Image: Sportsgraphy
Calder United have taken out the inaugural NPLW Grand Final with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Galaxy United.
The scores were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes thanks to a first-half goal from Caitlin Pickett, then a Calder equaliser from centre-half Kasha Meyer, while Galaxy were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty in the latter stages of the second half after Annabel Martin was impeded inside the area.
Match winning duties were left to talisman Enza Barilla in the first half of extra time, with a close ranged finish.
Fouls slowed the momentum in the early moments of the contest, but a ball over the top from Sadie Murphy was able to free Pickett for an early sight on goals, watching her first low effort blocked by Rachel Binning, before dragging the follow up just wide of the left post.
The combination of Pickett and Murphy was proving to be fruitful for Galaxy, as the pair combined to help find Laura Spiranovic, but her shot was blocked again by Binning, who was making her presence known with a number of solid defensive contributions.
Calder enjoyed a string of chances at their end via the work of Rachel Alonso, who first fed Jess Au through to blaze over, before some good close-quarters work saw her go herself, but the forward lacked the composure required to test Kelsey Quinn.
It was advantage Galaxy after they converted with their first shot on target, as Pickett was left without a marker to head home from a Kariah White cross, sparking rampant on field celebration.
Alonso fired narrowly over the bar from a free-kick, while Aneta Komijat saw the final chance of the half fall Galaxy’s way, but went well over from the edge of the area.
The second half opened up with a string of chances Galaxy’s way, but they were unable to add to their tally as both Spiranovic and White blazed over, while Caitlin Pickett bolted clear of the defence, only for a poor touch to let her down as her eventual poked effort was smothered by Bethany Mason-Jones.
However, it was Calder that hit back against the run of play through a set-piece, aided by a lapse in concentration from keeper Quinn.
The American shot-stopper was unable to hold a free-kick from the right wing, which slipped from her hands into the path of Meyer, who poked home from two-yards, past the desperate lunge of Martin on the line.
There was controversy 18 minutes from time as what appeared to be a clear-cut penalty, but a free-kick was paid on the edge of the penalty area, even after the match referee consulted her assistant on the near side.
Adriana Taranto went agonisingly wide in the dying embers of the game, dragging her effort from 20-yards fractions wide to the left, while at the other end, Quinn was made to hold a dangerous cross from Stacey Papadopoulos.
The commencement of play saw Calder hit the lead within minutes of the restart, with substitute Bridie Siryj playing a putting an inch-perfect cross through to Barilla to convert past Quinn, who despite getting a hand on the shot was unable to keep it out.
Galaxy enjoyed a chance of their own as Martin opened the field for Pickett, but her low cross was snuffed out by a brilliant defensive interception, allowing Mason-Jones to claim off the feet of Lulu Al-Huneidi.
Siryj was making her presence felt another telling moment in extra time, as her clever dummy run opened space for the pacy Aliesha Newman to run clean on goal, however her shot was tame and claimed comfortably by Quinn.
Galaxy threw Sky Jensen up top in a bid to nab a winner as turned the dial to maximum, but it was Al-Huneidi who was proving the biggest catalyst with three brilliant opportunities to send the game into a penalty shootout.
A cross from White was nodded inches wide of the right post, before she then struck the side netting with a shot from the left side of goals.
She saved the best for last with a stunning effort from 25 yards which cruelly rattled the crossbar, bounced on the goal-line just behind Mason-Jones, then away before eventually being cleared by the Calder defence.
Siryj then missed the chance to seal the tie after blazing over the bar with a one-on-one opportunity from a Vlajnic cross.
The final whistle sounded, much to the relief of Calder who hung on for a nail biting victory.
Their centre defensive pair of Meyer and Binning were immense in the victory, who kept the Galaxy attackers at bay in a game in which they created the better of the opportunities.
Meanwhile, Annabel Martin was recognised as the best player on the day for her efforts for Galaxy in a losing grand final.