Sydney FC Women 1 Canberra United 2
The once mighty Sydney FC welcomed Canberra United to Leichhardt Oval on Sunday and went close to snatching something from the game even when reduced in numbers. A much-changed line-up battled to reach half-time at 1-1, Madison Ayson with a slo-mo header, before a silly red card for Kirsty Fenton reduced the Sky Blues to ten. Despite a spirited display and surviving a penalty, it was down to yet another ex-Sydney FC player, Mary Stanic-Floody, to give Canberra the precious winner with less than ten minutes to play and condemn the home team to a very familiar home defeat. Where to next for our girls in blue?
Club duties and a first pre-season hit out had us leaving quite late for this one, but such is the ease of getting to Leichhardt thanks to the new tunnel, we were at the Orange Grove Hotel before 4pm. Michelle headed in for a pre-game pint as I circled the main car park before opting for Le Montage car park, knowing that it was too late to make the journey back to the pub. So, instead, I had a walk around the stadium. Leichhardt Oval is one of a number of ovals in the area, and there was a rugby league game just finishing on the adjacent No. 2 oval right next to the aquatic centre, and there was a baseball game on the Glover Street oval. Plenty of parking around the back, note for next time to save the walk back up the hill.
Conditions were ideal for football, the rainy morning replaced by a warm overcast afternoon and Sydney FC had purpose and intent about their warm-up, a few changes having been made to the starting line-up. No place for superstar Willa Pearson, Riley Tanner on the bench too with Skye Halmarick. Claire Corbett was in for a start, the pacy Caley Tallon-Henniker on the left and the youthful Ruby Sullivan on the right in a 5-4-1-ish formation. Good to see rotation – after all, the season is a write-off and we look towards next season to get some more promising combinations happening.
Michelle arrived with super capo MMTV with 15 minutes to go, after fielding a few questions as to where the Cove was today. Truth is, the bulk of the crew was in Auckland for the men’s game, so this was set to be one of the leanest Coves for some time. MMTV was in fine form though, and there was no doubt that this would be a fun early evening making noise in support of our famous Sydney FC. The teams emerged to a slightly strained We Are Sydney; the home team must have won the toin coss as we were shooting away from the Cove in the first half, and the game got underway in a familiar pattern, Sydney trying to build out of midfield, but their opponents looking dangerous every time they got the ball.
There were only two minutes gone when the most A-League moment stopped play, the spinklers at the Cove end coming on to disrupt the Canberra flow. Whether or not this was pre-planned to prevent an early goal is open to debate, but the fact that the sprinklers stayed on for ages with no intervention from anyone suggested that this was in fact a classic Peak A-League moment. Would never happen in the men’s game. Sprinkler FC, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-der-der-der, sang the Cove until finally the taps were turned off. The referee checked the holes and we were back underway.
Heather Hinz made a flying save to push away a curling shot as Canberra continued to threaten, and direct attacking down the left gave Sydney headaches, Fenton deflecting a header just wide. We didn’t have to wait long for the opener, Sydney carved apart on the Canberra right, a cross not dealt with and Beth Gordon smashed home unmarked at the far post. For a five-man defence, that was particularly galling, but the Canberra players all doing forward rolls was lovely to see – a team with spirit and togetherness and a willing to celebrate together in a slightly unorthodox manner.
Sydney survived some hairy moments, the Cove trying their best to rally the rest of the crowd with a Come on you Girls in Blue with the main stand. The offside flag was catching Sydney out, but they got their goal eventually, from a free-kick on the right. Mackenzie Hawkesby floated the ball in, up went Ayson with the Canberra goalkeeper in all sorts of trouble, and the header trickled towards goal, the last-ditch attempt to clear only helping the ball over the line. Sydney scoring mid-chant, love it! This was a joyful moment, and tails were up. Canberra were all over Sydney though as the half drew to a close, Hinz making a smart stop from close range, and it was with relief that the half-time whistle sounded.
Pearson and Halmarick on at the break, this was a welcome set of changes, finally choosing not to wait until after half-time to make changes. Both players were immediately involved, Halmarick looking menacing and teeing up Jodi Ulkekl who fired just wide with a stinging effort. The visitors were racking up the possession though, and Michelle Heyman got into good positions but was held up well by the Sydney defence. The pressure was piling on, and when Heyman looked to have broken clean through, Kirsty Fenton’s impudent tug of the shirt sent the Matildas striker tumbling. There was litle doubt, even from our view from afar, that it was a red card offence, perhaps a little unnecessary with Heyman’s radar not fully on today, but it at least gave Sydney the opportunity to preserve their lead, the free kick smashed into the wall.
Down to ten, Sydney were industrious and still managed to come forward, Tanner able to find room on the left but she had no support, and when Halmarick did get away, she had no option other than to shoot from distance, the ball wide of the goal. It was no surprise though when Canberra did regain the lead, a cheap giveaway giving Stanic-Floody the opportunity to shoot with her right. That initial shot was blocked, but her subsequent left-foot effort went across Hinz and somehow bounced out of her grasp and into the net for 2-1.
Sydney kept probing, knowing that they still had a say in the game, but when another one that got away, Manly United’s Sienna Dale, raced trough and was upended by Hinz, a penalty was awarded. We couldn’t see if it was in or out of the box, the award of the penalty a little bit of a suprise, but when Stanic-Floody hit the penalty, the post came to Sydney’s rescue, Hinz at full stretch. That teed up a cracking finish to the game, Canberra pressing, but Tanner dribbling through midfield to keep Sydney interested. A fierce drive from Halmarick then had the Canberra keeper scrambling to touch it over, what a goal that would have been, but the sight of Tanner ambling to take the corner was frustrating to see. There were seconds remaining, and sure enough, when the corner was too deep, that was the last action, Sydney FC players doubled over in anguish at having battled so hard for no return in a tough second half.
The Sydney players were quick to come over to applaud the Cove and receive the love in return. This had been a much-improved showing, and the feedback from our capo was that we’ll be here for you, whatever the result, as long as the effort is there. The post-game mood was uplifting; there’s no time for unhappiness at a Sydney FC women’s home game, and walking out of the stadium, it was clear that the visitors had a large following of freinds and family, all handsomely rewarded for their journey.
We were back by 7:30pm, nice and quick on a Sunday night, disappointed but not dejected as we had been midweek. What can we take away from today? Plenty of positives; Madison Ayson given her chance at the back took it, Halmarick looks class when she gets the ball, Claire Corbett looks even younger in person than she does on the field, but she can definitely hold her own, and Riley Tanner showed the fans her rippling six-pack when she came to take a corner, her marauding run through midfield at the end giving the Sydney fans plenty of hope. Kirsty Fenton will perhaps rue that drag back on Michelle Heyman, with teammates perhaps able to put pressure on the Canberra striker, but fair play, she made the decision and she’ll have to sit out the next game.
No home games for a month now, with the Asian Cup coming up. Five games to go, will Sydney FC tease us all like last season with a late run of form to keep us guessing right til then end? Forza Sydney FC! See you all soon.