Power Women Close On Top Six
Words: Matt Dorman
Image: Kylie Wells/Peninsula Power FC
Peninsula Power Women roared into finals contention with an 8-1 demolition of SWQ Thunder Women at A.J. Kelly Park on Sunday.
Twin hattricks from Brittany Whitfield and Brieanna Watt fired Power to within a point of sixth-placed Olympic FC Women.
Thunder, meanwhile, slip back to ninth after a run of three straight victories ended at home to Eastern Suburbs Women last weekend.
The visitors looked to have recovered from last week’s defeat with a scoreless first 30 minutes, until Whitfield began the landslide.
The 21-year-old opened the scoring with a chipped finish over Thunder ‘keeper Jessica Broadfoot before crossing for Watt to head home a second before the break.
Whitfield continued to cause trouble after the restart by capitalising on a goalkeeper error to make it 3-0 in the 52nd minute.
Samantha Harrington got in the act just two minutes later as Power capped a four-goal, 20-minute burst either side of half time.
They weren’t done there, with Whitfield completing her hattrick on the hour by heading in Chelsea Martin’s cross.
Thunder managed to partially stem the tide for 10 minutes and secured a consolation through Elle Mollenhauer’s 72nd minute volley, but that goal was sandwich between twin Watt strikes.
The hosts introduced their other attacking weapon, Melissa Limov, off the bench and the attacker continued her goalscoring exploits by adding Power’s eighth shortly before full time.
Speaking after the match, Whitfield remained determined for Power to continue improving regardless of their seven-goal victory.
“We got the points and that’s what we really needed. I definitely thought we could have done better … just simple things that we can fix up,” Whitfield said.
Thunder coach Craig Burgess credited the hosts with a fine performance but said his players were simply off their game.
“We were well off the pace, we didn’t turn up to play. I think we let ourselves down,” Burgess said.
Peninsula Power FC Women 8 (Brittany WHITFIELD 34’, 52’, 60’ Brieanna WATT 39’, 70’, 74’ Samantha HARRINGTON 54’ Melissa LIMOV 82’)
South West Queensland Thunder FC Women 1 (Elle MOLLENHAUER 72’)
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