Heidelberg United kept their hopes of a Women’s Premier League finals double chance alive with a 5-0 win against NTC at the State Football Centre on Saturday.
Heidelberg will still need to beat South Melbourne in the final round and get favourable results elsewhere if they are to claim a top three spot and avoid the fourth-versus-fifth elimination final.
The Warriors’ form in any case remains solid on the basis of Saturday’s comfortable win.
Belinda Pannella’s opening goal in the fifth minute allowed Heidelberg to play with peace of mind in a game where the tempo and aggression rarely lifted to the regular WPL standard.
Pannella knocked a lob over defender Natasha Dakic outside the area, running around her marker and onto the ball before an emphatic top-corner finish past NTC starting goalkeeper Teresa Morrissey.
NTC looked visibly dispirited by going behind early, and their best attempts to find an equaliser were foiled by regularly straying offside.
Julia Nicolaci doubled the lead on 29 minutes when she was first to react to a spill in the penalty area.
Laura Phillips’ header from a Heidelberg corner needed a save from Morrissey, but the ball fell kindly for Nicolaci to sweep in and double the lead.
Michelle Verzi then put any possibility of an NTC revival to bed in the 54th minute when she knocked in from close range after a run down the right by-line by Anisa Guajardo.
Elise Mamanu-Gray was one of the few players to noticeably lift the intensity, testing NTC second-half goalkeeper Erin Hudson with a number of shots between the hour mark and finish.
Hudson was equal to everything until the 84th minute, when Guajardo beat her with a forceful shot hit from outside the area, wide on the right.
Mamanu-Gray then got her goal in the 89th minute with a perfectly placed dipping long-shot that beat Hudson’s desperate stretch.
With interchange available, Heidelberg emptied the bench and rewarded hard-working right back Demi Mihaloudis and midfielder Holly Tsalikidis with early attention from the team masseuse.
NTC’s best in the one-sided defeat were busy midfield pair, sisters Melissa and Adriana Taranto.
The duo were comfortable on the ball in the middle of the pitch, but like their NTC teammates, could not move their control of possession into the more threatening territory of the attacking third.
All kick-off’s next week in WPL are Saturday 1pm, with Heidelberg United hosting South Melbourne at Olympic Village while NTC’s campaign ends away to Bundoora United at Hillsview Reserve.
***
Senior NTC 0 defeated by Heidelberg United 5 (Pannella 5′, Nicolaci 29′, Verzi 53′, Guajardo 84′, Mamanu-Gray 89′)
Senior NTC Squad: 1. HUDSON Erin, 2. WILLIAMS Jamiee, 3. DAKIC Natasha, 6. TARANTO Adriana, 7. HARBIS Emily, 8. TARANTO Melissa, 9. CARTWRIGHT Joey, 11. KNIGHT Whitney, 13. MARTIN Annabel, 14. FORDYCE-CROKER Edith, 16. MORRISSEY Teresa, 17. RICHMOND Hayley, 25. BARBIERI Melindaj, 31. McINERNEY Coby, 33. LEFEVRE Ashleigh
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil
Heidelberg United Squad: 1. QUINN Kelsey, 2. MIHALOUDIS Demi, 4. VERZI Michelle, 5. TORRE Elly, 6. PHILILPS Laura, 9. PANNELLA Belinda, 10. NICOLACI Julia, 11. KOMIJAT Aneta, 13. AYTON Adelyn, 14. TSALIKIDIS Holly, 15. FONUA Lisa, 18. MURPHY Sadie, 21. FONUA Christine, 38. ZWOLSKI Christy, 45. MAMANU-GRAY Elise, 50. GUAJARDO Anisa
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil