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

2 July, 2022

Belconnen United’s womens side returned home to McKellar Park for an important match up against the top of the ladder and currently unbeaten, Canberra Croatia side. With the clouds offering a foreboding atmosphere the stands were filled regardless and the Blue Devils entered into a game where three points could spark a shake-up in the pecking order at the top of the ladder at the halfway mark of the campaign.


However, the visiting Canberra Croatia side had a near perfect record in the league so far this season and would certainly not be aiming to allow one of their closest competitors put a blemish on it now, so the stakes were set for a very crucial game for both squads.

 

The sides traded shot to shot in the opening stages, giving both defenses some early work but Belconnen’s efforts in winning the ball high up the pitch was noticeably giving them time on the ball to consider their options.


Croatia’s defensive back four were up the challenge however, making sure that whenever the home side considered a drive into the box they were met with an ample abundance of traffic to struggle to move through. There was a moment in the 10th minute where a nice breakaway run by Belconnen's winger gave the opportunity to link up with fellow winger Reilly Yuen but some contact from the last ditch defense prevented Yuen from having a clear chance and the ref cleared it as clean contact.


Croatia managed to get the first goal of proceedings when they won a corner in the 14th minute which fullback Rebecca Kiting managed to get a decisive header to, knocking it into the net from around 7 metres out. The goal sparked a mountain of possession and pressure from the visiting side that started to take full control of the pace of the game. While during the first 10 minutes Belconnen were winning the ball in midfield and getting themselves time to set themselves, now they were being marked out and possession stolen away with much more authority. In the moments where they could mount a moment of pressure, it seemed the Croatia defense were having a difficult time.


Belconnen won a series of consecutive throw-ins deep in the attacking half in the 25th minute, which were nearly turned into a goal, after two very nice looking long throw-ins gave the home side a glimpse. The breakthrough nearly came after one of these moments resulted in a corner that the keeper got hands to but the pressure from the nearest Belconnen player, center back Karen Clarke, caused her to let it go, rebounding back into play for Zaravac, the keeper reacting fast enough to get her hands to it again, this time carrying it away and snuffing out the chance.


Belconnen were getting more and more confident in their go forward from this moment on, though, continuing to ask several questions of the defense. 


Croatia very nearly diminished this comeback fire a few minutes later, however, when a long shot from beyond the 18 yard box threatened to go in but couldn’t sink back down, sailing over the bar. Belconnen responded with a long range effort themselves, with the added flair of the shot coming from out wide as well as from distance and the shot had more than effort curl to be on target but the ball wasn’t flying with nearly enough pace for the keeper to have any concerns getting into position to wait for it.

 

Croatia did manage to double their lead soon, however, when the already on the scoresheet Kiting managed to time a through ball past the defense perfectly for her winger Brittany Palombi and, while the home side and many of the supporters had initially had questions the winger might have been offside, the linesman had noticed she was not and the winger managed to square it for her opposite winger, Anna Ross, to poke it home to extend the lead to two goals in the 36th minute. They very nearly turned it into three just before stoppage time, when another corner led to a golden strike but Belconnen keeper Jayla Murphy rose above all traffic and got a hand to it to guide it over the bar.

 

Belco striker, Tahlia Backhouse, had a chance to try and get one of these goals back with Belconnen’s best opportunity of the half during stoppage time but, while she managed to get the ball past the last ditch defense, the officials deemed there was enough contact to warrant a free kick, ending the move before she could take a shot on goal.

 

With some nice passing plays when they had the opportunity to and some nice high pressing defense at times as well, the home side must have been feeling very frustrated by the score line in the interval. With only one shot on target and the high pressing defense creating a moment of disjointed defense that the visiting front line took full advantage of, this first half could also serve as evidence that you simply cannot afford to make mistakes, as the league-leading Croatia can turn them into a nightmare.


Heading back into the second half, the home side were looking far more confident on the ball. This improvement was almost completely side tracked when Palombi almost bagged a goal of her own in the 49th, forcing a good save out of Jayla Murphy and winning Croatia a few consecutive corners.


With opportunities to get more control over the pace and tempo, the Blue Devils started to break through the pressure and begin making inroads towards closing the deficit. With the wind now at their behest, Belconnen saw a major increase in opportunities to take a strike on goal and had several moments where the opposing keeper was left with a lot of work to do to keep it out.


Murphy was still required to be at the top of her game, however, as another moment once again nearly saw Croatia extend their lead to three, with a chance that saw Murphy needing to make three consecutive saves and the ball still crept towards goal but by this time one of the fullbacks had gotten back and could clear it away for a corner, which came to nothing.

 

Belco midfielder, Olivia Bomford, nearly secured the home side their first goal of proceedings, having to settle for a corner but the home side took this corner for full advantage, supplying a well-weighted cross into the box that floated in the air long enough to give Belconnen time to get there, with center back Karen Clarke nudging it goalwards and getting a very important first goal of the game for Belconnen, cutting the deficit in half with 22 more minutes on the clock.


With a clear boost to confidence once more, Belconnen continued to push, now eclipsing Croatia in regards to shots on target but none could manage to sneak their way past a keeper that was very determined to not see the lead disintegrate completely.

Not only were the home side able to see more golden chances to equalize, they were a wide variety of different opportunities, as well. They won a free kick in a very advantageous position which striker Tahlia Backhouse very nearly turned into the leveler, but the keeper once again brought a top tier save to the table to deny it. The wind picking up was having a noticeable effect on the ball, with Croatia struggling to utilize the aerial passes they were using to full effect in the first half. A cross from out wide very nearly ended up turning into the equalizer as the wind took it off course and nearly dragged it all the way into the net, but once again the keeper was not going to let the lead go. Despite a very positive attacking onslaught, the goal simply never arrived, as the game entered into stoppage time and then to a end, the league leaders managing to hold on to that crucial second goal and secure the three points.

 

After a first half that was frustrating, a positive to take away was that the home side proved in the second half that they clearly have the ability to match it with the best of the competition, very nearly clawing their way back in to proceedings and simply being bested by bad luck by the end of the half.


Heading back onto the road in round 13 now looking to make up for the three lost points here, the Blue Devils prepare to face off against a struggling Wagga City side, desperate to turn their season around, and with both Croatia and 2nd placed Canberra Olympic with difficult games in round 13, Belconnen could potentially set themselves back on track with a strong win.


Fullback Stephenie Leijins was awarded this week’s Belconnen United Player of the Match, securing a $50 voucher to Belconnen United sponsor the Cook Grocer.

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

August 15, 2022
13 August 2022

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

August 15, 2022
16 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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