NPL Round 17, 2022: Belconnen United FC v's Gungahlin United FC

13 August 2022

The Blue Devils made their return to McKellar Park after a forced break due to the weather and, with one goal in mind for the final third of the season, to get themselves up the ladder and avoid ending the campaign in bottom position.


Playing with an almost full-strength side and only one point behind the two teams lying ahead of them and only four points behind fifth place, Cooma Tigers, Belconnen were in a position where it was relatively achievable to climb to a more respectable position but they would need to be rallying together as a side and coming away with several big results in the coming fixtures. The first team in their sights to get this uprising underway was a foreboding Gungahlin side in a desperate search for every single point they can get, to make up for the 8 point chase they need to steal the championship away from Canberra Croatia.

 

Gungahlin started the half with a clear intention to control the game early, putting some quick pressure on the Belconnen backline to stay alert and aware to a variety of different attacking approaches. Belconnen did well to stave off the early assault, and managed to get a counter-attack happening after five minutes of play, when Christian Kreskas managed to put the keeper under a lot of pressure, who could only punch the ball away and not clear his line, leaving the ball for Kreskas to connect with a second time and nudge home from close range for the opening goal of the game, to a huge reaction of support by the home fans and his teammates.

 

Belconnen was showing some great skill in passing the ball around and getting into attacking areas, piecing together some nice touches in a play that almost saw them double their lead in the 12th minute, if not for a sharp save.


Belconnen keeper Alex Connell was having little difficulty rising to the occasion of keeping the visitors out early, picking up a lot of saves and overall touches early on in the proceedings.


The game was forced into a brief stop in the 14th after striker Nicholas Abbott sustained an ankle injury that looked quite concerning, being subbed off.


Belconnen remained the side on the offensive as the game got back underway, with elusive winger Bo Harvey creating plenty of exciting opportunities that earned Belconnen multiple rolls of the dice from corners. Gungahlin pieced together a strong counter-attack that nearly brought an equaliser but Belconnen’s defense brought the run to an end through a foul just beyond the 18-yard box that earned captain Izach Clements a yellow card, though the visitors raised the question of whether that was sufficient. The result was a very well taken free kick that Blue Devils Keeper Alex Connell was once again quick on his feet to meet and keep out. Gungahlin continued to try their luck from long range, swinging in some very powerful shots that just faded away to the side of goal.


With the shots from out wide not proving effective, Gungahlin began trying to burn the Belconnen defense with pace but the two fullbacks were up the challenge defensively and were doing well to close them down.


Kreskas was still proving a handful for Gungahlin’s defenders at the other end, nearly snagging a second goal just before the half hour mark but struggling to add elevation to the shot, dragging across the ground and making it an easy save for the goalkeeper.

Harvey was also continuing to be a thorn in the side of the visitors, forcing them into giving away several free kicks to keep him under watchful surveillance.


Tensions were boiling over quickly, with another bad challenge on Kreskas that brought out a yellow card but the visiting coach was not at all impressed with the reaction after the foul, eventually earning a card himself after a heated exchange with the officials. Belconnen were looking the far more composed team as the half entered its dying embers, with the Belco midfield finding multiple moments to get possession back sharply, and their passes finding the mark at a more accurate rate.

 

The first half came to a close with the blue Devils still a goal to the good and, most likely, feeling the more confident of the two sides heading into the sheds. They managed to grab the goal they needed early and then focus on a very sound and solid defensive effort from all areas of the field but Connell in particular would have surely been feeling good about his first half effort.


In a live ladder, Belconnen were set to be moving up to 7th if results stayed the same, with West Canberra Wanderers currently trailing Canberra Olympic but, for a perfect result, Belconnen would still be hoping for tides to change between Cooma and O’Connor, preferably into a draw.


First, Belconnen would need to hold on to the lead they had in the second half, against a Gungahlin United side who would surely be feeling the heat as their title hopes look to be slipping further away if the result remained the same. Belconnen would need to stand strong and put in a very resilient and tough defensive display in the second half to keep the clean sheet and three points within their control.

 

Belconnen were looking eager to build an even bigger deficit early in the second half, with Kreskas continuing to be the leading man in attack, creating two moments where it looked likely, but just couldn’t quite find the right execution. Gungahlin were pushing heavily in attack, finding a way to slowly build up more and more momentum, but Belconnen were staying in the fight in what was proving to be a very intense, back and forth half.


Belconnen managed to get a crucial second goal to double their advantage when a lovely ball played Bo Harvey into space, who dragged the keeper out of the box to meet him and then snuck the ball in underneath the keeper’s reach to creep into the net, with 23 minutes left to play. Gungahlin nearly got a goal a few moments later but the ball faded to the side once more.


As the half dragged on into the final ten minutes it was looking very promising for the home side, with the rewards of a very well-oiled defensive effort keeping the score at 2 goals to nil with time beginning to wind down very quickly. Gungahlin once again managed to get close to getting a goal but Connell was simply not letting up late, stalwartly holding onto to the clean sheet.


The game came to close with the scores remaining the same, Belconnen making a huge statement to the rest of the table as they grabbed three points in a big upset, and climbing from the cellar into a one position cushion.


Goalkeeper Alex Connell was rewarded for his efforts with this week’s Player of the Match, sponsored by the Cook Grocer.


The Blue Devils continue their campaign to climb up the ladder next weekend traveling on the road to face off with the team just above them on the ladder, Canberra Olympic, and if they can pick up another three points there, the final few weeks will seem all the more brighter. 

BUFC 2023 Trials - NPL and BUDS, NPLG and BUDS and NPLW

By BUFC • October 17, 2022
Trial dates for our U13, U14, U16, U18 and 13BUDS male squads are scheduled for October 2022. Registration prior to trials is essential, with all existing and new players to the club welcome to attend. For information on times, venues and to register, please visit our Trials page.

NPLW representative selections, 2022

September 15, 2022
Belconnen United would like to congratulate NPLW players who have been selected in representative squads for upcoming tournaments. Our emphasis on player development continues to achieve success and provide quality football opportunities. We wish these players all the best for their upcoming representative duties. The representative squads are for: ACT Primary Schools (October – Perth tournament) ACT Secondary Schools (September – Perth tournament) NYC U14 (September – Coffs Harbour Nationals) NYC U16 (September – Coffs Harbour Nationals) NTC U18 (October – Canberra tournament). Girls BUDS ACT Primary Schools Tahli Robertson Emily Greig (shadow) Girls NPL U14 ACT Primary Schools Miley Hartig Isla Murphy Isabella Kane Elianne Lum Elliette Tate Rachel Cooper NYC U14 Liliana Altamore (shadow) Girls NPL U15 NYC U16 Tara Howarth (shadow) NYC U14 Gemma Toseland Leila Billington Eden Rodda (selected but injured) Holly Conlon (shadow) Natalia Cerne (shadow) Girls NPL U17 NTC U18 Emily Daniel Women’s NPL First and Reserve Grade NYC U16 Pearl Tein Tatum Mazis Tia Burridge Maddie Steinacker Nina Zarevac Sofia Palywoda Reilly Yuen NTC U18 Sophia Doumos Jayla Murphy ACT Secondary Schools Ella Palframan (selected but injured) Reilly Yuen (selected but will play in NYC instead) We also like to recognise the achievements of our coaches who play such a huge role in our Club, developing our players as great people and excellent footballers. NYC ACT U16s Head Coach: Matty Moore. NYC ACT U14s Head Coach: Ahmed Ugool. Thank you to all of our coaches for supporting our teams and congratulations to these twenty-six players.

NPL Round 19, 2022: Belconnen United FC v's Canberra Croatia FC

September 15, 2022
27 August, 2022

NPLW Round 18, 2022: Belconnen United FC v's Canberra United Academy

September 15, 2022
20 August, 2022

NPL Round 13, 2022: Belconnen United FC v's Cooma Tigers FC

August 15, 2022
16 July, 2022

WNPL Round 12, 2022: Belconnen United FC v's Canberra Croatia FC

August 15, 2022
2 July, 2022

NPL Round 11, 2022: Belconnen United FC v's Canberra Olympic FC

August 15, 2022
25 June, 2022

NPL Round 9, 2002: Belconnen United FC vs West Canberra Wanderers FC

June 15, 2022
The Blue devils made their return to McKellar Park off the back of a definitive defeat in their last match up away to Monaro but with a bye last weekend to give extra time to reset themselves and returning to their home base after finally breaking through and getting a major result in their last game in McKellar, Belconnen were looking to make this game the day they start their climb back up the ladder. They made their return with a fresh face to energize their forces, with the debut of exciting midfielder Chris Fayers getting his first start for the side, after making the move to the capital from Sydney. Their opponents in this match up were surely also hoping to get some momentum heading into the second third of the season, currently sitting five points behind the Blue Devils at the bottom of the ladder and staring at a potential fifth loss in a row if they couldn’t turn their fortunes around in this fixture, so with both teams feeling the pressure to get a move on, it was an important game for both squads. Belconnen were pushing the envelope very early into the first half, sending in a speculative shot that sailed over the goal and, in the ensuing counterattack, West Canberra showed some good team play to almost create a chance themselves. West Canberra continued to be a threat within the box for a while, with several moments where Belco’s midfielders needed to drop back quickly to add more bodies to the defensive wall and there were reasonable calls for a handball that could have easily resulted in a penalty. Only a minute or so later, the Wanderers did get the breakthrough goal, managing to nudge the ball in from close range after seven minutes played. Now trailing in the match, Belconnen slowly managed to get some opportunities of their own to equalise but they couldn’t quite find the finish they needed, and West Canberra’s counterattack continued to cause problems. Belconnen continued to try and find the goal from range, with Dustin Wells trying his luck and very nearly managing to get it to sink into the top corner. They also nearly saw an equaliser through a corner in the 14 th but were not able to get enough strength behind the ball from a header and the keeper dealt with it with comfort. They created another opportunity when striker Adam Forner found himself some space and had a head on goal but, once again, the keeper was able to deal with it. Belconnen continued to see an ample selection of chances to find an equaliser but the chances were struggling to work the Wanderers keeper Jacob Wiseman. Explosive midfielder Christian Kreskas was putting in an immense shift to try and make things happen, showing some nice feet and awareness to create a chance to strike it low from far out but Wiseman was able to snaffle it up. They finally managed to get the equalising goal, when a barnstorming run from Dustin Wells freed up some room for star winger Max Green to show some wonderful feet to beat two defenders and create a one on one with the keeper, which he delicately tucked away with a sublime finish to get the game back level 25 minutes into the half. Kreskas continued to lead the charge as Belconnen were noticeably building confidence after the goal, taking the line on and adding a determined spark to the side’s attack. New signing, Fayers, was having a mixed first forty-five minutes, showing some nice awareness in defense and doing a good job grabbing possession but several of his passes were slightly off the pace. Belconnen nearly went a goal to the good when a short pass from a corner gave them a chance to run it into the box and send a powerful shot in but the Wanderers keeper once again showed great instinct to rise to meet it. Fayers had a great moment late in the half when he showed some nice feet to hold the ball up and send his marker away, freeing him up to take a strike from just beyond 20 meters but just over the goal. Green almost secured a second of the half when he nudged the ball in from a nice pass from winger Chris Reay, but the sideline official put a premature end to the celebrations after ruling the final pass as offside. He had another moment of magic when some nice team play sent him through into open space again and had the defense scrambling to catch him, only just managing to put a stop to the chance. There were also concerns however after the Blue Devils were forced into a late first half substitution, bringing Dustin Wells off from Luke Veron in the 42 nd minute. Belconnen would not be denied for much longer, however, as midfielder Riley Brown made a jolting run to join the attack and get himself a shot which he managed to tuck into the back of the net, sending the home side into the lead just before halftime and completing a very good comeback after struggling in the opening stages. Belconnen needed only to look at how promising they looked after that first goal added a breath of confidence to their attack. The visiting side had more than their fair share of moments where they showed that this game was far from over, as they were playing particularly well in defense and their counterattacks were proving lethal, already providing one goal, so this game was still all to play for in the second half. Midfielder Christian Kreskas and winger Max Green were by far the standouts of the side in the first half, leading the way to the comeback and surely feeling happy that they managed to get the comeback completed by the interval but the whole side would need to stay busy in the second half, to keep the lead intact and keep the visitors with the sole goal. With no changes to either side at halftime, West Canberra started the second half with a big effort to create as many chances as they could early. As the wind picked up, the visiting side proved a threat early, earning a corner that the Belco defense were able to take care of. The directive was definitely to hold on to the early pressure from the visitors, with several moments where the home side were forced to give up a foul to keep the attack at bay. Belconnen nearly got a goal that would have certainly changed the shape of the game when Riley Brown won the ball very high up the pitch and very nearly sent it through, clashing with the post instead and Fayers nearly capped off his debut with a goal when he arrived to grab the deflected ball and take a strike himself but this time the keeper managed to throw himself in the way of the ball for a save, the ball once again deflecting finally to the feet of winger Chris Reay, who showed some quick feet to keep the ball alive but could not manage to square it in the traffic of a West Canberra defense that by that point all flocked back to lend a hand defensively. Tensions were beginning to flare on the pitch as the game got more and more physical, including a moment where Belconnen were once again away and tucked the ball in the net only to find the officials had called it back for a quite narrow offside earlier in the play. The home side nearly put it beyond doubt when Reay used his strength to get past the fullback and send the team on a three on two but the cross wasn’t enough to get past the lone defender, who managed to slow the ball down and, although it fell to another Belco player who had joined the attack in Forner, he couldn’t get his volley on target and it coasted just wide of the post. They got expansive in their thinking in attack, once again opting to take a corner short and pass around the edge of the field until one of them sent a curling cross into the box that shifted away from all the players and almost curled all the way into the net, in what would have been an astonishing and, most likely, unplanned goal but Wanderers keeper Jacob Wiseman once again got to display a keen instinct to leap up and secure it in his hands, just before the ball fully crossed the line, proving to be one of the best on ground for either side by some distance. The Wanderers nearly had a equaliser from a wonderful run that looked to get the best of the Belco defensive line but a fantastic last ditch tackle that expertly won the ball in a very risky move was enough to successfully put an end to the move. Belconnen continued to be a real threat with passes into space, sending the front two into open field twice in as many minutes, the first the shot ending slightly too weak to get past the keeper and the second called back for an offside. Belconnen made a change to their front line, bringing Forner out of the fray for Nick Zakoski but very nearly lost their advantage as the Wanderers continued to remind them that one counterattack could break this game even again. Belconnen goalkeeper Alex Connell earned a few highlights of his own as the game entered its final fifteen minutes, coming up with multiple big saves that kept the lead intact against a visiting side that now very much believed that the equaliser they needed could come at any moment. Belconnen continued to try the route that had been positive for them all game, sending balls through the air and into space to find winger Chris Reay on the end of it, who showed quick feet to get his defender away but as he tried to square it, the Wanderers fullback recovered his position and knocked the ball back down, admittedly looking close to being to a handball. Belconnen were looking nervous in defense as the Wanderers continued to push for a crucial equalising goal for their season and morale but keeper, Connell, continued to be a stalwart in goal to maintain their lead as the game entered into stoppage time. Late in the game Belconnen added another debutant to their list, with midfielder Hayden Tunny getting his debut for the first grade side to close out the final few minutes. Belconnen almost managed a goal to put the game to bed early in stoppage time, with a tremendous strike that was once again just not able to get past Jacob Wiseman who had a great game despite the two goals that were conceded. The game boiled to one final attacking free kick for the visitors, even bringing Wiseman up to be a target and, while there were worries around the ground when it looked like there was a push, it was cleared and the final whistle sounded very soon after, putting an end to the nervous air for the home side and fans and securing the three points. Belconnen secured a much needed three points to help kickstart a push to try and climb the ladder, while the visitors side were tremendously resilient and brave in this game but have to accept their fifth straight loss and the closest team to them at the bottom of the ladder getting another three points space between them. While there were several players that deserved a lot of praise for the toughness of this win, including another very strong home showing from Belconnen’s front-line attackers and a very resilient and courageous effort from the defensive line and goalkeeper Alex Connell, the Cook Grocer voucher for Belconnen United Player of the Match was awarded to young midfielder Riley Brown, who put in an immense effort in defense and got the goal that sent the side into the lead just before the halftime interval. Next weekend, Belconnen will be hoping they can keep this momentum going and secure some more points to further narrow the difference between them and the midtable but they have some difficult games ahead as they face a strong Gungahlin United side on the road in round 10, before they welcome the next team they will be looking to overtake in the league table, Canberra Olympic, in a massive game for the stakes of their season in round 11.

Women’s NPL Player Opportunities

June 9, 2022
BUFC have a small number of places available in our women’s NPL senior squad (First and Reserve Grade) for 2022. Develop your game, make lifelong friendships, and enjoy competing at a high level with Canberra’s leading women’s football program. To enquire, contact Scott Conlon (NPLW Head Coach ) .

NPLW Round 8, 2022: Belconnen United FC vs Tuggeranong United FC

June 2, 2022
The Blue Devils made their return to McKeller Park this weekend with one goal in mind; to get back on winning terms for their home supporters and to build some momentum to hopefully kickstart a string of victories. After mixed results for the last month which have seen them stabilize in fourth place and slowly watching the top of the table slip away, the reigning league champions would need to put themselves in a prime spot to make up for lost ground getting into the second third of the season, and this would be a great opportunity to get started on that goal. After a big win in their last game at McKeller Belconnen would be hoping to keep the goals flowing in abundance, while their opponents for this weekend, a struggling Tuggeranong side, would be hoping to build off the back of their first victory of the season last weekend against Wagga City Wanderers, and with Belconnen’s turbulent form they must have surely headed into the game with the feeling an upset could be on the cards, and do the world of good for their campaign. Belconnen managed to get a goal very early into the contest when a low shot from in-form winger Tatum Mazis was curled past the keeper and crept into the bottom left corner of the goal in the 3 rd minute of the game. A very nice through ball into a great run by winger Keira Bobbin sent Belconnen through on goal again four minutes later, but the keeper closed enough distance that although the ball was sent past her, it could not curl back around enough to avoid clashing with the post and bouncing back into the keeper’s reach. Bobbin used a sharp turn and some quick feet to get another chance a minute later, but this shot floated the wrong side of the goal. Belconnen held the vast majority of the ball in the opening ten minutes of the proceedings, and managed to get a second goal through some great teamplay as a pass from midfield once again split through a hole in the defense and sent Bobbin through once more, this time electing to square it to one of the two support runners who were there to complete a three on one numbers advantage, with Olivia Bomford taking full advantage to poke it home for a second 13 minutes into the half, Bobbin picking up her second assist of the game. The passing display continued to entertain the crowd, with striker Tahlia Backhouse providing an excellent cross a minute later which Bomford got on the end of and almost grabbed a second in as many minutes, and then appearing again a moment later to put together a nice shot of her own that won the home side a corner. Although the corner was deflected out by the defense, the Blue Devils maintained possession and kept the pressure on, Bomford sending a curled shot from outside the box that the keeper could only half clear, giving Mazis the opportunity to strike and bag her second of the game, the home side going to a comfortable 3-0 lead after fifteen minutes. Fullback Leah Carnegie almost went on to the scoresheet when she got on the end of a cross-field aerial ball and used her height to head the ball over the keeper’s reach, but the ball narrowly went over the crossbar, however the officials deemed that the keeper had gotten her fingers to it for a corner. The corner found Tahlia Backhouse free directly in front of goal for a header, and she managed to nudge it past the keeper for Belco’s fourth. Only a minute later, Belconnen used another very well weighted aerial ball to send Keira Bobbin away again, and this time she steeled her nerve and held it at her feet as the keeper was dragged out, before sending it past her and into the top left corner for her first of the game to go with her numerous assists. Two assists wasn’t enough though, as she once again caused turmoil from the wing a few moments later, sending Olivia Bomford through again who employed the same tactic of dragging the keeper in close before sending it past her into the left corner for Belconnen’s sixth goal of the half. The home side continued to showcase very good vision and teamplay, sending Mazis through with another great pass into space, but the keeper managed to meet the shot and bring it to a stop. Tuggeranong slowly managed to get a more stable grip on the game as the first half moved into it’s final stages, managing to limit Belconnen’s attack to half chances and beginning to string together a few nice set plays, but were unable to turn it into a major chance before the half came to a close. With a first half like that Belconnen would surely be proud of their performance so far, a very solid showing in defense and some tremendous examples of how strong their attack can be when everyone is firing on all cylinders. Their attack stole the show in the first half, earning themselves over fifteen shots on target in the first half and managing to capitalize more than a third of them to full effect, all within the space of 30 minutes, which had all but secured the three points already with more than two thirds of the game to spare. In so doing, the Blue Devils became only the second team all season to lead a game by six goals or more by halftime, an achievement they share in company with the current leaders Canberra Croatia FC, a statistic that should definitely encourage them. Belconnen looked to keep the momentum right from the start of the second half of the match, sending several more shots on target that forced the opposition keeper to stay focused. They won back-to-back corners in the 51 st minute but couldn’t find a clear chance. Olivia Bomford very nearly grabbed her third of the game with a powerful strike from just within the 18-yard box, but the shot crashed into the crossbar and back out. There was a mishap in the backfield for the home side which led to Belconnen keeper Jayla Murphy being out of position, and although she could get a hand to the chip shot that got sent her way, she couldn’t get the ball fully under control and had to struggle to chase it back, narrowly managing to keep it from bouncing over but Karen Malewski had chased it through and was there to nudge it past the line for Tuggeranong’s first goal of the evening. Belconnen made a double substitution in the 64 th which saw both Katie Woodman and Tia Burrich enter the fray. Some quick feet from midfield nearly won the home side a seventh goal but the shot was snatched up by the opposition keeper, who looked much more confident than she was in the first half. Reilly Yuen very nearly managed to get on to the scoresheet after one of the aerial through balls that worked wonders for the Blue Devils in the first half sent her a good run, but once again the Tuggeranong keeper got enough on it to push it onto the crossbar for a corner which was easily dealt with. Yuen made another great opportunity in the 76 th when a nice turn got her away from her defender and gave her the time and space to send another shot in, but the ball crept to the left and crashed with the sidenetting instead. Belconnen continued to press their attacking prowess, creating a multitude of chances, but there was no breakthrough seventh goal to make up for the one they conceded early in the half. The home side created more than 25 shots on target by the end of the game compared to the visitors 3, so the performance was still a big positive to take away into the next few weeks, including their big match next weekend in the Federation Cup final.  Winger Keira Bobbin was awarded the Belconnen United Player of the Match, sponsored by the Cook Grocer, for her very promising performance, having a hand in four of Belconnen’s goals.
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