Walter Pless on Football

Women’s Intrastate Challenge Series

By Walter Pless

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Jill Couch showed her class by scoring both goals for North, who were level at 1-1 at the break and 2-2 midway through the second half.

A goal five minutes before the end settled the matter in South’s favour.

Emily Parker was excellent on the left for South and her runs down the wing were dangerous, while Bliss Cantrell netted twice in a fine performance.

South started strongly and Parker made a run down the left in the first minute, only to shoot straight at the goalkeeper.

North lost goalkeeper Amanda Newson after a mere 12 minutes when she sustained a blow to the back of the head.

South goalkeeper Chelsea Thomas had to be at her best in the 21^st minute when an error by Claire Farquhar allowed Krystine Jeffery and Chelsea Smith to fire in shots.

On the half-hour, Thomas could only parry Nao Fujimoto’s long-range shot and Couch blasted home the rebound to give North the lead.

Parker made it 1-1 in the 41^st minute after Cantrell’s shot hit the post.

South took the lead in the 56^th minute when Cantrell headed home Kath Prescott’s left-wing cross.

In the 65^th minute, South’s substitute goalkeeper Isoline Ottavi made a brilliant save as she tipped Smith’s clever lob over the bar after the North striker had broken through the home defence.

Smith took the corner and Crouch, stationed at the far post, nodded home to make it 2-2.

With five minutes remaining, Cantrell made the most of a defensive error to grab her second goal of the game and the winner for the home side.

The sides meet again next Saturday at Mitsubishi Park in Launceston.

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· South coach, Matthew Shaw, said:

“It was enjoyable and it was nice to see some goals and some good saves from both the keepers.

“Obviously, that probably means some of the defending got a bit lax at times, but it’s nice to see them knock the ball around.

“It would have been nice if we’d knocked it around a little more some of the time because we sometimes panicked and hoofed it forward to no great effect.

“But, it was fun and I think they enjoyed it. Hopefully, the people watching enjoyed it, too.”

· North coach, Jason Jones, said:

“I was really pleased with the contribution of the girls.

“They haven’t played together before and we haven’t been able to have a practice match the way the roster’s been scheduled.

“So, for them to come out and play the way that they did their first time together, I’m just really, really pleased.

“We ran short of fit players. We started with two players pulling out before the game so we didn’t have enough fresh legs and it really showed in the last ten minutes when they scored.

“I look forward to next week.”

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South: Thomas; Parker, L Jarman, K Presott, Cantrell, L Prescott, Jones, Saito, Manuela, Farquhar, Barnes.

(Subs: Ottavi, Hale, Clark, Gibbons, Dixon)

Booked: Farquhar

Goals: Parker 41, Cantrell 56, 85

North: Newson; Berger, Norton, Ayton, McCulloch, Smith, McGregin, Brazendale, Couch, Fujimoto, Goodwin.

(Subs: Jeffrey, Shatton, Crack, Jones, Rolfe)

Goals: Couch 30, 66

Att: 200

Ref: I Colhoun

By Walter Pless

Women’s State-wide Cup Final, KGV Park, Friday, 31 August 2007

Clarence United 1 (M Dixon 36)

Officials (l to r) Stephen Pitchford, Tom Humphries, Matthew Brooks, Jason Priest

Nelson Eastern Suburbs 3 (Hale 59, Dean 101, 102)

HT: 1-0 FT: 1-1 AET: 1-3 Att: 250 Ref: T Humprhries

Clarence United (1-3-4-2): T Joiner-Stewart - M Brighella - M Dabner, K Vienna-Hallam, M Nicholls - K Bolton, M Dixon, E Cripps, J McIntyre - H Dixon, K Enkelaar [Substitutes: J Jarvis, E Batt, S Clifford, E Van Chastelet] [Joint Coaches: R Bolton, A Baxter]

Nelson Eastern Suburbs (4-4-2): K Barker - N Hale, K Clark, L Barnes, A Belbin - S Morris, V Johnson, B Grant, E Longo - C Dean, A Jones [Substitutes: L Hooper, N Smith, A Underwood] [Joint Coaches: O Fitzgerald, G Slicer]

With a large moon rising in the east and rain occasionally pelting down, these two Eastern Shore sides fought out a cup final that really brought to life that old cliché about ‘the romance of cup football’.

On paper, Nelson Eastern Suburbs were hot favourites to win. They had beaten Clarence United 13-0 in their first league meeting, and Nelson had won the Summer Cup and the league. They are also in next weekend’s State premiership final against Launceston City in Launceston.

It was not until July that Clarence scored their first league goal, and they finished the season in second-last place. One could not have envisaged a more David and Goliath pairing than this final.

But, Clarence were a team transformed and they almost pulled off the sort of giant-killing feat that abounds in the annals of cup football.

Clarence were not outclassed. They led 1-0 at the break and were level at 1-1 after the regulation 90 minutes. It was only in extra-time that they ran out of legs and the physically stronger Nelson team gained the edge, despite being down to ten players after only an hour of the game.

Clarence prepare for a kick off

Nicole Hale, who started at right-back, but soon moved up into the attack, was sent off in the 59^th minute when she collected a second yellow card for celebrating her equalising goal. She pulled off her shirt and, clad only in a bra above the waist, ran towards the crowd while swinging her shirt above her head.

Hale had earlier been cautioned for standing over the ball at a Clarence free-kick. Her indiscipline in both instances was, fortunately for Nelson, not to cost them dearly.

Indeed, Nelson could, and probably should, have been down to nine players when Hale was sent off. After only five minutes of the match, goalkeeper Katelin Barker rolled the ball out into midfield for Lauren Barnes, but she was dispossessed by Marlugu Dixon.

Clarence goal scorer Marlugu Dixon - her two goals in the semi-final helped Clarence to reach the final

As Dixon set off for goal, Barnes, the last defender, pulled her back and conceded a free-kick just outside the box. Mr Humphries, surprisingly, did not even caution Barnes when he might easily have sent her off for the infringement.

Harkana Dixon’s free-kick came to nothing, however.

The statistics indicate Nelson’s superiority, but statistics do not tell the whole story.

They do not tell of the bravery of the Clarence side and their not inconsiderable skills.

The Dixon sisters were the equal of any players Nelson had, while goalkeeper Tess Joiner-Stewart was excellent and dealt superbly with many dangerous shots. It was a tragedy that her poor goal-kick in extra-time gifted Nelson their second goal, which ultimately turned the game in Nelson’s favour.

Jess McIntyre was splendid in midfield and her defending reliable. A real chip off the old block. Her father, Michael McIntyre, the former Metro and Juventus star, was in the stands watching and must have been well satisfied.

Nelson’s Vanessa Johnson was always dangerous with her shooting, especially from long range, while Barnes and captain Karen Clark made a formidable central defensive duo that proved almost impossible to break down.

Hale was always dangerous when she moved up to take over as a striker, and her header at the far post in the 8^th minute flew just wide. On the quarter-hour mark, she was put through by a diagonal pass from Johnson, only to shoot straight at the goalkeeper.

Clarence won their first corner of the match in the 36^th minute and it proved decisive. Harkana Dixon floated the ball over and Marlugu Dixon headed it home to give Clarence the lead.

Clarence Captain Emily Cripps receives her losers medal watch over by adoring Clarence fans

Hale equalised in the 59^th minute when she eluded the Clarence defence, got past the last defender and just managed to roll the ball agonisingly slowly towards goal. It beat Joiner-Stewart and hit the far right-hand post before crossing the line.

Joiner-Stewart made excellent saves to deny Belinda Grant and Johnson before the 90 minutes were up.

In the 4^th minute of extra-time, Clarence almost regained the lead when Harkana Dixon sent in a dangerous cross from the right and Barnes, in trying to clear, volleyed the ball against a post. The ball ricocheted to Marlugu Dixon, whose powerful shot flew straight into Barker’s arms.

Five minutes later, Clark pushed forward and fired just wide as Nelson increased the tempo of their attacks.

In the 101^st minute, a poor goal-kick by Joiner-Stewart went straight to Chrystal Dean, who advanced on goal and scored with a shot inside the far post to give Nelson a 2-1 lead.

Clarence’s Harkana & Marlugu Dixon

Within a minute it was 3-1 as Dean was released by a marvellous diagonal ball from the right of the Nelson defence and she raced through to easily beat Joiner-Stewart again.

Marlugu Dixon had another chance before the end, again from her sister’s corner, but she headed straight at the goalkeeper.

Nelson’s captain, Clark, paid tribute to the Clarence side as she hoisted the trophy, presented by Football Federation Tasmania president, Steve Gasparinatos.

“I’m very proud of them,” said Clarence United’s joint-coach, Ronnie Bolton, a former Hobart Olympic star.

“We’ve earned a lot of respect this year and I’m very proud of them.

“It’s very difficult to keep up with a team like Nelson and they’re the benchmark and have been for a number of years.

“Our girls tried, but to do it for ninety minutes is extremely difficult, and in extra-time is almost impossible.”

Nelson Eastern Suburbs joint-coach, Gary Slicer, was relieved to win.

There’s no bad moon rising for Nelson

“Yes, it was a relief after a first half in which the girls didn’t play too good at all,” said Slicer.

“Clarence came out, and, to give them credit, they really gave us a run for the money.

“Certainly a bit of a shaking in the dressing room at half-time.

“Losing a player and being down to ten wasn’t too good either.

“But, very relieved to win. The girls came out and did well in the second half.

“The second half, we came back, and in extra-time it really consolidated it for us and, from then on, they didn’t really worry us too much.

“Clarence didn’t give up right until the end, so they made us play.

“It was a very successful season for us. The Summer Cup, took the league out, and, of course, now the State-wide Cup.

“We’ve just got next week in Launceston for the State final, as well, against Launceston City.

“It’s been a great season for the girls.

Nelson Captain Karen Clark acknowledges and thanks Clarence

“We did very well against Launceston City the last time we came up against them and I think the girls will be really pumped up with this win.

“We’ll have a few tired legs, mind you, and a few of the girls are really aching, so we’ll give the girls a bit of a rest, have a look at what happens on Wednesday at training, and take it from there.”

Clarence United striker, Harkana Dixon, said: “We held them off pretty well as we’re near the bottom of the ladder.”

Harkana and her sister, Marlugu Dixon, worked well together and their corner combinations were a threat to Nelson.

“Too bad our second corner routine didn’t work,” said Marlugu. “We work pretty well together.

“We sort of try and work together. I know her game really well and we try and work together and help out the team.”

CLARENCE		NELSON
6	Goal Attempts	30
4	Shots on Target	16
3	Corners	13
7	Fouls Committed	9
1	Off-Sides	3
1 (M Dixon 76)	Yellow Cards	5 (Hale 40, 59, Jones 44, Belbin 58, Johnson 62)
0	Red Cards	1 (Hale 59)

 

Clarence United:

Clarence coaches Ronnie Bolton & Andy Baxter

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
H Dixon	1	0
M Dixon	4	3
McIntyre	1	1

 

Nelson Eastern Suburbs:

Nelson coach Ossie Fitzgerald and assistant Gary Slicer

 

 

PLAYER	GOAL ATTEMPTS	SHOTS ON TARGET
Jones	2	1
Hale	3	2
Johnson	5	3
Morris	2	1
Grant	2	1
Underwood	4	2
Clark	3	2
Longo	3	0
Barnes	2	1
Dean	3	2
Hooper	1	1

City keeper clears

By Walter Pless

New Town Eagles stole the scoring honours in the Women’s State-wide Cup played on Sunday with a 9-1 thrashing of Glenorchy Knights.

City attack thwarted

Northern Rangers were close behind after downing Taroona 7-1 in Launceston.

University comfortably disposed of Beachside 4-0.

South Hobart travelled to the North-West Coast and came home with a 5-0 victory over Devonport City.

City clearance cannons into a team mate

Kelly Konings netted twice for South, with Amy Whitney, Jessica Manuela and Stefanie Bishop-Hall grabbing a goal apiece.

At KGV Park, the visiting Launceston City downed Tilford Zebras 4-2 after leading 3-1 at the interval.

City’s Chelsea Smith netted a hat trick

City’s Kailee Goodwin was carried off on a stretcher in the first half after colliding with Zebras goalkeeper Isolina Ottavi.

City’s Chelsea Smith on the attack

The visitors almost took an early lead when Chelsea Smith’s corner from the left looked goal-bound, but a Zebras defender blocked the ball on the line and cleared.

Concerned players from both teams surround the injured Kailee Goodwin

Smith and Jill Crouch were worrying the home defence with their speed, mobility and technical ability and it was no surprise when Smith gave the northerners the lead with a powerful shot.

Zebras defender clears from the City attacker

Smith netted again to make it 2-0 and then completed her hat-trick.

Linsey Da Costa scored City’s fourth, while Abbie Williams and Cherri Ryan were the Zebras’ scorers.

City’s Nao Fujimoto shields the ball from her Zebras opponent

Nelson 3 South Hobart 0 [Women’s Premier League Section Summer Cup Final, KGV Park, Saturday, 24 March 2007]

By Walter Pless

Nelson, without the talented Trena Youngbluut, were on their way to an easy victory after a mere two minutes when Amelia Jones took advantage of a hesitant South Hobart defence to score.

Shelly Cook made it 2-0 with a penalty and that was the score at the break.

A header by Belinda Grant in the second half completed the victory and earned Nelson yet another piece of silverware.

Nelson: Barker, Jones, Grant, Belbin, Parker, Clark, Johnson, Morris, Barnes, Cook, Gower.

Interchange: Hale, Hooper, Dean, Underwood

Goals: Jones 2, Cook 26 pen, Grant 56

South Hobart: Grueber, J Manuela, Farquhar, D Raymond, Konings, Cupit, Gibbons, Husari, Thompson, Collet, H Manuela.

Interchange: Y Mohamad, Murray, B Raymond, S Mohamad

Referee: R McCarthy

Assistants: S Wardrope, T Barnett (4th Official: S Hodson)

Attendance: 300

The victorious Nelson squad

Runners-up South Hobart

Officials, Shirley Wardrope, Robyn McCarthy, Sara Hodson & Teegan Barnett