All Age Women
Coogee United 1 v Seaforth FC 2
Seaforth survived almost two hours of football to win with a golden goal in extra time.
There was a delayed kickoff and a change of field, but this didn’t cause any disruption to the Seaforth attack and the northern beaches side took the lead in just the second minute. Sophie Tetley found the back of the net after great work from flying winger Abbey Cosh, who beat two defenders in the buildup for the goal. These two, along with Tess McGrath, were tireless in the Seaforth frontline and constantly worked to stretch the Coogee defence.
Coogee United worked their way into the contest and won a number of attacking set pieces during the first half. United fullback Mackenzie Weeks showed prodigious ability with long throws, causing some tricky moments for the Seaforth backline. As the half progressed, Hayley Marshall became prominent in attack for Coogee and she had their best chance of the opening 45 minutes, drawing an excellent save from Seaforth shotstopper Kierly Wiggins after being set up by Kiara Hannon.
The teams must be commended for the competitive spirit with which they played this game, as it was difficult for any of the players to find time on the ball. Coogee ramped up the intensity in the second half and put Seaforth to the test, but Hannah Griffiths had an excellent game at the heart of their defence and rarely let anything get past her.
On 73 minutes, Coogee’s Margaux Montegut crossed and the ball fell for Marshall, who forced Wiggins into a smart save from the edge of the area. The eastern suburbs side didn’t give up, scoring an equaliser in the 84th minute. Montegut pounced when Sian Genoud’s long free kick caused mayhem in the area, firing the ball past Wiggins to make it 1-1.
Impressively, the tempo didn’t drop as the game went beyond the 90 minutes. The first half of extra time passed without any notable chances, but the second extra time period had more than enough action.
On 109 minutes, Seaforth forward Amber Hartmann was inches away from being the hero, smashing a shot against the underside of the crossbar after getting on the end of Skye Ludlow’s excellent cross. A minute later, a handball meant Seaforth were awarded a penalty. Their captain Julia Murphy stepped up and blasted the ball home from 12 yards, giving her side a golden goal and the victory.
Match Stats
Coogee United 1 (Margaux Montegut 84’) Seaforth 2 (Sophie Tetley 2’, Julia Murphy 110’)
Coogee United: 1. Amy SINGH, 4. Rachel LAWLER, 5. Amy NG, 6. Danielle ABEL, 8. Carol BREEN, 9. Rachel LI, 10. Sian GENOUD, 11. Hayley MARSHALL, 12. Natasha WAD, 13. Kate STEPHENSON, 14. Niamh FOLEY, 15. Colette POWER, 16. Mackenzie WEEKS, 18. Sarah MCKINLEY, 23. Kiara HANNON, 33. Margaux MONTEGUT
Seaforth FC: 1. Kierly WIGGINS, 2. Julia MURPHY, 3. Madeleine KILPATRICK, 4. Sarah MAHER, 5. Emily WOOD, 6. Hannah GRIFFITHS, 7. Siena MOSS, 8. Sophie TETLEY, 9. Tess McGRATH, 10. Skye LUDLOW, 12. Amber HARTMANN, 13. Abbey COSH, 14. Eleanor OWEN, 15. Briana BROWN, 16. Alexandra MILLER, 18. Emma HILLS
