Image: Graeme Furlong
Heidelberg United gained some sweet revenge over Bulleen Lions in the final of the Team App Cup, the Bergers demolishing the Lions 4-0 at ABD Stadium, home of Hume City, in Broadmeadows.
The odds were stacked heavily against Heidelberg United. Melissa Barbieri, one of Heidelberg’s guiding forces due to her superior experience, had been ruled out due to a cruel season ending knee injury picked up in the Bergers’ last match against Calder United.
Michelle Verzi, the Bergers captain and defensive midfield maestro, was also absent, leaving Hannah Ryan with a huge responsibility as both guard and provider, to which she lived up to admirably.
To add to this disadvantage, Bulleen had pressed their quality over the rest of the WNPL in their 4-1 thrashing of the Bergers in their last match only two weeks ago.
The four positions and 11 points separating the sides going into this match should have given a clear prediction themselves.
Despite this, for the opening third it seemed as if whichever side could better control their football in blusterously windy conditions would gain the advantage.
Goal kicks and corners in particular suffered, but both teams looked suitably determined to press and create chances.
Unusually considering such a serious defeat at the hands of the Lions two weeks ago, Heidelberg attempted to line up in a very similar manner.
Bolstering Heidelberg United’s international credentials, New Zealander Elise Mamanu-Gray and American Leigh Gray once again presented as an uneven front two, however this time with Cartwright offering additional support.
Mamanu-Gray had shown brief glimpses of how her strength and close control could be particularly effective against the Lions in their last meeting, yet Heidelberg were hoping for a much greater performance here to avoid a similar result.
Despite wasted early opportunities for both sides, Heidelberg’s Joey Cartwright had the best chance for an opener in the 12th minute.
Bulleen goalkeeper Mia Mossman spilled an easy catch under pressure from Leigh Gray, the ball finding it’s way to Cartwright in front of an open goal.
The winger decided to control given the conditions, however by the time she finally got her shot away Bulleen’s defenders managed a last gasp block on the line.
Heidelberg then entered a period of dominance that Bulleen struggled to come back from, unable to use their pace and quick ball movement to the same effect as in their last meeting with the Warriors.
Bulleen insisted on holding a high line despite continuously losing possession, with dangerous results.
If not for the wind diminishing the accuracy of any long range passing moves, Leigh Gray could have been through on goal on multiple occasions.
Cartwright continued to be on the end of the brunt of Heidelberg’s shots on goal, taking up dangerous positions, albeit with little success, unable to showcase the same poaching instinct as her striker partner, Gray.
Partly Bulleen’s ability to survive however was due to Mia Mossman, Bulleen’s second choice keeper at the beginning of the season, who denied a goal-bound effort from Cartwright on the 30th minute with a fantastic diving save.
Following the bulk of possession and chances, Heidelberg struck first in the 38th minute.
Leigh Gray broke through Bulleen’s high defensive line for a one on one with Mossman, taking on and beating the keeper as she has done so many times this season and tapping in to the resulting open net.
The clichés of domestic cups throwing up unlikely results is a much loved characteristic that sponsors, teams and fans alike draw upon for inspiration and belief in equal measure.
For Heidelberg United, the Team App Cup has once again turned this cliché into an awe-inspiring reality.
Considering the 4-1 thrashing the Bergers were on the losing end of to Bulleen just two weeks ago, this goal, not to mention the Warriors’ overall dominance, would have arrived as a substantial surprise to many viewers.
However given Heidelberg’s path to the final, including a victory over Alamein in the semi-final, a side they had lost to 5-1 in the WNPL also two weeks previously, the Bergers were clearly a team that delighted in vengeance.
The half ended in an injury to Bulleen’s midfielder Keely Lockhart, who was stretchered off with what appeared to be a broken collarbone, giving a miserable ending to a disappointing half for the Lions.
Considerable improvement could have been expected from Bulleen, who have presented such a force in the WNPL this season, at the opening of the second half.
Far from expectations however the Lions failed to present much of a consistent threat at all.
On the 67th minute Bulleen did manage to come close, albeit from a long range free kick credit of Danny Gudelj.
As much as Bulleen were tactically underwhelming, Rita Mankowska and Christine Fonua were decisive and intimidating physical presences as centre-halves.
Despite a small glimpse of Bulleen’s normally threatening attacking firepower only three minutes later Heidelberg would cement their lead through talismanic striker Leigh Gray.
From an almost identical move to the one that provided Heidelberg’s lead, Gray’s pace brought her past the Bulleen defensive line.
This time contending with a devilishly bouncing ball, Gray’s lobbed effort still beat Mossman to double the Bergers lead and send the Heidelberg faithful into raptures.
Gudelj, a rare bright spark in an otherwise deflated Lions’ set up, continued to provide a solitary outlet for Bulleen’s attacking efforts, with Coppock unpredictably quiet.
A young Bulleen side however looked overmatched by the experience of Heidelberg in such a large occasion.
With the introduction of Warriors’ midfield stalwart Belinda Panella Heidelberg calmly wound down the clock at every opportunity, steadying nerves by denying any quick movement.
As additional heartbreak for Bulleen, and to the additional adoration of Bill Mihaloudis’ side, the Bergers capped off one of their finest individual and group performances of the season with two more goals in the space of a minute.
After Pannella put Gray through on goal, a flicking header from the star striker gave Bonnie Barnes a free header to increase the lead to 3-0 on the 87th minute.
On the 88th, Samantha Black’s cross eliminated a tired Lions’ backline, giving Gray a sliding tap in for her hat-trick and a sentimental fourth for Heidelberg.
The win by such a substantial margin eclipsing Bulleen’s victory weeks ago by both a solitary goal and a solitary piece of silverware.
Overall it was both a dominant and surprisingly defensively coherent display put on by the Bergers to both overshadow and arise substantial question marks toward their positioning outside the top four in the WNPL standings.
Heidelberg was the superior outfit, experientially and tactically, and earned the 2016 Team App Cup in decisive fashion.
Bulleen will understandably be consoled largely by the fact that they’re still in pole position to win the league, a title that, somewhat peculiarly, is far beyond Heidelberg’s reach.