to gallop through, and she beat Bhari with the shot, but also the post, the ball bouncing just wide and the City striker left beating the ground in despair. That could prove a pivotal moment.
When Xerri played a ball over the defence, with Murray scampering after it, all eyes turned to the referee – after all the man in the middle had given an offside in a similar position in the first half, but this time he waved play on with the City defence confidently appealling. Murray advanced into the box, but Kitching somehow slid in and poked the ball away as she shaped to shoot, a tackle that was as risky as they come, but ultimately saved her team. Hills were starting to turn the screw. Bardsley raced through on the left to fire in a shot, Olivia Mackenzie got to the byline but couldn’t get a meaningful cross in, and the same player was ushered away from goal by Ashton as Hills pressured for an equaliser.
A superb win by Jackson in midfield saw her upended in midfield, the City players given a moment to compose themselves. Bell hurdled two challenges before a clearance was booted into her midriff, leaving her doubled over. Twenty minutes remained and City were hanging on at this stage. Mear showed clever feet to burst into the penalty area, but Angelica Conate was alert and cleared the danger for another Hills corner.
The hassling from City was second to none. Green hassled up the left to generate some momentum for the home side, and when Papafilopoulos hassled the last defender, Bhari was suddenly stranded with the ball dropping for Smith. The instant shot from 40 yards just didn’t have enough on it, and Bhari was relieved to catch the ball as she backpedalled toward goal. Bell kept the pressure on, racing up the right, but the second goal came from a route-one clearance from the back.
Kitching’s long clearance from defence saw Papafilopoulos scurry after the ball. The defence had left her all alone, Bhari elected not to come, but the ball was bouncing. Using her head to expertly cushion the ball into her stride, the ball sat up perfectly, and the City striker lifted it calmly over the advancing Bhari and just under the bar for a sensational second goal, the moment of silence as the ball sneaked under the bar leading into an excited roar as Papfilopoulos ran to receive the acclaim of her teammates.
LeMaire turned sweetly just outside the City penalty area but hooked her shot well wide. We were into the final five minutes and the City defence was just about holding out. Jackson diffused the situation, drawing a foul as she skipped around her player. Sammi-Lee Nassar then beat three players but City cleared, before Thompson chased down a goal kick, cut inside, but her shot didn’t trouble Bhari in the Hills goal. There was time for Smith to be caught out trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, but Waterhouse was there to hack the ball clear and the final whistle sounded, the City players embracing each other before graciously shaking the hands of the opposition players who had given them such a hard game today.
This was a statement victory for City; they had shown intense harrying and hassling in midfield, had displayed such composure when finishing the two goals, and the defence claimed another clean sheet to their name. The head of steam has now come to the boil, and with the added grit of midfield enforcer Sienna Bell, Blacktown City have made the rest of the league sit up and take notice.
City travel to Central Coast Mariners midweek for a State of Origin blockbuster at Pluim Park and the Mariners may have been installed as the favourites for the premiership after this result. The weekend game at Marconi Stadium will be more of a gauge of City’s progress this season, while Hills lick their wounds and face Camden Tigers on Sunday looking to return to winning ways. A marvellous day here at Landen Stadium today though, Blacktown City running out deserved winners against table-topping Hills United and maintaining their upward trajectory at a vital stage of the season.
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