It was a weekend of first and lasts as FC Bulleen Lions managed to finally clinch their first ever Women’s Premier League win while South Melbourne WFC became the last unbeaten side in the league this season. Round 10 was a stop and start one, with no games on Saturday and two evening kickoffs on Monday but there was plenty of excitement to be had for fans of the round ball.
League leaders South Melbourne fought out a thrilling 0-1 win away to Box Hill, the first time the defending champions had failed to score at Wembley Park since 2006 while Bulleen beat fellow strugglers Altona by the same score at the Veneto Club. Bundoora lost their second placing in the table to Sandringham after a 0-2 reverse at Kingston Heath, while EAP registered their first win in 6 weeks with a 5-0 thumping of Preston.
Here we give you the best performers from the weekend that was.
Goalkeepers
It was a top of the table clash between two unbeaten teams, so you would expect Box Hill United to pull out all the stops in an attempt to avenge their 5-1 cup defeat. So while South Melbourne were busy sending top scorer Laura Spiranovic off on an European adventure, Box Hill wheeled out veteran goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri for her first league appearance since the win against Ashburton. The Matildas legend didn’t disappoint, with flying second half saves from Daniela Gudelj and Alison Baker to help keep her team in the game. This was a performance to silence the doubters on a night when few ventured out thanks to the biting cold.
Another goalkeeper making a return this past weekend was none other than Christine Fonua. While she was unable to keep out the winning goal against Bulleen, the Altona goalkeeper had a blinder between the sticks, holding her opponents at bay for most of the game and keeping the scoreline respectable as her team continued to search for its first win.
Verdict – Barbieri
Defenders
The South Melbourne defence had to bring its A-game during their visit to Wembley Park and didn’t disappoint as they dealt with everything Box Hill threw at them. Sarah Sumner backed up her Team of the Week selection from last week with a clutch of timely interceptions settling nerves early on as Box Hill threatened to break down the flank. The central defender was colossal all night, getting stuck in and aiding teammates Alex Cheal and Demi Mihaloudis on either side of her and clearing every ball with conviction. Captain Lauren Farrugia was getting in all the right places too on the other wing, recovering from a few wild swings at the ball to put in a massive performance at left back.
There were also standout captains’ performances at Kingston Heath and Ashburton Park as Christie Parton and Laura Croft shone in defence for Sandringham and Casey respectively. Looking to prove a point after Sandringham’s 3-0 capitulation to Casey last week, Parton put in a commanding performance in central defence, capping off a fine effort with a headed goal to condemn Bundoora to a second straight loss.
Croft might not have been able to keep a clean sheet against Ashburton, but led by example once again, defending well and attacking corners like her life depended on it. One particular moment in the game stood out, as Peta Lipec and Amy Malander both hit the crossbar in succession, before Croft threw herself in front of a smashed Malander follow-up to deny what could have been an important go-ahead goal.
Verdict – Croft, Sumner, C.Parton
Midfielders
It took time coming, but it was worth the wait as Bulleen finally gained their first three-point haul of the season. Federica ‘Fede’ Frew came up with the goods as she continued a promising return from injury for Bulleen, smashing home a wondergoal in the 75th minute to break the deadlock. Frew is a forward by trade, but a move into the midfield hasn’t seemed to faze her and she was by far the best on the field on Monday evening at the Veneto Club.
Melbourne Victory coach David Edmonson kept a watching brief on the sidelines during the top of the table clash between Box Hill and South Melbourne on Friday and surely he would have been impressed by Morany Chek‘s performance on the night. The French midfield maestro is back to full fitness again following a hamstring strain and turned on the fireworks against the defending champions. Chek sliced through the Box Hill midfield like a hot knife through butter, her long legs churning up the turf and leaving her markers trailing in her wake as she orchestrated South Melbourne’s attacks from the middle.
Not to be outdone was Chek’s South Melbourne team mate Alison Baker, afforded a rare start on the left wing on Friday night. The one-time central defender impressed with her tireless efforts down the flank in a running battle with Box Hill right back Maddi Richardson. Baker linked up well with left back Lauren Farrugia, even finding space for a blistering shot on goal before being given a rest 20 minutes before the end.
EAP also had a good day out against Preston Lions, with a morale-boosting first win in six weeks. Much of the credit had to goal scorers Jessica Pitts, Cindy Lay and Lucy Kennedy, with the latter two notching a brace each. Lay and Pitts dominated the middle of the park, with Lay in particular the spark for many of EAP’s attacking moves during the game. The midfielder just missed a hattrick of goals with a shot that crashed off the crossbar in the 56th minute.
Ashburton gave Casey a run for their money on Sunday too, with their midfielders excelling on the day. Jesse Kotsikas once again showed off her set piece prowess with a crashing free kick goal that was chalked off by the referee due to a foul on the goalkeeper, but also provided plenty in open play as she harried the Casey attackers all afternoon. Team mate Liesl ‘Jonesy’ Woods was superb on the flanks too, winning contests and setting up attacking plays as she put in one of her best performances this season.
Verdict – Woods, Frew, Chek, Lay, Baker
Forwards
Sandringham bounced back from a surprising loss to Casey the previous week in the best way possible, beating Bundoora 2-0 and leapfrogging them into second place in the table. Emma Runnalls opened the scoring for her team, her combination of pace and strength proving hard to deal for the Bundoora defenders. The striker looks to be in good scoring form, and was a confident presence up front for her team despite the few chances that came her way during this game.
At the other end of the pitch, Bundoora’s live wire forward Enza Barilla tried her best on a night when nothing came off for her team, dictating play with some brilliant first touch passes that found teammates in space. The diminutive Bundoora captain can look like she’s playing a few seconds in front of other players when she’s on song and while it didn’t really come off on the night, she’ll be hoping for better fortunes for herself and her team in the near future.
Meanwhile, Heidelberg can’t seem to stop scoring as another six goals flew past a hapless Cairnlea on Sunday. Captain Belinda Pannella‘s good form continued with another goal right before the half time break, but it was striker Leigh Gray who one again stole the headlines with a second hattrick haul in three games. The American import has now scored seven goals in the last three outings and Heidelberg will be hoping for plenty more to come as they reach for the top four.
Verdict – Runnalls, Gray
Team of the Week XI: Barbieri (Box Hill); Croft (Casey), Sumner (South Melbourne), C.Parton (Sandringham); Frew (Bulleen), Chek (South Melbourne), Lay (EAP); Woods (Ashburton), Baker (South Melbourne); Runnalls (Sandringham), Gray (Heidelberg)
Substitutes: Fonua (Altona), Farrugia (South Melbourne), Kotsikas (Ashburton), Kennedy (EAP), Pannella (Heidelberg)
Many thanks to all those who contributed to this week’s edition of the Team of the Week, including reporters Tomasz Ng, Sean Ellicott and Thomas Baldock as well as numerous match and club officials and players.