The Women’s Premier League returned to action on the weekend, and Box Hill have remained on top of the table with a 100% record, with South Melbourne not far behind.
Box Hill managed to overcome some stern resistance to beat Monbulk 2-0, while South Melbourne found the going tough in their 5-2 victory over Heidelberg United.
Bundoora kept up their winning ways by beating the FFV U17s 1-0, while Bulleen dispatched five past Cairnlea to beat them 5-2. Boroondara Eagles were also successful, beating Casey 3-0 on their own turf.
Finally, Sandringham ran riot against Ashburton with a 5-0 win, though it wasn’t all smooth sailing in the ninety minutes. There have been quite a few candidates to choose from and here are our picks for this week:
Starting XI: 3-5-2 formation
GK – Lucy Kapusta (Sandringham):
Such is her confidence between the sticks, you would barely remember that Kapusta really is a defender! Sandringham’s shot stopper mustered an impressive performance on her come back into the side against Ashburton. Kapusta maintained a clean sheet and dealt with everything when called upon, including a few vital saves earlier on in the contest with the game still seemingly in the balance, thwarting any attempts of an Ashy comeback.
CB – Aliesha Whetham (Monbulk Rangers):
Monbulk’s full back had an outstanding evening in defence against Box Hill, keeping United’s Natalie Exon, one of the competition’s most dangerous wingers at bay. That continued even when Exon switched flanks in the second half! The own goal was a minor blip throughout proceedings however, but she could hardly be faulted for the incident.
CB – Alex Gummer (Boroondara Eagles):
Returning to her old stomping ground at Comets Stadium, Gummer pieced together a seamless performance in the heart of defence and in the holding midfield role against her former employers. Her precise distribution combined with fierce competitiveness saw the Lady Red assist Ellen Turner with a superb long ball come cross, which was matched by some resolute defending and uncompromising tackling.
CB – Daniela Digiammarco (Box Hill):
The centre half was instrumental in Box Hill’s 2-0 victory over Monbulk and played a crucial role in United’s conservation of a clean sheet. Digiammarco snuffed out any space or opportunity Monbulk’s Michelle De Boer had in the final third, a big reason as to why the hosts failed to break down Box Hill’s defence. Along with fellow centre back Sarah Walsh, the pair studied the play well and combined to block any attempted efforts on goal.
LM – Kendra Jones (Heidelberg United):
Should the scoreline remained 2-1 at full time, Jones would’ve been credited with a match winning performance for Heidelberg United against South Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. The winger was everywhere in the first half for the Bergers, scoring the equaliser out of nothing, and provided an outlet in the second half as her team struggled to press forward of the halfway line.
CM – Jessica Tay (Bulleen Lions):
Bulleen’s lively and creative midfielder had a day to remember as her side put five passed Cairnlea. Tay’s creativity and energy was immense for the Lions, generating at least five chances on goal, not to mention scoring for herself.
CM – Natalie Martineau (South Melbourne):
A bright spark in South Melbourne’s 5-2 victory over Heidelberg at Lakeside. Constantly on the ball as South looked to get back into the game, the midfielder was one of the hosts best in an otherwise underwhelming scrappy team performance. She has earned a nomination and spot in the team over Tiffany Eliadis who scored two.
CM – Hannah Stuart (Sandringham):
Sandy’s central midfield absolutely dominated in the heart of midfield against Ashburton. One of the more unsung heroes in Sandringham’s squad, Stuart was a big part of that and she carried out a flawless performance in the centre of the park, maintaining the flow of play whilst making a countless amount of tackles.
RM – Elaina Vatcky (Sandringham):
The winger was another standout in Sandy’s 5-0 thrashing of Ashburton. Vatcky was a source of width for last years premiers who were choked in the middle by Ashburton, in particular tightly marking Stephanie Tanti. Utilising her speed and netting in the 86th minute, Vatcky was influential in completing the rout of Ashburton.
ST – Lia Privitelli (Bulleen Lions):
Backing up a strong performance against Casey before Easter, Privitelli was once again instrumental for Bulleen in overpowering Cairnlea 5-2 on Sunday afternoon, converting a devastating hat trick for the visitors. Her final two goals were particularly impressive, with the second being a powerful effort to finish off a team move and the third coming as she beat three defenders before unleashing a bullet into the back of the net.
ST – Ellen Turner (Boroondara Eagles):
The young forward was a standout in Boroondara’s 3-0 victory over Casey Comets. Joining team mate Alex Gummer in this edition of the Team of the Week, Turner bagged a brace, scoring in crucial times throughout the game when the opposition were looking to gain the ascendancy. Turner’s set pieces were also a vital asset for the newly promoted side, whilst persisting as ever present danger.
Substitutes:
GK – Anna Lanning (Boroondara Eagles):
Boroondara’s custodian had a relatively easy performance with the gloves for her side if there is ever such a thing. The goalkeeper did well to quell Casey’s attempts on goal, projecting confidence in her game, performing her role well and dealing with everything that came her way.
Enza Barillia (Bundoora United):
Handy in midfield for the hosts, the Melbourne Victory midfielder is beginning to find her groove back in the WPL and she led a profound display in the middle of the park. Barilla’s energy throughout her time on the pitch was vital in assuring her team grabbed the three points.
Demi Mihaloudis (South Melbourne):
The fullback may have had a fairly difficult time coming up against the likes of Kendra Jones, but she scored the crucial third goal for South which gave them the lead late in the match. The full back was having a good day with her set pieces, and her pin point corner in the 72nd minute found the head of Eliadis to square the scoreline at 2-2.
Ellie Brush (Box Hill):
Is there a limit on what she can do? Although not the best we’ve come to see of her so far this season, Brush still nevertheless deserves a spot on the bench in this weeks instalment. She almost put Box Hill in front in the 20th minute when she won the ball in midfield and unleashed a cheeky lobbed shot that drifted just wide. The midfielder also provided the assist for Ellie Foottit after winning the ball with opting to lay it off instead of going for goal herself.
Janna Lawson (FFV U17s):
A stand out in the NTC’s U17 side succumbed to Bundoora 1-0. The youngster was once again impressive for the U17s, generally preventing Bundoora’s run throughout the centre of midfield.
We’d like to extend our congratulations to Matthew Shaw for his Coach of the Month award, and Emma Runnalls for her Player of the Month award.
Partially written by Tomasz Ng (@tomaszng07).
Special thanks to FFV reporters Bill Malloy (@Bill_Malloy94), Chris Hearn (@_Chris Hearn) and Jason Turner (@jaseangelo) for their help this week.