SOUTHERN UNITED vs CENTRAL

They don’t call it The Land of the Long White Cloud for nothing. Seemed like no matter where you were in the country this week it was wet and windy and that made for some slippery National League footy. Like when Central, the nothernmost team in the comp this year, travelled down south after a battling defeat to Capital to face a Southern side buzzing from having just beaten the defending champs and both teams were met by some unforgiving elements. It was a blankets on the bench kinda day. Even the livestream was shivering.

Neither team made a change from last week. Same starting elevens on both counts, might’ve thought Shontelle Smith made a case with how she closed out that first Southern win but then you’ve gotta drop someone in that scenario and there’s no need to change a winning team. Or a losing-with-a-commendable-performance team in Central’s case.

Styles make fights. That’s what they say in the boxing/combat sports arena and that’s a metaphor that goes well here because these are probably the two more defensive-minded teams of the 2021 quartet. Southern didn’t drop the Cantabs by dominating possession, it was a structured pressing game targeting turnovers and transitions that did the business and they weren’t gonna be able to do that against a Central team that would sit deep and compact. There were a few early hints of Southern trying to stretch their opponents on the wings but they had to get the ball out of their own half first and Central were really crowding them out and therefore winning the early territory arm-wrestle.

About ten minutes in, that territory struggle led directly to the first goal. A mistake at the back from Hannah Mackay-Wright, unable to make the intercept stepping up, and Jessie Fallon was able to set herself up and stab a shot across former teammate Amy Simmers in goal to score. There’d been some nice work from Stella Warner winning the ball initially and from Holly Kleinsman feeding Aimee Atkins. But ordinarily Mackay-Wright cuts that out and it’s danger averted. An uncharacteristic error and then Falloon kinda did to Southern what Amy Hislop did to Canterbury last week. 1-0 to Central.

Hislop had barely been sighted to that point though she started getting more involved afterwards, looking a match-up nightmare for the young Central defenders. Too strong and full of confidence. But they had to get the ball to her first and that required getting into the other half. Which... Southern did get better after the goal, to be fair. Moving the ball a little faster... but Kate Mori and Abby Rankin were going good in that Central midfield and it was all still very congested. You got the feeling whichever team could figure out how to open things up with a few switch of plays would take control. Mackay-Wright did flick a Renee Bacon corner kick wide of the near post but otherwise not a lot of chances.

Until the 32nd minute when Southern got even again. Corner kick partially cleared, lifted back in by Hislop. Bit of pinball and suddenly the ball dropped near Margi Dias who lined up an outrageous mid-air effort. She missed it... but from the ground was able to nudge the ball to Mackay-Wright who drifted across the defence and fired through the crowd to make it 1-1. Hannah Mackay-Wright making amends for the earlier error with a well taken equaliser. Not a lot else going on before the break, a Dias header straight at Brooke Bennett about the sum of it.

Southern went to the bench at half-time with Shontelle Smith on for Emily Morison, signalling a slight tweak in shape. An extra ball-player in the midfield. The strategy had an immediate effect as Southern began to run the show at home. Dias had a low volley saved by Bennett. Lots more possession now. Then came a risky pair of subs: it was still 1-1 but off came Amy Hislop and Kirsty Hayr and on came Ruby Anderson and Lena de Ronde. Taking off your best striker when you’re still chasing the game?

No dramas. About a minute later Southern took the lead. Margi Dias of course, running onto a first time ball over the top from Rose Morton – once again an impressive anchor in the Southern midfield – which stretched that Central defence in exactly the way that they weren’t able to do in the first half. Dias did take a heavy touch but was quick enough to recover before the keeper could close her down, slamming past Bennett to give her side the lead. Margi Dias has come down from Canterbury this season as she attends Otago Uni and already looks like a fantastic get. Similar to how Macey Fraser joined Southern last year for more game time and delivered the goods, Dias brings a bit of flair and guile to the Southern attack. Definitely deserved that goal (and she set up the first, don’t forget).

The home side continued to play the game where they wanted to until an extended pause after Jessie Falloon took a knock (she was able to continue) which cost them some momentum. After proceedings resumed, Central gave it a bit of a push. Vanya Apiata-Hodgkinson provided some energy off the bench while Kleinsman and Eve Barry had linked up well all arvo whenever they’d been able to get into good positions. However the potential comeback was thwarted in the 83rd min when Shontelle Smith scored a screamer of a goal to make it 3-1...

They don’t come much better than that. Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest Shontelle Smith probably will be starting next week. Central may have had one more in them if things cracked right but they didn’t have two more. Southern therefore able to close things out for the 3-1 win, making it back to back victories in this South Central Series to set them up beautifully. Did have to come from behind after a poor start but they were by far the better team in the second stanza. Very good at reading the play from defence, stepping up and winning the ball. Keeping Central pegged back. Smith and Morton had wonderful games. Kelsey Kennard didn’t put a foot wrong. And Margi Dias gave them the sauce up front to win the contest.

Central did offer more in attack here than they did last week so that’s promising. When wingers Barry and Kleinsman are able to drift inwards in support they played some decent stuff. Probably gotta work on their crossing some more but the youngest team in the competition (and it’s not even really close) oughta take plenty out of both of these two performances to start the season despite the defeats. Particularly rate the CB combination of Devyn Crawford and Lara Smith whose combined age probably isn’t much over 30.

Also here’s a clip of their coach Matthew Calvert taking a tumble near the end. The bench certainly got a bit of a giggle out of it (though not too much of a giggle... he’s still the coach and you still wanna be in the squad next week)...

CAPITAL vs CANTERBURY PRIDE

Then our other fixture – both Saturday games this week which is bloody fantastic for writing purposes – took us to the capital (for a game involving Capital) where we had a rematch of last season’s final. Albeit a rematch which didn’t include a large chunk of the players that featured in that 2020 decider. Canterbury Pride won that game 4-0 with goals from Gabi Rennie (x2), Britney-Lee Nicholson & Nicola Dominikovich. However the starting elevens here saw only 5 recurring players for Capital and a mere 4 for the Cantabs. Eh, that’s how these things go.

Just before we begin, genuine gratitude towards Sky Sport Next and all they’re doing to bring these streams to us free and accessibly. Same to the commentators and the camerafolk and all them. Amazing work there bringing the National League to the nation and beyond. Having said that... let’s play a little game. Count how many mistakes you can find in the team list that popped up on the graphics for Canterbury Pride...

Right, well they’re named as Western Suburbs for starters (as were Capital). Nicola Dominikovich’s name is smaller so that it fits but that doesn’t explain why the single-digit numbers are a bigger font size than the others, affecting the spacing. Two goalkeepers are named in the starting line-up while one of the starters is randomly on the bench. A bench which is missing a player (Ellena Firth). No spelling mistakes that I can spot but Charlotte Mortlock’s name is cropped off. Bit of a shambles. All these broadcasts are a work in progress... but it does seem like the women’s comp is more susceptible to these graphical shenanigans.

What actually happened was that the Pride made two changes from last week’s upset defeat to Southern. Two of the most inexperienced players in that group dropping to the bench: Freya Lodge and Ellena Firth. In their place, Jasmine Donald came into the back three while Charlotte Mortlock started up front next to Nikola Dominikovich with the Kate’s Loye and Guildford both moving into deeper areas of the pitch. Meanwhile Capital made two changes themselves: Kaley Ward deservedly in up front after changing the course of the game as a substitute last time while a certain K.Bryant also appeared. Yes, you know the one: Kennedy Bryant.

Capital started with a back three in week one but switched it up to a four at the half in order to get more numbers going forward. Here they started with four at the back. Anna Green and Zoe Barrott in the middle, Ellen Fibbes on the right, Kennedy Bryant on the left. Emma Main, who started at RWB last game and then had a ripper after moving into midfield when the switcharoo happened... she was in midfield again. Very much sticking to what worked, granted with a 4-4-2 shape this time for those two protective blocks of four against the reigning champs.

Bit hard to see what was going on behind the raindrops on the camera lens but there was a lot of Capital trying to work the ball out from the back and a few hints of Kaley Ward’s excellent hold-up play on display when they succeeded in advancing it. But a cautious game in the pouring rain... until Capital scored. Anna Green with a corner kick and Kaley Ward with the header. Those ones where you catch them in motion, all you’ve gotta do is guide it because no keeper/defender is stopping them unless you hit it straight at them. Ward did that perfectly. Sneaky nod to the delivery from Greeny too. On the money.

The Pride responded by getting Annalie Longo on the ball ASAP, sending defenders sliding through puddles, and there was a decent looking penalty shout as a ball perhaps dropped onto a defender’s arm which was waved off by the ref. Longo also had a crack from distance that was comfortably saved by Molly Simons. There was a lot of the Pride pushing up with numbers and trying to trap the Capital side early in their possessions and Capital showing some classiness to play around the press (Helena Errington again looking flash, Emma Main too)... which every now and then led to a Capital counter.

In the 22nd min one of those counters should have led to a second goal. Olivia Ingham with a great run along the right edge and sliding one across for Pepi Olliver-Bell... but she took a touch instead of shooting first time, perhaps wanting it on her right foot, and was tackled. The ball still fell for Kaley Ward but her shot was well saved despite containing plenty of juice. Annie Foote getting gloves on it. Foote got into trouble soon after when she was beaten to a loose ball, though Olliver-Bell couldn’t shoot on target from a tough angle with the goal open. There was also a Green free kick that caused some hiccups but nobody could put a finishing touch on it.

The Pride weren’t creating much outside of Longo, to be honest. A lot of crosses but Capital were dealing with those nicely, however they the game did steadily ease closer towards the Capital goal as it went on. More and more of that balance between Capital’s defence playing the ball out and Canterbury rushing them. GK Simons probably got a little too eager there at times (looked like she got a telling off/some friendly advice from Ward at one point). Amidst that, Rebecca Lake put a head to a free kick and Kate Loye had a shot on target late on. But ‘twas 1-0 to Capital at the half.

Thankfully, there were hints of sunlight by the time the second half kicked off. Also making an appearance were Una Foyle and Kiara Bercelli for the Cantabs at HT; Foyle in at goalie having sat out the first 135 mins of this season after starting every game a year ago while Bercelli replaced Mortlock up front. Bercelli had a great chance volleying wide off a Guildford cross a few mins into the spell although she was quickly flagged offside. As was Ward running onto a through ball after a brilliant run from Emma Main. Very enjoyable match here between two strong teams.

In the 55th min the Pride drew level. Wonderful cross from Guildford and there was Nicola Dominikovich to pounce. Canterbury finally managing to stretch that Capital defence out and earn a little space in the box, with a delivery to match, plus an excellent guided header, and at 1-1 it was anybody’s game. Capital just a wee bit slow in their rotations there.

Bercelli blasted one over, Green fired a direct free kick over the top. Things were happening at both ends. A header at the back stick was sent narrowly off target from a Capital corner, think it was Bryant there but not sure. Next goal would be crucial, who wanted it? Kaley Ward did, naturally. Some super stuff down the left wing from Bryant, Main, and Olliver-Bell before Ward worked space for a shot which took a ricochet off the shoulder of Rebecca Lake and left Foyle with no hope of stopping it. Desperately unlucky for the Pride but reward for Capital’s persistence. More shots = more goals, no matter how they come. 66 mins gone and it was 2-1 to Capital.

Both teams had switched things up in midfield just before the goal - Firth on for Whitney Hepburn in an attacking move for Canterbury while Capital brought on Jemma Catherwood at left back which meant Kennedy Bryant going into the middle. Bryant maybe enjoyed that midfield freedom a little too much as she clattered Footy Ferns centurion Annalie Longo with twenty to play. Longo had a few words to offer in response... probably not ideal to have Aotearoa’s Women's Football Development officer grilling you out mid-game (though they did shake hands after the ref intervened – nothing dirty, merely a late challenge). Anna Green had been on the end of a couple rough tackles too. Nothing coming easy for the Footy Ferns veterans.

From there it was a matter of Capital’s midfield sitting a bit deeper, their defenders winning their duels, and the keeper getting her hands on anything that came her way. Tick, tick, tick. It was a cool and composed heist... with one exception. Right on ninety mins, Wall put a low ball into the area which Loye dashed to meet but, unmarked, she couldn’t get contact on her shot and the chance evaporated. Capital then went and put some icing on the cake of the result as Olivia Ingham snuck through and bumped in a third. 3-1 the final score in favour of Capital Football.

Two straight defeats for the champs? Better believe it. The consolation is that the dynasty is under no threat given that this South Central Series doesn’t officially count... but that won’t matter at training this week. It’s not like they’re playing terribly but they’re simply not dominating games the way we’re used to. Arguably lacking a number one goal scorer up top. A few individual errors at the back. It’s a tricky one but they should find some form next week against a Central who have also lost two on the trot to begin with. The handy thing about the women’s comp is that you play everybody twice, it’s basically a Champions League group stage so the Pride will get the chance to make amends in the return fixtures.

Gotta rate this Capital side though. They’ve got excellent structure, which you’d expect with a defence like theirs, but they also play with positive intent to build things up from the back. They weren’t daunted by this match, instead they earned some impressive revenge for the 2020 grand final. Kaley Ward was fantastic. She gives them that reliable outlet in the forwards to bring everybody else into play and, as we saw here once again, she’s a legit goal scorer. Probably the best goal scorer in the competition this year. Chuck in some quality young midfielders like Helena Errington, Nina Kondo, and Emma Main and Capital are the real deal. This win didn’t flatter them one bit. And next week they go head to head with the other two-win team...

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