A top of the table clash in the Bill Brackenbury Cup was the highlight of round five action while Balmain’s sides got the best of the Marrickville Red Devils’ in the Grace Martin Trophy.
Words by Liam Cook
Read below to hear about all the weekend’s action.
Grace Martin Trophy
Concord JSC 5-1 LFC Sports
Sunday afternoon at Edwards Park was windy and bitterly cold by the end of the match which started late and was prolonged by various delays. Unfortunately, those who braved the awful conditions were not rewarded for their perseverance with a memorable spectacle.
From kick-off Concord was untidy: failing to control the ball on the lumpy ground, however Izabella Kalachian weaved through a number of clumsy Lakemba tackles to score the first goal after 10 minutes.
Moments later, Lilian Santos kicked a long-range, wind assisted goal to level the scores.
Injuries plagued Concord with Veronica Fania carried from the field and Izabella Kalachian rolling her ankle on the uneven surface.
Izadora Sabbouth scored for Concord at the midpoint of the first half before the Angelis got their names on the scorecard for the home side, two for Lauren and one for Alana.
Strathfield FC 2-1 Cooks River Titans
A game that went from end to end and could’ve gone either side’s way, Strathfield narrowly overcame a brave Cooks River Titans to retain their standing in second position.
The visiting Titans made an instant impact when Sarah Watson kickstarted proceedings with an 18th minute goal.
Strathfield’s first score came through Vanessa O’Shea, who received the ball outside the 18-yard box and struck truly into the back of the net.
Angelica Georgopoulos launched a great ball from halfway into the penalty box where her sister Alexandra was awaiting, sending Strathfield 2-1 up two minutes into the second half for an unassailable lead.
Marrickville Red Devils A 2-4 Balmain DFC A
A pair of doubles ensured Balmain A’s second victory of the season when they took on Marrickville Red Devils A.
The visiting Tigers burst out of the gates with three goals inside 17 minutes, including an Elise Crimmins’ double and Holly Davine’s first.
It would take until well into the second half for Marrickville to show their wares with Lucy Marta and Lara Smith delivering back-to-back scores.
Davine rammed home Balmain’s ascendancy with her second in the 78th minute.
Marrickville Red Devils B 2-5 Balmain DFC B
Balmain B’s standout first half helped them prevail against their Marrickville opponents.
Scoring four unanswered goals inside 60 minutes, Arielle Bolton, Aisling Carolan, Isabella Bogatai, and Nicola Irvin’s screamer from outside the box put the Devils to the sword.
Ha Pham and Allegra Short claimed consolation scores for the home side, who scored twice and dominated possession in the second stanza, but it was ultimately not enough as Balmain’s Olivia Wilson put the match to bed.
Leichhardt Saints A 3-0 Leichhardt Saints B
A spirited and competitive matchup between both Leichhardt teams saw Saints A secure a win.
Saints B grew into the contest after a nervous start and dominated time on the ball, although their attacking forays were often curtailed by A’s stingy defence.
Fatigue set in as Saints A generated three goals, including the sealer with the final kick of the game.
Annike Lindhout and Phaedra Carroll were standout performers for Saints B, tirelessly shutting down their opponents through the midfield and dictating multiple plays.
Bill Brackenbury Cup
Marrickville Red Devils 0-3 Enfield
An Anthony Fonti double helped Enfield surpass Marrickville Red Devils in an entertaining clash.
With Marrickville failing to convert multiple opportunities, it was Enfield’s Ryan Henderson who capitalised for the game’s first score.
The tightly contested game required a spark from either side, and Anthony Fonti provided it for the visiting Enfield.
A second half double ensured victory for the Rovers, while Marrickville will rue missed chances.
Strathfield 0-1 Hurlstone Park Wanderers
Only one goal separated the Bill Brackenbury Cup’s top sides on Saturday.
A dogged first half yielded no results for either competition heavyweight.
The defining moment of the match stemmed from Hurlstone Park Wanderers’ long pass in the 50th minute.
A dangerous play all afternoon, the Wanderers’ ball surpassed Strathfield defenders and gave Christopher Arditti a path past the goalkeeper for the only score of the game.
Whilst Strathfield routinely built-up promising plays, they’re poor execution left them bereft of anything to show on the scoreboard.
LFC Sports 0-3 APIA Leichhardt
LFC Sports forfeited their match against APIA Leichhardt.
Image credit: Photographed with Love
