An action packed round two of the Julie Porter Cup kicked off on Sunday afternoon at Balls Paddock.
In what were two intense matches, it was Shellharbour who grabbed the points in Pool B with a 2-0 victory over Bulli.
The following Pool A afternoon match saw a well composed Woonona Sharks defeat Thirroul 6-2.
Bulli FC vs. Shellharbour JFC
The opening match for the day saw a strong Shellharbour side defeat Bulli 2-0 at Balls Paddock on Sunday afternoon.
The first half saw a real battle of the midfield, with Bulli dominating majority field possession.
In the 20th minute, Shellharbour would soon get into gear creating several attacking chances, which would later see Shante Lenartowicz being brought down in the box.
Annie Schweitzer stepped up and converted the penalty, securing Shellharbour a 1-0 lead heading into the half-time break.
A fired-up Shellharbour side came out into the second half and a quickly taken free-kick in the Shellharbour half saw Lenartowicz break through the defence, before her shot flew into the bottom corner, setting the score at 2-0 in the 46th minute.
Both sides would continue creating attacking chances, but there were no more goals scored for the remainder of the match.
In what was a well fought battle, it was Shellharbour who went away with a 2-0 victory over Bulli.
Thirroul JFC vs. Woonona Sharks JFC
In what was seen as a goal scoring clinic, the afternoon match for Pool A saw a dominant Woonona Sharks side defeat Thirroul 6-2.
The first goal came in the 26th minute with a fast-paced Jessica Beale beating her defenders before slotting the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead over Thirroul.
Two precise crosses from out wide and into the center of the box saw a double from Sinead Bailey in the 38th and 41st minute, setting the scores at 3-0 just minutes before the break.
The fourth goal for Woonona came at the 63rd minute when an immaculate ball from Bailey was sent over the top and into the center of the box, where an unmarked Nikita Woods would effortlessly score her first goal for the day.
Thirroul would have multiple chances, but it was an unstoppable Bailey who would soon find herself a hat-trick after a neat strike was sent into the back of the net in the 82nd minute.
Just one minute later, a patient Thirroul side found their rhythm with Mila Gehrke sending a low through ball into the feet of Asha Meusburger who would soon break past a one-on-one with her defender, before placing the ball into the back of the net for Thirroul’s first goal for the day.
An instant reaction from the Sharks saw Emily Franklin score their sixth goal from a powerful strike just inside the 18-yard box in the 84th minute of the match.
The Pool A fixture wasn’t over just yet, with a late goal from Thirroul’s Kristen Ward who received a clearance ball and flew through the middle of the park before perfectly placing her shot into the back of the net to set the score at 6-2 in the 90th minute.
A lot of effort was given from the Thirroul side, but an extremely strong Sharks side would take home the 6-2 victory.
Next Sunday, round three of the Julie Porter Cup will take place at Myimbarr Park where we will see Woonona take on Albion Park White Eagles in Pool A, and Shellharbour take on University of Wollongong in Pool B.
Report | Alison Dinh
Photos | Richie Wagner
