Sky Blues lock down W-League GF spot

(Courtesy of abc grandstand)

In control: Leena Khamis put Sydney FC two goals ahead in the second half. (Getty Images: Mark Kolbe)

Sydney FC secured its place in the 2009 W-League grand final after handing Canberra United a resounding 3-0 thumping at Shark Park on Saturday afternoon.

Playing with just 10 on the field after Aleisha Clifford was red carded in the 13th minute, the Sky Blues took a 1-0 lead into the break thanks to a Sarah Walsh goal on the stroke of half-time.
Leena Khamis extended the margin after 61 minutes and skipper Heather Garriock iced Canberra's chances 10 minutes out from the full-time siren.
The home side was the more aggressive offensively, peppering the Canberra goal mouth with 18 attempts to United's eight shots.
Sydney will face the winner of the second semi-final between Central Coast and Brisbane to be played in Gosford on Sunday afternoon.

(Kate Ellem)

Tags: aleague, brisbane-4000, canberra-2600, football, gosford-2250, sport, sydney-2000

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Permalink Reply by Sandra Sue on December 14, 2009 at 21:51

Courtesy Sydney FC Women Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?v=info&ref...

Sydney powers into final
Saturday, 12 December 2009

Ellyse Perry and Leena Khamis A ten-woman Sydney FC has stormed into the Westfield W-League grand final with a 3-0 victory over Canberra United in Sydney today.

After Sydney defender Alesha Clifford saw red on 11 minutes, the Sky Blues reorganised and right on half-time Matilda Sarah Walsh stroked home the opening goal.

On the hour mark Sydney deservedly made it 2-0 after Leena Khamis found herself free in the box to head home Julie Rydahl's set piece.

And, captain Heather Garriock capped off a marvelous day for the Sky Blues with a third late on to send Sydney into its first ever Westfield W-League grand final.

For Sydney, Walsh and Garriock were superb and despite the one-woman advantage for most of the game, Canberra – last season's grand final runners up - simply could not make the numerical advantage count against a more confident opponent.

Canberra began the first half with a strong southerly blowing from the back and edged the opening exchanges.

Things got even better for the visitor when Canberra's Ashleigh Sykes broke through the centre of the Sky Blues defence before Clifford was adjudged to have pulled her back.

Referee Casey Reibelt pulled out a red card and suddenly the game's complexion changed.

Kylie Ledbrook slotted in alongside Servet Uzunlar in the centre of the Sydney defence which had its hands full with pink-haired Shu O Tseng, Ellyse Perry and Sykes, who more than a handful in the attacking third.

Chances were few and far between for both sides as the football was typically intense and tight. Sydney's flowing style of play was stifled while Canberra was working very hard in shutting down the home side.

But Sydney's marauding full-back Kyah Simon was regularly finding space down the right and on the stroke of half-time it was her low cross that was stroked home by Walsh, who got in-between keeper Lydia Williams and her defenders.

Walsh celebrated with the large Sydney contingent of fans as their team went 1-0 up at the break with all the momentum.

Things kept on going Sydney's way in the early stages of the second half, with Walsh playing as a lone striker and causing plenty of grief in concert with Garriock.

Ashleigh Sykes found herself in a one-on-one with Sydney keeper Nikola Deitter but was unable to convert in her side's best early chance in the second half.

It was to prove a costly miss as on the hour mark Khamis expertly headed home to make it 2-0.

Sydney piled on the pressure with their tails up and peppered the shell-shocked Canberra goal.

United looked a beaten team despite the numerical and the dangerous Garriock made it 3-0 with ten minutes left after good lead up play from the brilliant Walsh.

The Sky Blues now will watch on with great interest to see who they play in next weekend's Grand Final when Brisbane Roar and Central Coast meet on Sunday afternoon.

Sydney FC 2 (Walsh 45, Khamis 60, Garriock 84)
Canberra United 0
Toyota Park, Sydney

Permalink Reply by Women's Soccer United on December 14, 2009 at 22:16

Great result for Sydney FC, especially with only 10 after just 11 mins played. Why was the defender red carded was it a bad challenge?
Will Sydney go on to win the final against Brisbane Roar?

Permalink Reply by Sandra Sue on January 31, 2011 at 0:04

Sydney FC W-League team are now the 2010/11 Premiers and meet Melbourne Victory at the semi-final on Sunday 5 February 2011 at Campbelltown Stadium. Review of last match of the season:

Sportal Australia
Jan 29 2011 19:42

TWO goals in the second half has seen Sydney FC defeat the Newcastle Jets 2-1 and wrap up the Westfield W-League Premiership in the process.

The Sky Blues skipped to the lead at Wanderers Oval thanks to a runaway goal in the 56th minute by Kyah Simon, but the Jets clawed their way back into the contest through a powerful Hayley Crawford header.

Servet Uzunlar's penalty for Sydney midway through the second stanza ultimately decided the outcome of the hard-fought encounter, moving the Sky Blues to 24 points, three clear of the Brisbane Roar on the final weekend of the competition.

The match started slowly, though, as both sides looked to find their range of passing. Newcastle and Sydney were both guilty of some wayward link-up play in an opening 45 minutes that failed to deliver much in the way of goalmouth action.

Simon tried her luck from long-range just after the half-hour mark, but lifted her right-foot strike well over the bar.

Moments before the half-time whistle and Jets playmaker Melissa Feuerriegel also sprayed her effort from 25-yards wide of the target in what would be the home side's best chance of the opening stanza.

The game then burst into life in the early moments of the second half, and it didn't take long for the visitors to make the most of the open spaces.

Just 10 minutes after the interval Simon pounced on a Renee Rollason through-ball and sprinted clear of Jets skipper Crawford to slot the ball neatly under advancing goalkeeper Allison Lipsher to give the Sky Blues the advantage.

But the lead was to be short-lived as Newcastle restored parity in the 62nd minute. This time, Crawford produced the goods for her side, climbing highest to meet a Nicole Cross corner and send her thunderous header it into the empty net.

The see-saw battle continued, and Jets starlet Tara Andrews probed for an opening, continuing to look dangerous throughout the second-half.

However, it was to be Sydney who would strike the decisive blow, as Catherine Cannuli was brought down inside the area by Westfield Matildas defender Thea Slatyer in the 71st minute. Uzunlar stepped up confidently to convert the spot-kick, and duly dispatched the strike beyond the outstretched left hand of Lipsher.

The home side fought until the final whistle, though, and Kate Hensman nearly leveled matters once again as she broke quickly down the right flank in the 86th minute. But it wasn't to be for the Jets, as Hensman's low strike hit the base of the post with shotstopper Dimi Poulos beaten.

The result is a boon for the Sydneysiders heading into next weekend's semi-finals, but was a disappointment for Newcastle whose slim finals hopes fell by the wayside in what was vice-captain Amber Neilson's final match before retirement.

Newcastle Jets 1 (Crawford 62')
Sydney FC 2 (Simon 56', Uzunlar 72' pen.)