Sandringham SC’s finals charge has been dealt a near fatal blow after falling to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Bundoora United, who were good value for their win.
Star signing Lisa De Vanna got herself on the scoresheet twice in the second half, with Louisa Bisby and Enza Barilla adding singles to well account for Emma Runnalls’ strike for the hosts.
Bundoora carried a 2-0 lead into half time, and were decent value at that, pressing Sandringham high and controlling the majority of possession.
Sandringham had chances of their own in the first half to make a real contest of the game, but failed to do so, allowing Bundoora to control proceedings.
Elly Curo was presented with an early chance on goal, but she missed her window of opportunity after mistiming her strike from a deep Danielle Galluccio ball.
That chance was sandwiched between openings for Lisa De Vanna, who first blazed into the side netting, then was stripped of the ball after a dazzling run down the left.
Jaime Brown had a golden opportunity to give Sandringham the lead with 10 minutes on the clock, but her outstretched leg just missed a tailing cross from Nicola Westwood.
That allowed Bundy to strike first; Louisa Bisby once again finding the net directly from a corner kick, curing an effort from the set-piece over Sandringham keeper Nikki Cook, into goal.
Cook redeemed herself with a smart save off Stacey Papadopoulos, who was played into space by De Vanna before shooting into her arms.
Just before the half hour mark, Bundy made it two through skipper Enza Barilla, who slid to beat an onrushing Cook to the ball and poke home.
The chance came about after a good cross from Galluccio found Barilla at the far post, who interchanged aerial passes with Curo to create space for the shot.
De Vanna nearly made it three just a minute after, forcing Cook into another save at the left post, before Papadopoulos blazed the follow up shot wide.
Lucy Kapusta found space at the far post from a corner, but couldn’t manage to pull one back for her side, as her shot failed to hit the target.
The second half saw Curo net a header within the first minute of the resumption of play; but the ball was adjudged to have gone out in the build-up to the goal.
They didn’t have to wait long for a third however, as the mercurial De Vanna scored a wonderful goal on 52 minutes to extend the lead.
A ball forward from Rachel Alonso found the Matilda on the left wing, who dropped the shoulder and turned her opponent before hitting a vicious shot across the keeper and into the net.
Sandringham responded in perfect fashion, returning fire just a minute after Bundy’s third through Emma Runnalls, who was Johnny-on-the-spot to bring her side back into the contest.
The initial shot from Emma Robers was well saved by Beth Mason-Jones, who saw the ball deflect into the path of Runnalls who blasted the ball into the back of the net.
De Vanna rounded off the scoring in the 65th minute, putting away an inch-perfect cross from Alonso, the pair combining for their second goal of the night.
The sting was by then out of the contest, and a late chance to Annabelle Gibney was about as close as either side came to another goal, but Mason-Jones was on hand to tip the near post shot wide.
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Sandringham 1 (Runnalls 53’) defeated by Bundoora United 4 (Bisby 15’, Barilla 29’, De Vanna 51’ 65’)
Sandringham SC: 21. Nikki COOK (GK), 4. Emma ROBERS, 6. Steph PARTON, 8. Nicola WESTWOOD (10. Steph TANTI 65’), 9. Emma RUNNALLS, 11. Lucy KAPUSTA, 18. Sienna FOGARTY (c), 19. Annabelle GIBNEY, 20. Hannah STUART, 30. Emma GUNN, 5. Jaime Brown (7. Kristie SHEARING)
Unused Substitute(s): 12. Eliza GLEADELL, 3. Lily O’BRIEN
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil
Bundoora United: 1. Bethany MASON-JONES (GK), 10. Gulcan KOCA, 9. Tyla-Jay VLAJNIC (18. Hailee MESITI 89’), 16. Louisa BISBY, 23. Jessica PITTS, 14. Rachel ALONSO, 7. Enza BARILLA (c), 17. Stacey PAPADOPOULOS (11. Jess AU 66’), 5. Lisa DE VANNA (33. Padiki DADE), 12. Daniella GALLUCCIO (24. Mia KILLICK), 8. Ellvana CURO
Unused Substitute(s): 21. Claudia DIMASI
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil