Match of the Round
Woonona Sharks FC-0, Shellharbour City FC-2 @Ocean Park
Woonona dominated in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to turn the game around after Shellharbour’s goals in the first half.
Shellharbour kicked the game off with a goal by Tamara Koneski in the 9th minute.
She was a fox in the box as she volleyed a shot from a headed clearance by a defender attempting to steer the corner out of harm’s way.
City go a goal up.
In the 24th minute, Mia Riza won the ball in the corner and held off the Woonona defender.
She then passed it back to Emma Stretton, who took an ambitious long-range shot from the flank, but it was safely caught by the keeper.
Three minutes later, Woonona on the end attempted to level the game as Ava Harris slotted it through to Tess Stephens in the final third.
The winger could only get a snapshotted effort off, but it missed the close post by a small margin.
Riza had an opportunity to extend the scoreline in the 34th minute as she volleyed it first time from a corner by Kristina Janeska, but the volley went over the bar.
Shellharbour’s efforts for another goal are rewarded as Shayne Atkin receives a loose ball from a blocked shot by the defender.
The midfielder hit it first time from a tight angle and hit the crossbar.
The ball fell kindly into the path of Riza, who got her goal as she volleyed it over the keeper, who was trying to recover from the previous shot.
2-0 to City in the 35th minute.
Woonona had a flurry of chances as they controlled the tempo of the game in the second half.
Jessica Beale tried her luck to get one back for her home side.
She won the ball from a challenge and, without hesitation, unloaded a powerful effort at goal, but the keeper was ready for the shot and caught it.
There was a golden opportunity in the 61st minute for the Sharks.
Danielle Blackett found space in the box and shot first time from a cut back by Matilda Armitt, but Christina Werakso dived the right way to block it.
The game finished 2-0 for Shellharbour, another three points to increase their gap at the top.
Shellharbour hosts Shoalhaven at home, a battle between first and third place.
Woonona have an exciting fixture at home with a contest against Coniston, who only sit above them by a minuscule margin of one point in fourth place.
Everything is to play for in this upcoming match to remain in the top four fight.
Coniston FC-1, University of Wollongong-1 @JJ Kelly Park
A close encounter between the two teams as Coniston and University take a point each in the draw.
For almost the entire half, neither side could find the back of the net.
The half was at a close until Jessica Cruickshank had the answer with a strike in the 45th minute.
A goal which put Coniston at an advantage going into the break, while University are forced to the drawing board to turn the game around in the second half.
University needed a response, and that came in the 56th minute at the hands of Zahalia Middleton.
She found the equaliser for Wollongong.
All is even between the two sides.
Unfortunately, no other goal came from the home or the away side, and they had to instead settle for a draw.
Coniston have a must-win game away at Woonona; a point is the only thing separating the two teams.
As for University, they can get back to winning ways as they host Bulli in the next round.
Shoalhaven FC-3, Bulli FC-0 @Ison Park
Bulli almost caused trouble for Shoalhaven as they were held out until the second half.
Bulli made an effort in resisting Shoalhaven’s attacks as the away side managed to keep them out for the whole half.
What looked to be their second draw of the season was soon shattered in the second half.
In the 55th minute, Sami Wilkie caused heartbreak for Bulli with the forward breaking the lock of their defence to make it 1-0 for Shoalhaven.
Wilkie made no mistake in adding another to her tally as she bagged her second to make it a brace in the 61st minute.
The goal broke Bulli’s chances of finding an equaliser to stun the hosts.
Rachel Guess poked her goal in the dying embers to make it a third for the home side in the 88th minute.
Shoalhaven are tasked with the challenge of facing hosts, Shellharbour, in the next round.
For Bulli’s next game, they verse University of Wollongong away from home.
Their last encounter was a close game, which ended in a loss.
Bulli will hope to be successful in stunning their second-place opponent.
By Thomas Panayiotou
