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Article courtesy of Capital Football

Belconnen United made it a clean sweep of trophies in the Tradies Women’s Premier League with a commanding 4-0 Grand Final defeat of title rivals Woden Valley on a warm Sunday afternoon at Hawker Football Centre. Two goals apiece from Westfield W-League players Caitlin Munoz and Snez Veljanovska did the damage and ensured that Antoni Jagarinec’s team would claim the 2011 treble.

Any thoughts that the familiarity of the players to each other would see a nice friendly clash were dispelled as early as the third minute when Woden Valley striker Ashleigh Palombi picked up the game’s first yellow card as the fiery forward was cautioned for delaying the re-start after an offside decision. Apart from that though Woden’s leading scorer was rather conspicuous by her absence as the first half an hour were played almost exclusively in Woden’s half.

Caitlin Munoz was the driving force for the Blue Devils with the Canberra United player and Matildas international at the forefront of Belconnen’s attacks. Munoz made the first break of the match in the tenth minute when she burst down the left wing and cut the ball back, where it fell kindly for Amy Wilson, whose fierce shot was flying towards goal before Valley centre-back Anissa Tann bravely headed clear.

Munoz then had a glorious chance to give Belconnen the lead when she got free in front of goal to meet an Amy Spence free-kick with a back-header. Munoz got too much on the flick though and it went harmlessly over Gill Raymond’s crossbar, much to the relief of the Woden goalkeeper. Shortly afterwards Munoz tried again from distance but Stephanie Coates put her body on the line to charge down the shot.

With temperatures soaring there was little in the way of goal mouth action at either end after that with the heat taking its toll on both squads. Also taking its toll was a heavy challenge on Woden’s Elle Hollis, a tackle that saw Snez Veljanovska join Palombi in the referee’s notebook, which forced the defender from the field to be replaced by Ellie Raymond just before the thirty minute mark as the tackles flew in and the game became rather bogged down in the middle of the park.

The game needed a spark and it was little surprise that it was provided by Munoz two minutes before half-time. Belconnen won a corner on the left hand side and Michelle Thompson delivered a cross of stunning quality. Arriving to meet it at the far post was the livewire Munoz who directed her header back across goal and past Raymond into the net to give the Blue Devils the lead and, whilst it was Munoz who provided the execution, the supply from Thompson was dazzling.

Woden though are made of stern stuff these days and, from a sporadic raid into Belconnen territory, almost equalised before half-time. The prodigiously gifted Jaline Hoek got away from the Blue Devils defence and lifted a shot over Jocelyn Mara in the Belconnen goal only to watch on in agony as it bounced back off the post to safety, the upright preserving the Blue Devils slender lead at the interval.

The next goal was likely to prove critical and it went to Belconnen less than ten minutes after the re-start. A Peta-Clare Fothergill free-kick was lofted into the Woden penalty area and, after everyone missed the ball, was heading into the net where Veljanovska applied the finishing touch from almost on the goal line. Again Woden showed their resolve and almost got back into the match. Hoek was once more at the pinnacle of the attacking move and her clash with Mara saw the ball roll free to Meg McLaughlin. The youngster, who had only been on the field a matter of minutes after replacing Emma Thornton, fired her shot towards the empty net from a very acute angle, but narrowly sent the ball over the bar.

Woden hopes of getting back into the match were given a boost midway through the half when the Blue Devils were reduced to ten players following the dismissal of defender Bronwyn Studman for a second yellow card offence. And they certainly upped the tempo with the player advantage sending over a wave of crosses into the penalty area that the attacking players just failed to get on the end of. Christine Walters was the chief threat with her dribbling skills getting her into a couple of dangerous positions.

Belconnen weren’t to be denied though and put the seal on the match with a third strike. Receiving a pass thirty metres from goal, Veljanovska ran on and cut onto her right foot before unleashing a low drive that beat Raymond for pace from the edge of the penalty area. The icing on the cake soon followed when Munoz ran past two lethargic looking Woden Valley tacklers and lashed a left foot shot in at the near post to make it 4-0.

There was still time for Hoek to go close again, this time from just outside the six-yard box, as she diverted a McLaughlin cross shot at the Blue Devils goal but her luck was out again as the ball, once more, came back off the post just about summing up the afternoon for Ed Hollis’ luckless side.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Julie Murray Medal: Caitlin Munoz (Belconnen United): Two goals and a domineering display from Munoz earned her the Julie Murray Medal. Her pace and aggressiveness lifted the match in the first half and her first goal, headed in from a Michelle Thompson corner, was the game-breaker. A wonderful second, where the characteristic trademarks of her pace and tenacity shone through coupled with a thumping left-foot finish, sealed a fine all-round display from the Canberra United and Matildas star.

STATISTICS

Belconnen United: 1. Jocelyn Mara (gk), 3. Lauren Keir (4. Clare Munro), 5. Amy Spence, 6. Caitlin Munoz, 7. Snez Veljanovska, 8. Michaela Day, 9. Katie Woodman (11. Alison Lound), 12. Michelle Thompson (2. Natasha Ackland), 13. Bronwyn Studman, 15. Peta-Clare Fothergill, 16. Amy Wilson

Substitutes not used: 14. Jess McEwan, 17. Maja Blasch

Woden Valley: 1. Gill Raymond (gk), 2. Christine Walters, 4. Stephanie Coates, 6. Elle Hollis (17. Ellie Raymond), 7. Jaline Hoek, 10. Ashleigh Palombi, 11. Sophie Kochinos (5. Kelsey Perry), 12. Erin Frewin, 13. Emma Thornton (8. Meg McLaughlin), 15. Catherine Brown, 16. Annisa Tann

Substitutes not used: 9. Julia De Angelis, GK. Kate Grarock

Discipline: YELLOW CARDS: 7. Snez Veljanovska 13. Bronwyn Studman (both Belconnen United), 10. Ashleigh Palombi 15. Catherine Brown (both Woden Valley)

RED CARD: 13. Bronwyn Studman (Belconnen United)

Match Officials: Alasdair Grocock (referee), Pat Caggiano, Gordon McDonald, Mark Valerius (4th Official)