South Melbourne have claimed an emphatic victory over South Yarra, triumphing 8-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday.
In the ‘South’ derby, the eight goals were split between only three scorers, with a hat-trick each to Brittany Dudley-Smith and Tiffany Eliadis, along with a brace to Alison Baker.
South Yarra should have knicked the lead in the opening minute of the contest when Sara Alberici pounced on some miscommunication between the hosts’ defenders to get herself in a one-on-one situation with Lauren Farrugia, but she missed agonisingly wide of the post.
At the other end Dudley-Smith looked in ominous form, beating a defender on the right wing, but her cross was cleared away to safety.
The forward did open the scoring minutes later, picking the ball up on the edge of the area and shooting past Claire Imray.
Dudley-Smith scored again minutes later when she waltzed through the middle of the box and struck a low shot which Imray did well to save, but she couldn’t do anything to prevent the follow up into an empty net.
Just after half an hour, the hosts received a free kick near the middle of the pitch which Alison Baker floated into the box, with Eliadis beating Imray to the bounce and heading into the net for the third goal, collecting the ‘keeper on the way through.
After picking herself up, she was straight into the thick of the action again, saving Eliadis’ volley from close range moments later.
South Yarra then got the ball up the other end with Eliza Mealin taking a shot that was blocked by a defender away for a corner, which was then safely held by Farrugia.
South got one more goal before half time, with Baker’s through ball avoided by Dudley-Smith – who was coming back from an offside position – which seemed to have put off South Yarra, as Eliadis pounced and rounded Imray for her second goal.
Just after the break Dudley-Smith had her hat-trick, striking into the bottom right corner of the net after South Yarra were caught out in their defensive third.
South Yarra still looked to play positively from the restart, and for the next half an hour or so frustrated the hosts, with Samantha Tighe making a number of interceptions and Hannah Charman getting on the ball looking to find Mealin and Alberici up front.
However, in the 72nd minute, a swift counter-attack involving Dudley-Smith, Rhea Schreuder and Eliadis ended with the former’s shot held by Imray from close range.
It was a sign of what was to come, as minutes later Schreuder was played through before teeing up Eliadis for an east tap-in, completing her hat-trick.
Yarra kept persisting in reply, substitute Gretel Templeton playing in Mealin on the break, but she couldn’t get a meaningful shot away with a defender bearing down on her.
With Eliadis and Dudley-Smith hogging the scorer’s sheet, Baker joined the list after getting in behind the defence, adding South Melbourne’s seventh goal.
Templeton was showing great pace down the left, leading to a couple of occasions where an opportunity was presented to play a squaring ball for a teammate in the box, but the right delivery just evaded her.
Baker then added one more goal with one of the most aesthetically pleasing individual efforts of the day, picking up Martineau’s through ball and chipping Imray from distance, a nice finishing touch for the hosts.
South Melbourne 8 (Dudley-Smith 6′ 10′ 46′, Eliadis 30′ 45′ 74′, Baker 79′ 85′) defeated South Yarra 0 at Lakeside Stadium
South Melbourne Women’s Football Club: 1. Lauren Farrugia, 2. Brittany Dudley-Smith, 3. Jade Feakes, 5. Natalie Martineau, 6. Alex Cheal, 7. Rhea Schreuder (31. Jasmine Arezzolo 79′), 8. Carol Howes, 10. Tiffany Eliadis, 13. Marianna Anthony (18. Caitlin Greiser 79′), 4. Chloe Drinoczky, 17. Alison Baker
Unused Substitutes: 50. Coco Majstorovic, 16. Alanah Giuliano
Yellow Cards: Drinoczky 18′
Red Cards: None
South Yarra Soccer Club: 1. Claire Imray, 2. Hayley Walkinshaw, 3. Sarah Dash, 4. Samantha Tighe, 5. Madeline Jona (15. Lindsay Dore 47′), 6. Hannah Charman, 7. Eliza Mealin, 8. Aoife Murphy 16. Katherine Foster 68′, 9. Marcela Marques, 10. Ashley Ledoux (14. Priscilla Ribas 30′), 11. Sara Alberici (12. Gretel Templeton 69′)
Unused substitutes: Sharon Walsh
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None