Westfield W-League Round 8 review

So now just two regular-round games to go and things are getting interesting. Mainly as Canberra United have made the top-four for the first-time this season and are now in the box-set to make it. Canberra, Melbourne or Perth now can't afford to drop a game if they want to keep their chances alive, which is going to make for some blockbusters next week. But before then, let's see just what set-up this three-into-one doesn't go finals conundrum.

SYDNEY FC 5 (Julie RYDAHL 12’ (pen), Leena KHAMIS (14’/19‘), Cathrine PAASKE 39’, Sarah WALSH 84’) bt PERTH GLORY 2 (Samantha KERR 6‘, Lisa DE VANNA) at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
So with Katie Gill and Sam Kerr on the pitch, Perth had a much better start than their past few games. But Sydney's clash overcame them in the end. Still what a game for TV, you couldn't ask for much more than seven goals. It does mean now that Perth's finals chances are pretty much gone. In terms of pure points they can still make it, but the 6-0 loss to Brisbane followed closely by the 4-0 one to Canberra has hammered their goal difference into very negative territory. On the flip-side, Sydney FC could now very well fancy themselves as contenders for both the league title and the premiership.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Prue Donohue
Assistant referees: Sarah HO and Liz SHORTER
Fourth official: Laura ELLIOT
Sydney FC line-up: 1. Nikola DEITER (gk), 2. Teigan ALLEN, 6. Servet UZUNLAR, 7. Heather GARRIOCK (c) (12. Michelle Carney 58’), 8. Julie RYDAHL, 9. Sarah WALSH (18. Brittany WHITFIELD 84’), 10. KYLIE LEDBROOK, 11. Cathrine PAASKE, 15. Kyah SIMON, 16. Linda O’Neill, 19. Leena KHAMIS (13. Catherine CANNULLI 80’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Carla MONFORTE (gk)
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Perth Glory line-up: 1. Emma WIRKUS, 3. Carys HAWKINS (16. Sadie LAWRENCE 88’), 4. Samantha KERR (19. Katrina JUKIC 81’), 5. Shannon May, 6. Ella MASTRANTONIO, 8. Tanya OXTOBY (c), 9. Danielle CALAUTTI (11. Lisa DE VANNA 48’), 12. Katie Gill, 13. Elisa D’Ovidio, 15. Alexandra SINGER, 17. Marianna TABAIN
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Zoe PALANDRI (gk)
Yellow Cards: Katie GILL 34’, Lisa DE VANNA 85’
Red cards: Nil
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 2 (Michelle HEYMAN 28’/53’) bt MELBOURNE VICTORY 0 at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney.
So with two rounds to go, can anyone catch Michelle Heyman for the golden boot? I don't think so myself. The former Sydney FC substitute player has continued on what was a cracking season in the NSW Women's Premier League, when she scored more than 20 goals, to 10 goals in eight W-League games. The loss means Melbourne have dropped out of the top-four, and must be feeling deja-vu at that fact they've been pushed out by Canberra. But back to the Mariners, who are now the out and out favourites to take the league title. Well you would think so, with games against Newcastle and then a tricky one against Sydney FC, but still it's a handy one-point gap to have over Brisbane. Who would have thought at the start of the season a team without one single senior Matilda, would win the title? What's what saying again, a team of champions will always lose to a champion team? Seems it could be apt.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Kirralee Gardener
Assistant referees: Leanne Smith and Katie Patterson
Fourth official: Penelope Nash
Central Coast Mariners line-up: 1. Jillian LOYDEN (gk), 2. Caitlin COOPER (C), 3. Lyndsay GLOHE, 4. Rachael DOYLE, 8. Kelly GOLEBIOWSKI (16. Jenna KINGSLEY 84’), 9. Renee ROLLASON (13. Trudy CAMILLERI 59’), 10. Kendall FLETCHER, 11. Michelle HEYMAN, 12. Samantha SPACKMAN, 14. Ashleigh CONNOR, 19. Lydia VANDENBERGH (7. Teresa POLIAS 90’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Rachel COOPER (gk)
Yellow Cards: Jenna KINGSLEY 88’
Red Cards: Nil
Melbourne Victory line-up: 1. Melissa BARBIERI (gk) (C), 2. Vedrana POPOVIC (8. Katie THORLAKSON 64’), 3. Marlies Oostam, 4. Tal KARP, 5. Laura ALLEWAY, 6. Maria RUYTER-HOOLEY, 9. Stephanie Catley, 10. Deanna NICESKI, 12. Monique HANSEN-KOFOED, 13. Katrina GORRY (19. Enza BARILLA 46’), 18. Ursula HUGHSON (14. Selin KURALAY 50’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Nicole PAUL (gk)
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil

CANBERRA UNITED 3 (Cian MACIEJEWSKI 9’, TSENG Shu O 74’, Kahlia HOGG 76’) bt NEWCASTLE JETS 1 (Amber NEILSON 53’ (pen)) at EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle.
So Canberra's late run of season form continues, and sets-up a very familar-looking clash in Round 9, but before we get to that - it almost didn't happen. First of all on Sunday, it was crazy conditions in Newcastle. The temperature was 42-degrees on the ground and it was a humid, terrible heat that was energy-zapping. I have no idea how those girls made it through the match without fainting, and they certainly deserve a round of applause for just getting through that game. But at the end of the day, Canberra dominated the chances and deserved to win. After scoring in just the 9th minute, from an Ellyse Perry free kick that almost curled by itself until Cian Maciejewski made sure of it with her head, Canberra should have gone into half-time 3-0 up but didn't. That allowed Newcastle back into the game and then took their chance when awarded a penalty. Really shouldn't have been a penalty, but anyway. Amber Neilson took it beautifully. It then looked like Canberra were going to throw-away a golden chance to control their own finals destiny as scores were locked at 1-1 for 20minutes, before some individual brilliance from Tseng Shu O and Kahlia Hogg took the score to 3-1, in the 74th and 76th minute. But special mention to Ashleigh Sykes, who set-up both Tseng's and Hogg's goals beautifully. Newcastle showed some great passages of play in stages, but on the whole just weren't consistent enough. A tough game to judge though on the heat, it really was crazy!
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Peta McCallum
Assistant referees: Penelope Nash and Catherine Nash
Fourth official: Tanya De Boer
Newcastle Jets line-up: 1. Alison LOGUE (gk), 3. Pelay INGLES, 6. Amber NEILSON (c), 7. Gema SIMON, 8. Bronte BATES, 13. Caitlin JARVIE (9. Kate HENSMAN 64’), 15. Renee CARTWRIGHT, 16. Kirstyn PEARCE, 17. Madeline SEARL (11. Carlie IKONOMOU 59’), 18. Leia SMITH, 19. Tara ANDREWS (12. Emma STEWART 83’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Emma-Kate DEWHURST (gk)
Yellow Cards: Pelay INGLES 87’
Red Cards: Nil
Canberra United line-up: 1. Lydia WILLIAMS, 3. Bronwyn STUDMAN, 5. Kahlia HOGG, 7. Ellie BRUSH (c), 8. Emily VAN EGMOND (12. Snez VELJANOVSKA 76’), 10. TSENG Shu O, 11. Cian MACIEJEWSKI, 14. Ashleigh SYKES, 15. Nicole SYKES (2. Rebecca KITING 57’), 16. Ellyse PERRY, 19. Jen BISSET (9. Grace GILL 49’)
Substitutes Not Used: 20. Jocelyn MARA
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil

BRISBANE ROAR 2 (Tameka BUTT 42’, Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT 53’) drew with ADELAIDE UNITED 2 (Racheal QUIGLEY 10’, Ruth WALLACE 20’) at Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane.
Well well well, wasn't this a surprise! In what was previewed everywhere as perhaps a chance for Brisbane to break the record for goals, Adelaide United instead claimed it's third-point for the season which was enough to move away from the wooden-spoon spot. But what I'm interested to know is why Casey Dumont was on the bench? Was it a 'we're going to win anyway, we'll give Kate Stewart a go this season' type-decision?, or is Casey injured? Either way, dropping that point now means the Mariners are in the best spot to claim the league championship, so Brisbane have dropped a golden chance to all but secure its back to back titles.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
Assistant referees: Renee Coghill and Christie Robb
Fourth official: Brooke Staff
Brisbane Roar line-up: 20. Kate STEWART (gk), 3. Karla REUTER 4. Clare POLKINGHORNE (c), 7. Pam BIGNOLD, 8. Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT, 10.Lana HARCH (9. Jenna TRISTRAM 71’), 12. Steph LATHAM (6. Joanne BURGESS 38’), 13. Tameka BUTT, 14.Sasha MCDONNELL, 16. Lauren COLTHORPE, 19. Ellen BEAUMONT
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Casey DUMONT (gk), 15. Leah CURTIS
Yellow Cards: Lauren COLTHORPE 84’
Red Cards: Nil
Adelaide United line-up: 1.Sian McLAREN (gk), 5.Ashlee FAUL, 7.Racheal QUIGLEY (6.Thomai KEZIOS 90’), 8.Ruth WALLACE (9.Angela FIMMANO 69’), 11.Georgia CHAPMAN, 13.Lauren CHILVERS, 14.Donna COCKAYNE, 15.Tenneille BOALER (19. Nenita BURGESS 79’), 16.Christina PAPAGEORGIOU (c), 17.Karina ROWETH, 18.Rochelle KUHAR
Substitutes Not Used: 20.Kristi HARVEY (gk)
Yellow Cards: Ashlee FAUL 44’, Donna COCKAYNE 47’
Red Cards: Nil