Young Matildas get the job done early, and edge closer to the World Cup

By Kieran Yap 7/3/24

Above: The Australian U20’s. Photo: Tiff Williams/Football Australia

Australia sit on top of group A after beating a determined and defensive Uzbekistan

The Young Matildas have won their second group game in the Under 20 Asian Cup with a 2-0 result against Uzbekistan. First half goals to Daniela Galic and Peta Trimis were enough to see them end the day at the top of the table and in prime position to qualify for the World Cup.

Conditions looked far more favourable than the first game, after grinding out an admirable win against South Korea in inches of snow, Australia faced the tournament hosts. A win would all but guarantee progression to the next rounds and Leah Blayney put out a starting XI that would likely beat most full strength A-League Women sides. Lara Gooch and Alana Murphy came into the lineup after impressing off the bench in game one. Murphy partnered Shay Hollman in the middle of the park with Galic sitting further ahead.

Australia dominated the early exchanges and with Trimis and captain Jessika Nash creating space on the right flank to dangerous effect. Trimis’s darting movement and combination passing opened up the deep-sitting Uzbekistan defence and her incisive pass found the feet of Galic in a crowded penalty area. The Australia number 10 turned smoothly on the ball and produced a trademark shuffle of her feet to make room for the shot and left the keeper with no chance. Five minutes had passed.

Galic was a menace throughout. She would drop deep or shift wide for most of the match in an effort to test the packed defence. Whenever she was facing goal she looked dangerous and the team was set up to make that happen as often as possible. Trimis was also proving a difficult player to contain. Her ability to cut into midfield from the flank opens up space for the attackers ahead of her and the overlapping fullback outside. In the absence of injured Under 20 star Emilia Murray, her emergence at this level has been very important.

The Central Coast youngster scored her second goal of the tournament with a cooly taken finish in the 38th minute. She brushed off the last defender, cut across the box to open up the angle and slotted it past the Uzbekistan goalkeeper. Once again her movement matched her pace, and her composure looked beyond her years.

Despite chasing the game and needing a result, Uzbekistan still sat back. At the time of playing, they could still theoretically advance in the tournament with a win against South Korea on Saturday, and looked to be in damage control as they faced wave after wave of Australian attack. Hollman was dominant in the centre of the pitch, and between cutting off counter attacks and moving the ball forward herself she earned Player of The Match plaudits.

By the time Galic was subbed off in the second half, she should easily have had four goals but was either wasteful in close or had her efforts matched by the goalkeeper. The Melbourne City star looked slightly frustrated with herself as she was rested for the final game. May God have mercy on the souls of whoever she faces next.

With the opposition pushed back and the game under control, Blayney looked to her bench to inject some fresh energy into the attack. Tottenham’s Milly Broughton came on and her pace continued to torment Uzbekistan. Tijan Mckenna entered the field in place of Nash, and showed some good composure on the ball and flexed her versatility as she would occasionally switch flanks with the typically busy Sasha Grove.

In the backline, Chloe Lincoln had a much quieter game than in the opening fixture. Naomi Chinnama and Alexia Apostolakis were solid at the back and dealt with some well delivered set pieces comfortably. Chinnama finished the game with the captain’s armband in a nice moment for a player who has been a fixture in this side through qualification.

While the 2-0 scoreline is scant reward for the complete domination. Uzbekistan were sitting deep for most of the match in a successful effort to control goal difference. The Young Matildas will likely feel like they could have had more to celebrate, but from a development perspective this win was hugely encouraging.

Both the Socceroo and Matildas have traditionally struggled against packed Asian defences. The Young Matildas demonstrated numerous ways to cut through the traffic. They attemped crosses from deep, driving to and along the byline, long range shots and using quick passing combinations centrally. They found different solutions within the game, and although Uzbekistan had fortified their penalty area, they were never allowed to settle.

Pacy forward Lara Gooch was delighted to start the match, her first opportunity to do so as a Young Matilda, but was already looking for ways to improve after the win.

“The match was good to get the three points,” she told the media.

”But we have a lot of things to take from that game to build on in the next game and the rest of the tournament.

“We didn’t get as many goals as we wanted to, but we take the positive that we got the three points.”

Although Australia could not add to the first half tally, the attacking intention did not change, even as fatigue crept in. Gooch said this was something to feel positive about.

“I think we tried to keep playing even when the game was slowing down, we kept tried to amp it up and play our own game. that’s a positive to take out but its just those final executions that we weren’t able to put away.”

Shay Hollman was similarly delighted with the win and her first start. The Player of the Match award was the icing on the cake, but Australia remain determined to finish off the group stage with another win.

“It was my first start in this tournament tonight so I was really excited by that opportunity,” said Hollman.

“But overall, I’m stoked that the girls were able to get the three points. We put a really good shift in.

“Obviously in the first half we had way more energy and were looking pretty e threatening.

“Second half, we may have come out with not quite as much energy and that’s obviously something we will work on going into next game.

“I think it’s really important that we step up in that second half because it’s a 90 minute game and we want to get more goals in.

“We’re all really happy. We came here to qualify for the U20 World Cup and we’re on the right track for that at the moment. We’ll keep training hard and put in another big shift next game.”

“They were a great team, they made it really hard for us, they fought hard in challenges. Our main thing was we had a lot of possession in the ball so our chances were bound to come and we took them.

The result means that a draw against Chinese Taipei will be enough to mathematically qualify for the semi finals and the World Cup, but Blayney’s team has been nothing if not ruthless and tireless in their attacking displays from the first qualifier to this important win. Expect them to try and make certain of it at 1pm on Saturday AEST.

Aquino on confidence, form, and the need to “get out there and enjoy it”

by Ben Gilby (6/3/24)

Above: Morgan Aquino speaking to the media today ahead of Perth Glory’s Distance Derby against Wellington Phoenix at Macedonia Park on Friday night. Image: Perth Glory.

Morgan Aquino is arguably one of the A-League Women’s players of the season. The goalkeeper leads the stat lists for most saves made and percentage of saves. Ahead of this weekend’s hugely important home game with Wellington Phoenix, the in-form shot-stopper revealed some of the keys to her career-best form.

The last two seasons have seen Aquino sharing the goalkeeper jersey with first Courtney Newbon and then Sarah Langman. But this year, despite potentially fierce competition with Sally James and Lilly Bailey, the 22-year-old has started every game, and that is the prime reason for her outstanding showings week in week out.

“It’s just down to confidence. Getting the minutes under my belt really helped, getting backed by Alex (Epakis, head coach) to get out there and perform and not worry too much. The girls around have also helped as well…I feel like I’m in form and I can’t really complain at the moment.

Despite getting a point from the long trip to a Newcastle Jets side who have been in solid form recently, Perth are still without a win for the calendar year. With only four games of the regular season left, time is running out for the Glory to claim the spot in the Finals that at the end of 2023 looked to be a virtual certainty.

Above: In the form of her life – Perth Glory’s Morgan Aquino. Photo: Perth Glory.

On Friday night, Wellington Phoenix arrive at Macedonia Park in Balcatta after making the 5,200km + (3,200+ mile) journey. With the Nix fading after a strong start to the season, sitting third bottom, Aquino knows there is a vital three points on offer for Perth.

“It can be huge, it can get us into the (top) six…that’s what we focussed on at the start of the season…It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be fast, but if we stick to our game plan and give it our all, we should come away with the three points…we just need to not put too much pressure on ourselves, just go out there and enjoy it and work together as a team.”

The Western Australian side have been backed by good crowds all season, and the goalkeeper sees the vocal fans as vital to getting the ‘fortress Macedonia Park’ vibe back on the road to resurrecting the club’s Finals hopes.

“The fans will be huge, they get behind us and give us an energy boost and we want to do it for them.”

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Blayney: It’s back to business as Young Matildas stand on brink of history

by Ben Gilby (5/3/24)

Above: Young Matildas head coach Leah Blayney speaking today ahead of her team’s second round-robin game at the U20 Asian Cup tomorrow against the hosts Uzbekistan. Image: Football Australia.

After their superb 2-1 win over South Korea on Sunday in the opening Group A game in the U20 Asian Cup, Australia know they are one win away from a semi-final spot and a place in the U20 World Cup.

It’s been a challenging few days for Young Matildas and head coach Leah Blayney whose team had to overcome freezing temperatures and up to 15cm of snow on the pitch in their outstanding opening win, which came courtesy of goals from Central Coast Mariners’ Peta Trimis and Melbourne City’s Naomi Thomas-Chinnama.

Speaking today, Blayney outlined how her side enjoyed their win, but now they are fully focused on sealing another three points against the host nation Uzbekistan tomorrow.

“The squad’s pulled up really well, our focus has been on recovery, then rest and preparing for Uzbekistan. It’s important to ride the highs and set yourself up to sit at a moderate level as there are a number of more games ahead of us in terms of the group. We certainly enjoyed the moment, but it was pretty much back to business the next morning.”

There was a lot for Blayney to like about that opening performance. Whilst the result and performance were excellent for the head coach, the most telling of all was the consequence of the strong bond fostered in the camp.

“It just sets us up with a bit of momentum moving forward. The biggest thing for us to take from that match was the resiliency we have as a group to stick together in tough conditions and prevail, and I think that will stand us in good stead later in the tournament as well.”

After getting through 90 minutes in such difficult conditions, the Young Matildas’ head coach was able to ease concerns that there were any fitness issues as a consequence. She did though drop a hint that she may be looking to give some other players some minutes in tomorrow’s encounter.

Above: Naomi Thomas-Chinnama celebrates her last-minute goal that put the Young Matildas 2-1 up over South Korea in the snow on Sunday. Photo: Football Australia.

“I’ve got a competitive and healthy squad. There will certainly be competition for starting positions. We do have to be very mindful that potentially this is a five-game tournament and squad rotation will be important.”

The Young Matildas will be coming up against an Uzbekistan side who are fighting for their lives in the tournament having lost their opening group game 2-0 to Chinese Taipei. That fact, and their status as the host nation makes Blayney aware that tomorrow’s opponents will be tough to beat.

“They are the host nation. Any time that a team comes up against an Australian team they are always going to be up for it. They know our quality on the back end our result against South Korea, so I definitely think they will come out on the front foot with a point to prove at home.”

“It’s important that we have the ball on the deck and we’ll be super aggressive with the ball and that’s something we are excited about in the next match…We can be tactically flexible in different conditions and I’m looking forward to us displaying that in this match, and it being something for other opponents to handle.”

Victory against Uzbekistan tomorrow will guarantee Australia a place in the semi-finals of the tournament with a group game still to play. That semi-final spot would also guarantee qualification for the U20 World Cup in Colombia later this year – the first time the Young Matildas would have made it through to those championships via a qualification tournament since 2006.

That competition 18 years ago in Russia saw Blayney as part of the playing squad alongside such icons of the Australian game as Lydia Williams and Clare Polkinghorne. The current generation stands on the brink of making history and, despite trying to play down the potential, the Young Matildas’ head coach is clearly excited by the prospect.

“It’s something that would be incredible for the group, it’s something we’ve all been working for and we look forward to it coming to fruition.”

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‘There’s a lot of determination in this squad’- Sasha Grove and Daniela Galic speak from The Young Matildas camp

By Kieran Yap 5/3/24

Above: Sasha Grove via Football Australia.

After their gusty 2-1 win over South  Korea, The Young Matildas have every right to be buoyant, but are still remaining focussed on the task at hand as they prepare to face Uzbekistan in the U20 Asian Cup. 

Despite the unplayable conditions, Australia was able to adapt and start their tournament off with three point, fullback Sasha Grove expressed a sense of relief that accompanied the celebrations.

“It was brilliant,” Grove said through Football Australia.

“So many of us have been working so hard for the past few months in preparation for this game. 

“It was brilliant to really see everyone get stuck in and get the result after we went down at half time.

“There’s a lot of determination in this squad, a lot of pride in what we do. We’re very proud of the way we started the tournament and we’re excited to keep that going for the rest of it.”

The AFC has come under wide criticism for not delaying kickoff until the snow could be cheated, and with many of Australia’s players unfamiliar with the arctic surface, adjustments had to be made. Grove was proud of how her teammates were able to complete the job. 

“The conditions were something we haven’t encountered before but as footballers we pride ourselves on being adaptable, and if that takes a half to get stuck into a game, it takes a half. 

“At the end of the day we’re really good at finishing games strong and making sure that we win by any means possible.

“It’s  always having faith in ourselves and each other with  every pass,  everything we do and that’s what helped up win yesterday.

“As we moved into the second half and (were) starting being a little more ambitious, getting the balls forward a little more quickly it’s when I was thinking ‘yeah we’ve got this in the bag.’

“That’s what happened when we got our first goal. A bit more confidence in our heads and we just went for it from there.”

Grove has enjoyed a strong season for Canberra United. She joined the club as an electrifying forward, but has evolved into one of the leagues best fullbacks. 

At just 19 she is now an experienced senior footballer and revelling in the responsibilities as an A-League player.

“A lot of people say that we’ve got a young team this year, which means that I’m an old one now. So I definitely have to step up in some respects.

“It’s just building on the relationships that I’ve already have  with some of the senior players . Playing alongside Nikki Flannery who’s always on my side. 

“We communicate well, she’s got my back, I’ve got hers. She’s really taught me to step up. That’s the same with Emma (Ilijoski) on the other side of the pitch and Michelle (Heyman) up top

“It’s been my responsibility to help sone of the younger ones. I take a lot of pride in that. 

“Every time I put on a Canberra shirt, every time I look at the crowd I want to win for them and I want to make my family proud. 

“Everything I do, I do to win. It also makes me feel good, so that’s a good part of it. 

With The Young Matildas off to a strong start, they now face Uzbekistan, and Grove is taking nothing for granted.

“Winning is really important and we love the feeling of it, but a tournament is more than just  one game. 

“There’s 23 players in this squad and they really play a role in the successes that we have . So really looking after ourselves and taking care in everything we do.

“This is their home country so every game is a big game for them. They’re proud to be here so we can’t be taking them too lightly moving forward.”

That sentiment was echoed by midfielder Daniela Galic. The Melbourne City star says that it is important to remain focused on the goals of World Cup qualification and then the knockout phases. 

“I think we have to make sure we don’t get too complacent after the win and just doing what we’ve been doing. 

“Obviously it’s worked so far. Hopefully we get the wins in the next two matches are are able to qualify, but I think we also want to go far in this tournament and hopefully win the tournament.”

Galic is one of the younger members of the team at just 17, but is almost a veteran in  international football. She played in the 2022 U20 World Cup, and has joined this squad after training with the senior Matildas as they prepared for Olympic qualifiers. 

“I feel like it was a massive step up for me,” she said of the camp in Dubai.

“Being able to watch World class players in training and having to  be up against them. I learned a lot 

“I liked to analyse them but now playing against them, training against them was very different, but it was a great experience overall.”

Galic has been one of the stars of the A-League Women since joining City at the start of last season, and it is easy to forget that she is still at the very beginning on her career. The U20 Asian Cup is where stars like Steph Catley at Ji So-Yun first emerged, and Galic hopes to follow in their illustrious footsteps.

“It shows how big of an opportunity this is for us as a team to see how many people are watching this. Hopefully we can end up like them one day.”

Australia take on hosts Uzbekistan on Wednesday 10pm AEST. Fans can watch via 10Play. 

Read our earlier interview with Daniela Galic here.

Read Genevieve Henry’s profile of Sasha Grove here.

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Match Report: West Ham United 1-1 Manchester United

By Mia Kipling

After a short break, the Women’s Super League (WSL) is back after a short international break with West Ham facing Manchester United for the ninth time in the WSL with West Ham losing six, drawing one and winning one.

Former Red Devil Kirsty Smith started against her former club where she spent four seasons before joining the Irons in July 2022.

It didn’t take long for the first goal of the match and it went the way of the visitors thanks to Rachel Williams in the fourth minute with Katie Zelem easily tackling the ball off Katrina Gorry and feeding it through to assist the goal to slot it past Mackenzie Arnold.

Not long after the Manchester United goal, West Ham nearly found an instant equaliser through Katrina Gorry from 25 yards but Mary Earps managed to prevent the ball from being buried in the top corner

Manchester United nearly doubled their lead when Williams header was clawed away by Arnold in stoppage time before Millie Turner shot an effort wide.

The Irons made a brilliant start to the second half after Riko Uekis shot was sent inches over the bar, Gorry almost levelled but couldn’t keep control of the ball outside the United box

Nikita Parris header went wide unmarked from captain Katie Zelems corner as a frantic start continued while Hayashi and Asseyi both saw efforts blocked at close range

West Ham finally found an equaliser in the 84th minute via the Hammers number 20 Viviane Asseyi. Emma Snerle played the ball into the area from behind with Asseyi getting a foot on it and chipping it past Mary Earps.

When asked about how she feels about the new winter signings and how they fit into the squad dynamic, Rehanne Skinner says “We’ve added some real experience to the team and obviously we’ve got some fantastic players here already, but we just needed to make sure we had a bit more experience in the squad”

In recent weeks certain players have been out on international break for both teams, such as Mackenzie Arnold and Katrina Gorry with The Matildas, both managers spoke on this and how this affects them.

Rehanne Skinner comments that “it’s really tough, three Japanese players have been in China, miles away. Macca and Katrina Gorry have been in Uzbekistan and Australia, it’s a massive ask on the body, especially with a lack of sleep. You saw today it takes its toll.”

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner also commented on this “I mean if we look at it, we’ve got quality in players but not quality in depth and you know when you’re missing players, of course it affects the quality of those players.”

West Ham United (3-4-2-1) Arnold, Tysiak, Denton (Cooke 72’), Cissoko, Smith, Shimizu, Hayashi, Ziu (Snerle 57’) Gorry (Bergman Lundin 90’), Ueki, Asseyi

Unused subs: Walsh, O’Hanlon, Harries, Mewis, Ademiluyi

Scorer: Asseyi 84’

Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Earps, Blundell, Le Tissier, Turner (Evans 59’), Toone, Ladd (Naalsund 59’), Zelem, Galton, Malard (Garcia 59’) , Parris, Williams

Unused subs: Tullis-Joyce, Mannion, Guerrero, Aherne

Scorer: Williams 3’

Attendance: 3171

Referee: Stephen Parkinson

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Round Up: England’s U23s February Camp

Above: The Young Lionesses last year. Image: Andy Wicks.

By Rachel Gore (27/02/24)

For their first international break of 2024, England’s under-23s joined the Senior Lionesses in Spain for a warm weather training camp.

Emma Coates, the head coach of the U23s, selected a 24-player squad to travel to Andalusia.

This squad included some key players who are becoming fan favourites in the clubs that they play for and the leagues that they play in. One of these players is Missy Bo Kearns who became the youngest player to captain Liverpool at just 20 years old and led out the U23s Lionesses in both of their matches in Spain.

The team’s first game of the year came on February 22 when they took on Spain at Marbella Football Centre. The Spanish side was strong and came out with a 3-1 victory.

While the Lionesses ended up losing the match, they dominated the first half of the game. Only 3 minutes in, England were awarded a corner which was taken by Freya Gregory. Skeels took a shot from this corner, but it came off the bar, denying the team of an early lead.

At 17 minutes, Fran Stenson made her first save of the game. Stenson was called up as a replacement for Kayla Rendell who withdrew from the camp due to injury.  The fact that Stenson was not included in the original squad that Coates selected made her place in the starting eleven of the girls’ first game surprising; her performance, however, proved how deserving she was of being in this position.

In the 42nd minute Aggie Beever-Jones scored England’s first, and only, goal of the match. The striker was assisted by Naz who took a misplaced pass from the Spanish goalkeeper.

Beever-Jones’ goal saw England take a 1-0 lead, although this did not last for long. Spain were soon awarded a corner and used this opportunity to score. This Spanish goal brought the score to 1-1 at halftime.

Stenson made a crucial save at 52 minutes; Spain was awarded a penalty following a handball by Silcock. This save by Stenson served as a further reminder of why she was chosen by Coates.

After this penalty the game fell in favour of Spain. The home team scored in the 66th and 81st minutes, securing their victory.

The U23s second game came under a week later on February 26. The squad drew 1-1 to the Netherlands in this European League match.

Towards the beginning of the game strong attack from the England players caused Netherlands goalkeeper Danielle de Jong to make a trio of quick saves; Skeels took a shot at the goal after receiving the ball from Bever-Jones’ corner, Silcock then headed Bo Kearns’ corner towards the net, and Mace’s rebound was also saved.

The shots at goal were frequent, it was in the 37th minute that Silcock managed to hit the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. At half time the score was 1-0 to England.

In the second half defenders from both sides showcased their skills with blocks preventing further goals. The U23s kept on pushing and at 71 minutes Beever-Jones headed a strong ball from Pattinson onto the crossbar.

It seemed like England were going to take the victory, this was until the second minute of injury-time when the Netherlands managed to equalise.

The performance from the under-23s during this camp was a disappointment for fans; their game against Spain was their first defeat in over a year and they missed out on victory against the Netherlands in the final moments.

However, the February camp was still an extraordinary experience for the under-23s as they were in the same space as the senior Lionesses. The joint camp provides evidence of the strength that the England talent pathway has; the girls currently playing in the youth England teams are being provided with support and experience that will help them reach the senior squad.

Both games played by the under-23ss were watched by Wiegman, her staff, and players from the senior Lionesses’ team.

There were numerous interactions between the two squads during this camp. U23s players Naomi Layzell, Aggie Beever-Jones, Laura Blinkilde Brown, and Jessica Naz were given the opportunity to train with the Lionesses under Wiegman.

In addition to this, Aggie Beever-Jones received a late call-up by Wiegman to join the senior’s match day squad for their first game of the camp. She came into the squad a day after the U23s first match, in which she scored, to replace Chloe Kelly who was unavailable. Beever-Jones has become a well-known player this season due to the talent she’s shown when playing for Chelsea.

As well as getting a look at what camp for the senior Lionesses is like the U23s also took part in media that typically only the senior players would participate in. The girls were interviewed and appeared frequently on the Lionesses’ social media.

While this first international break was not as successful for the England women’s under-23s as they would have liked it to be, it was an example of how great the England talent pathway is. The players coming up through these national youth teams have years of experience playing internationally and some have even had the opportunity to train with the senior Lionesses prior to their first senior call ups.

Photo Diary: Bristol City 3-7 Brighton & Hove Albion

Impetus’ Shell Lawrence was at Ashton Gate Stadium to capture the best of the action as The Robin’s took on Brighton in the Women’s Super League (04/03/2024).

Bristol City & Brighton and Hove Albion give a minutes applause before the game in memory of a Bristol City fan.
Katie Robinson celebrates her goal agaisnt Bristol City making the final score 3 – 7 to Brighton
Katie Robison for Brighton goes through on goal after beating Bristol’s keeper Olivia Clark and Megan Connolly
Guemmin Lee for Brighton celebrates another goal with her team mates Tatiana Pinto and Madison Haley in their 7-3 victory over Bristol City
Madison Haley for Brighton celebrates with team mate Tatiana Pinto and she makes it 5 goals in the game against Bristol City
Pauline Bremer for Brighton & Hove Albion on the ball
Pauline Bremer for Brighton crosses the ball as Bristol City’s Jasmine Bull & Mari Ward watch on
Vicky Losada steps up to take a penalty for Brighton agasint Bristol City.
Guemmin Lee for Brighton celebrates another goal with her team mates Tatiana Pinto and Madison Haley in their 7-3 victory over Bristol City
Captain Megan Connolly for Bristol City puts in a tackle on Madison Haley for Brighton
Madison Haley for Brighton heads in to the box against Bristol City
Pauline Bremer for Brighton fends off Bristol City’s Jasmine Bull
Sophie Baggaley plays the ball out for Brighton
Vicky Losada for Brighton calmly swerves a slide tackle from Bristol City’s Amalie Thestrup
Amalie Thestrup crosses the ball for Bristol City after beating Emma Kullberg for Brighton to the ball
Ella Powell on the ball for Bristol City
Sille Struck for Bristol City fends off an attack from Brighton’s Lily Dent
Amalie Thestrup for Bristol City sprints down the wing.

Match Report: Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Durham

Above: Hosts, Blackburn Rovers moments before kick-off. Photo: roverswfc on Instagram.

By Freya Hiscott (03/03/24)

Blackburn Rovers welcomed Durham to County Ground on a warm Sunday afternoon for a captivating 90 minutes of the Barclays Championship. In a table placement ultimatum, both sides had a plethora of chances with the game ending with four collective goals scored.

Blackburn Rovers face Durham for the third time this season, with the two teams already battling it out in the league and the continental cup. Both sides were desperate to leave with 3 points for their teams as they both sat in the middle of the championship table. Blackburn Rovers sat in 7th place just one point behind Durham who sat 6th.

Blackburn Rovers and Durham last met in October with Durham winning 2-1 seeing goals from Saoirse Noonan (Durham) and Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers).

There were four notable changes to the Blackburn Rovers line-up after their recent 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, in their last Championship fixture. Simon Parker’s side saw the return of the English midfielder Annie Hutchings and Northern Ireland’s midfielder Danielle Maxwell, with captain Jade Richards making the starting eleven alongside Tyler Toland, who had been previously ruled out of Ireland’s two friendlies due to injury. Claire Ditchburn’s Durham lined up as they did last time out, when they drew 2-2 against London City Lionesses.

Durham started and took the advantage, backed by the support of their booming fans. But the early stages of the game were stop-start with a number of players suffering collisions requiring medical treatment from both teams’ physios.

In the opening 20 minutes of the game Blackburn Rovers successfully defended a number of Durham’s corners with the away side threatening to make a break through.

As the match progressed it was the visitors who looked the most likely to open the scoring, as Durham evidently dominated possession, passing the ball cleanly up and down the pitch.

Saoirse Noonan, the Irish striker came close to an opening goal for the wildcats but her volley was just wide of the far post. Moments later, Noonan came close to scoring again but was adjudged offside.

As the first-half was closing in, both teams were battling it out to be the first on the score sheet. Powerful chances were created by the Rovers but were quickly diverted away by the wildcat’s defensive line. Noonan struck another good chance but saw her effort expertly caught by the Rovers goalkeeper, Alex Brooks.

Despite Durham maintaining their ascendancy throughout the majority of the first-half; It was the home side, Blackburn Rovers who took the lead. Danielle Maxwell fired the ball into the back of the net in added time, grabbing her first goal for the Rovers since signing earlier this year.

Above: Danielle Maxwell receiving player of the match after an outstanding game against Durham. Photo: roverswfc on Instagram.

After the break, Maxwell came close to her second goal before being denied by clipping the crossbar.

Regardless, Durham visibly started the second-half stronger with another dominant display as pressure was enforced. An outstanding save from Naoisha McAloon denied Lucy Shepherd from increasing the score for the Rovers.

Noonan then ably fired a long ball to Hepple who curled a beautiful shot into the top corner of the net just yards away, levelling the score at 1-1. Then just three minutes later Durham were ahead again after Silcock put a goal past her own keeper, following a myriad of attempts to clear the ball in a dangerous area.

Sarah Wilson came close to adding a third goal for Claire Ditchburn’s side, but her strike from a corner went agonisingly just wide of the left hand post.

Not long after, the hosts levelled up through Shepherd, tapping the ball in from close range, to make it 2-2.

As the game came to a close both sides saw chances at either end of the pitch but ultimately the spoils were shared with the match ending an entertaining 2-2 draw.

With the match ending in stalemate, no changes were made regarding their placements in the Championship table. Durham still remaining in 6th place with Blackburn Rovers staying close behind in 7th; with just one point separating the two teams.

Blackburn Rovers are set to face Lewes next at home, currently lying 11th in the Championship. Next up for Durham is a tough match against Charlton, presently 4th, 10 points ahead of Durham.

Blackburn Rovers: Brooks (GK), Coan, Toland, Richards (C), Hornby, Shepherd, Silcock, Hutchings, Bradley, Robertson, Maxwell, (Chandarana 59′), (Walters 71′), (Williams 89′)

Substiutes not used: Salgado, Taylor, Seed, Doyle, Dahou.

Scorers: Maxwell 45+8′, Shepherd 79′

Bookings: Toland 72′

Durham: Mcaloon (GK), Briggs, Wilson (C), Robson, Hepple, Lambert, Andrews, Crosthwaite, Salickl, Ayre, Noonan, (Ryan-Doyle 80′).

Substitutes not used: Bramley, Bradley, Wilson, Nicholson, Saunders

Scorers: Hepple 57′, Silcock 62′ (OG)

Bookings: Briggs 64′

Referee: Megan Wilson

Attendance: TBC

Match Report: Newcastle Jets 1-1 Perth Glory

By Kieran Yap 3/3/24

MelindaJ Barbieri’s volleyed equaliser gave Newcastle a deserved point at home against Perth Glory. In an attacking game, filled with chances for both sides it was the Jets playmaker who scored the goal that could be crucial to their season.

Above: Newcastle and Perth Glory battle for possession. Photo: Newcastle Jets

Glory came into this match needing a win. Alex Epakis’s side has struggled for results since December, and after starting the season in top gear, they have slowly fallen down the rankings. Newcastle’s trajectory has been the opposite. They have gone under the radar for much of this season, but have steadily climbed. The introduction of Sarina Bolden has coincided with this improvement, but the newly assembled team has slowly adjusted first to each other and then to the resignation of former coach Gary van Egmond.

What they are now is a lighting quick attacking side, capable of more than just the wing play and pressing that they have previously been known for. Newcastle can now attack in a variety of ways and they played with a confidence that was exciting for neutrals.

The game did not begin according to coach Ryan Campbell’s plans. Glory took an early lead through Tash Rigby’s cross that was turned in for an own goal with a hesitant effort to block. Perth had numbers in the box, but none of them needed a touch as the ball trickled over the line.

Infront of their home fans, The Jets did not let their heads drop, and immediately went on the search to level the scores. Sophie Hoban had claims for a penalty turned down, and Emma Dundas forced Morgan Aquino into action. The Perth Glory stopper was the team’s saviour once again with a save from Bolden’s header, but as Barbieri began to scheme and Cass Davis continued to win the ball, it felt like Newcastle was in the ascendancy.

By the time Barbieri levelled the scores, Newcastle had shot on goal 31 times, when it arrived, it was an effort of pure quality from the new recruit. After controlling a cross from the right, Barbieri angled herself to rocket the ball home off her right foot. It was excellent technique, the kind of perfection required to beat an in-form Aquino.

With the result in the balance, both teams went on the attack. Substitute Sofia Sakalis added a noticeable spark when she came on. her late fizzing ball across the face of goal was begging to be finished but there were no Glory players attacking the space. Mille Farrow had been relatively well marshalled, but thought she had earned a penalty when she slalomed into the box. The referee had a better view than the cameras and waved the appeals away without hesitation.

Up the other end, a swift counter-attack found youngster Josie Allan in space at the back post. Her control was excellent and her finish on target, but Aquino pulled off another miracle to push the ball onto the woodwork and away for a corner.

The final whistle signalled an end to an exhilarating football match, and although the Jets attack was menacing and entertaining, the game was decided in midfield. Davis and Libby Copus Brown gained the upper hand over Isobel Dalton and Hana Lowry. They won the ball but also attacked themselves, preventing the Glory duo from showcasing their dynamic potential. On the bench, Epakis rolled the dice, withdrawing defender Claudia Mihocic and replacing her with attacker Sarah Cain. It momentarily gave Glory the extra number in attack, but without the steady supply that the Jets midfield was supplying it made little impact on the result.

Glory’s slump continues and it must be a mystery to those involved. They are not playing poorly by any stretch of the imagination and are never easy to beat but the results and the goals just are not falling their way.

Changes have been made. At times in this match they tried five at the back, and in flashes, Farrow looked back to her early season best after coming on as a subtitute, but the Jets were able to control the midfield and the lack of a specialist defensive midfielder meant that Newcastle could push Glory’s players back with consistency if not ease.

Newcastle were able to create numerous chances and while both teams would have felt unlucky not to score a second, The Jets looked more dangerous over the full 90. Both teams need to convert more regularly, but the Jets are starting to look quietly ominoius. They have a smoothly functioning midfield and a pure striker than on any other day would not have had Morgan Aquino in her way.

Lineups:

Newcastle Jets 3-4-3: Nino, Baumann, Prior, Karipidis, Dundas, Copus-Brown, Davis, Hoban, Allan, Barbieri, Bolden. Substitutes: Hammond, J Allan, Simon, Huynh, Dunbar

Scorers: Barbieri 77’

Perth Glory 4-2-2-2: Aquino, Foletta, Anton, Mihocic, Cowart, Rigby, Dalton, Lowry, Phonsongkham, Quezeda, Jale. Substitutes: Farrow, Sakalis, Cain, Stonehill, James

Scorers: Prior (OG) 2’

Referee: Isabella Mossin

Attendance: 1727