Star forward Taryne Boudreau lauded her Boroondara Eagles for being able to find their way out of trouble, after they struggled in the early stages of their 5-2 win against Sandringham SC.
Trailing by 2-1 at half-time, neither the team, nor star forward Taryne Boudreau – who scored their solitary goal of the opening term – admittedly were up to scratch.
However, the Canadian was pleased with the way her teammates were able to stay composed and find another gear to run away with the contest.
“To be honest, in the first half I didn’t think I played all that well. I couldn’t get my touches under me and I think I struggled a little bit,” Boudreau said.
“Basically we just wanted to play our game coming out [into the second half]. We touched on character a little bit and it’s just how we bounce back. It obviously wasn’t a good start but we knew what we had to do in the second half – make those passes, keep it simple and score some goals, that’s exactly what we did.
“We know how they play, their style of play, and we decided that we have to put pressure on them, and they’ll cough up the ball. That’s definitely what we did in the second half, we decided to work them a bit harder, press them higher and put away the chances that we [created].”
They did just that, holding a high press which culminated in four unanswered goals, Boudreau grabbing her second to put the visitors in front at Kingston Heath and to help them consolidate top spot after a lean month compared to their lofty standards.
“Absolutely [it was an important win]. I mean in the first half we started a little bit slow but coming out in the second half and dominating like we normally do and playing our style of play, it was good to get the win out there today,”
“I decided to keep it simple in the second half and score some goals for my team and also create some chances. Get in behind the defence and that’s definitely how we scored some of the goals. A good team effort.”
The Eagles also got the chance to rotate their squad, with a number of first-team players starting on the bench.
The changes however weren’t down to resting star players, as the depth of the squad – strengthened by the signings of Jess Tay and Kayla Michaels – showed its worth heading into the finals series.
“Adding these key [signings] into the squad heading into the end of the season, it’s definitely crucial for our team to have that depth. [Tay and Michaels] made an impact on our team and that’s exactly what we want them to do moving forward,” Boudreau said.
“It’s a long season, so we’re just looking to keep everyone healthy and see what others can do as well. We do have a lot of depth in the squad, so it was good to see different people in the starting XI.
“I’m just proud of my team, I’m glad we got the win and definitely played our style of play in the second half, and that showed great character. I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
The Eagles have to wait until Wednesday to play their Round 18 clash, as they face Senior NTC at Darebin