Currently sitting in fourth position, Belconnen had a chance to make a run up the ladder with a win, but were denied despite a frantic second half where they threatened to score an equaliser.

Belconnen kept asking questions of the Croatia defence, peppering their goal with nine shots to six. Croatia only managed two shots on target, and crucially they both happened to end up in the back of the net.

Croatia coach Zoran Glavinic copped a string of injuries to the squad this season and had a few more setbacks leading up to Saturday's game. The club's depth helped though, with debutant Anna Ross scoring a goal against Belconnen.

"It was a tense last 10 minutes," Glavinic said. "We had some late outs with Isabella Barac and Krista Hagen and Di Wilson.

"It was a really good win with the young debutant Anna Ross coming in. She had an opportunity step up and we think she did."

Rebecca Kiting got the visitors off to an early lead with a header of a corner in the 14^th minute, and she played a key role in a delightful passage of play that led to Croatia's second.

From inside her defensive third, Kiting popped a long ball behind the Belconnen defence for Brittany Palombi to run onto in space down the left flank. Palombi's perfect cross then gave an easy finish for Anna Ross to extend their lead.

Chasing a two-goal deficit, Belconnen responded in the second half with a tidy header off a corner from Karen Clarke bringing the home side back into the match.

Belconnen piled on the pressure in the final stages however Croatia's defence stood tall to take all three points and remain comfortably atop the NPLW ladder.

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