Box Hill Bounce Back as WPL Heats Up

The competition for a Womens Premier League (WPl) finals berth heated up on the weekend when Box Hill bounced back from successive losses to stay in the top four while Heidelberg reclaimed the number one position.

Last years grand finalists, Heidelberg , moved back into top position in the league after crushing Preston, but are even on points with South Melbourne who defeated other finals aspirant Casey Comets.

There is a mere four points separating the top five teams in what is turning out to be the most exciting conclusion to the WPL in many years.

Box Hill’s 2-0 defeat of Ashburton has kept them in third position on the premiership ladder, after a slump in form which saw them lose three games in four weeks.

Going into Friday’s nights game, Inter faced the prospect of dropping out of the top four and, with only three rounds remaining in the home and away season, missing the finals series for the first time in the history of the WPL.

The game at Wembley Park was all locked up at half time with neither team able to find the back of the net.

It was Box Hill’s reliable striker, Amanda Lawless, who broke the deadlock 22 minutes into the second half and getting her team on the board. She followed this up with her second goal one minute later and sealed the game for the defending premiers.

The win over Ashburton keeps Inter in third position on the premiership table, while Ashburton now slips to sixth place.

Ashburton play fifth placed Sandringham next week in what will be a battle for both to remain in contention for the finals.

Sandringham kept their finals hopes alive with a 5-0 drumming of Geelong .

Heidelberg ’s comprehensive 4-0 win over Preston Lions began in the first half when Tyla Vlajnic scored two goals and Rita Mankowska also contributed to give the Bergers a 3-0 lead at the main break.

Julia Nicolaci scored another for Heidelberg in the second half further boosting Heidelberg ’s goal difference, which may become crucial in deciding the finals positions in 2009.

Prestons loss was a baptism of fire for the Lion’s newly appointed coach Robert Spasevski who replaced Andy Fry.

South Melbourne continued to press their case for the premiership with a 4-1 win over Casey Comets.

These two teams have been the two rising stars of the 2009 WPL competition and South’s win put them in second place on the table on goal different but face an easier run home than Casey.

The Comets have the bye next week then face Heidelberg and Box Hill in their two final games, which is a tough ask for the young team, but will make for some quality womens football in the final rounds.

Women Top Competition in Victoria Hots Up

Round 14 results in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on the weekend have tightened the race for the final spots, as Casey Comets lept to the top of the league for the first time.

The Comets position, which is only on goal difference, is s fine reward for the young team, and marks the third leader of the WPL in so many weeks.

Box Hill, who suffer a second successive loss to Sandringham on Monday night, lead the competition for most of the season until their loss to Heidelberg last week and now sit in fourth position, a very unfamiliar place for this powerhouse team.

Heidelber's 3-1 loss to Ashburton on the weekend sees them level 25 points with the South Melbourne and Casey, but the Comets lead the field on goal difference, while Box Hill is one point behind.

The competition for finals in the WPL has also intensified since there will only be a top four this year, rather than the top five which was the case in 2008.

This was announced by the Football Federation of Victoria, to little fan fare and with even less explanation.

Casey thrashed Geelong 9-1 at Comets stadium, which saw nine separate Casey players get their names in the score sheet.

South Melbourne and Bendigo played out a high scoring and thrilling encounter which saw South triumph 5-4.

2009 promises to be the closest competition the WPL has seen since it began, which can only be good for women football in Victoria.

Casey Try For Wembley Park Upset

Casey Comets will attempt to end Box Hill’s unbeaten run in 2009 when they take on the Womens VPL league leaders tonight at Wembley Park in the opening game of round nine.

Box Hill Inter have not lost a game since round 20 in 2008 and are sitting five points clear of their nearest rival, South Melbourne, at the top of the premiership table.

Casey Comets have history on their side when they take on Inter tonight as they were the last team to defeat Box Hill at home, way back in March 2005, and they have drawn the last three occasions they have clashed with Box Hill at Wembley Park.

Casey have made a reasonable start to the 2009 season with three wins to date and are sitting in fourth position, edging the more highly fancied teams Ashburton and Sandringham, out of the top four.

A win against Box Hill would consolidate their position in top of the league but also break a four-year hoodoo of away teams playing at Wembley Park.

Casey were soundly defeated by Heidelberg in their last game before the break and the Bergers will be keenly eyeing a top two position in the league.

Heidelberg’s chances of sneaking into the top two looks more certain with current second placed team, South Melbourne, sitting out the week with the bye.

Heidelberg will play Geelong at home on Sunday afternoon and are short odd favourite to take the three points, from the regional team, which has struggled against the top teams.

The other regional team in the WVPL, Bendigo Vipers, will be looking to bounce back from their near upset against Box Hill in round eight when they take on Ashburton this weekend in Moama.

In the final game of the round Sandringham will host Preston Lions and should be a fairly matched game with both team sitting on six points and in sixth and seventh position respectively.

Preston managed a confidence boosting draw against Ashburton before the break and Sandringham will be looking to bounce back from their loss to South Melbourne.

The teams will play on Monday night at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, which is a new ground for the Sandringham club, and will soon receive a $3.3 million upgrade announced in the state and federal budgets.

According to Shaun Parton, Sandringham’s WVPL coach, the club negotiated with the Bentleigh Green football club to play their home games at Kingston to give their top women players the best surface available and enhance their junior program.

Vipers so close to upset of the season

Monday 1 June 2009

The Bendigo Vipers gave Women’s VPL leaders Box Hill a scare on the weekend, going within a whisker of a major upset, but they were denied by a penalty kick which saw Box Hill take the match 1-0.

The Vipers, who remain winless this season, took it right up to the reigning premiers and had two solid chances in the first half, but Box Hill also had their own opportunities go begging and the game was deadlocked nil all at the major break.

In the second half, Box Hill began to send the ball long and over the defensive line in a desperate attempt to bypass Bendigo’s midfielders, who were denying Box Hill’s usual free flowing football.

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Canberra game packs em in!

Wasn't it great to see a good turn out at the Socceroo's Canberra game? Shame about the result...especially for the locals who don't get much of a chance to see international level football.

The 20,000 fans who went to the game (including a number of my old football mates from the Angels and UC Pumas) is great news for the push to getting an A-league team in the capital city.

I spent two years playing in Canberra and I was amazed at the number of grass root players involved at all levels of competition under the auspices of the local federation, Capital Football.

I have also been impressed by the local financial support that was given to the ACT's W=league team, Canberra United, which was runner up in the inaugural competition. Mind due just on the topic of United's success I don't think its any coincidence that Capitial Football has a female CEO in Heather Reid and the AIS is also based in the ACT.

In any case the Socceroo's may have lost the game but I hope Canberra is winning the battle to get an A-league team in the capital - it will mean just a little more momentum for the game...in a city which is very close to where big decisions are made.

Atticles related to this post:
Soccer turnout puts city on the front foot - Canberra Times Editorial, 7/3/09
FFA impressed by A-League bid - Merryn Sherwood, Canberra Times 7/3/09
Canberra Bid Boys Thrilled - Jon Ritson, FourFourTwo, 7/3/09
AND a big shout out to Eamon Sullivan for pointing me to thise articles from his 'Football in the Capital' blog

W-league Washup

When Kate McShea, the captain of the inaugural premiership team in the new W-league, raised the premiership trophy to conclude the first season of the new national womens competition it wasn’t just the crowd cheering.

For women players, and the entire football community, it seemed that Australia had finally established a successful domestic female football competition. But many questions are being asked about whether this success will last and how to ensure its sustainability.

The Westfield W-league is the national womens football competition run by the Football Federation of Australia’s (FFA). It was launched in July 2008 and the ten game season commenced three months later with seven teams linked to an A-league club plus Canberra United.

The Queensland Roar were the eventual winners in the inaugural season defeating Canberra United 2-0 in Brisbane in front of 4,554 fans, a record number for a womens game.

The local team, Melbourne Victory, finishing fifth and just missed the play offs.

The competition was hastily put together and Melbourne Victory W-league coach, Matt Shepherd, said despite only having two months to get his squad together he believed the first season was a success.

“It was thrown together in a very short period of time, with a lot of great support (sic), we had to make it happen and I think it’s a good basis to build on,” he said.

“It opened up a lot of peoples eyes in terms of what the potential is for the league overall.”

Tal Karp, captain of Melbourne Victory W-league, described the competition as the biggest step forward that womens football has seen in Australia.

“While we missed out on the finals we achieved a lot,” she said.

“Victoria, in womens soccer (terms), has been the underdog so, to make it to the top five was an achievement.”

She said the W-league players were welcomed into the Melbourne Victory club and evidence of this is their inclusion in the team medal night on the 6 March and invitations to attend all the local A-league games.

The competition also raised the profile of the sport with ABC TV broadcasting one match each week.

It was rumoured that the ABC achieved around 125,000 viewers per game and 1.3 million cumulative viewers, which, if true, would make it more watched than the A-league which is only shown on pay television.

ABC TV W-league commentator, Steve Robilliard said getting the women access to good grounds and increasing main stream media interest in the competition would see the quality of the league improve.

Coach of the highly successful Matilda’s, Tom Sermmani, was also very impressed by the competition. He told Robbilliard that after ten weeks of tough competition he could see that the skill level and standard of play among some of his national players had improved.

All those interviewed agreed that the major shortcoming of the competition was that the players were not paid in the inaugural season of the W-league.

Recently retired Matilda captain, Cheryl Salisbury, who played for the Newcastle Jets, told SBS TV of the hardship of playing and also having to earn a living outside football.

“The last twelve months have been the hardest for me. To try and work full time, train full time and have free time and try to recover as well. If we want to go forward we have to be professional,’ she said.

The teething problems that need to be sorted out next season include a more organised and streamlined approach between the states and the FFA, more media coverage and sponsorship to increase its professionalism.

But the players are enthusiastic, womens football participation is growing and with the support all football fans we could be looking at another FFA success story.

Other stories which you might find of interest:

We Can Be An Oz Superpower - Four Four Two, 20 Jan 2009
Salisibury Say Goodbye with a Goal - Football Federation Australia 29 Jan 2009

First practice match...

My footy team (thats soccer for all you non soccer people...but football for all those who love the round ball game) had thier first intra club praccy match today.

It was heaps of fun, well some of my team mates may not think that cause being in the back line I did a fair bit of yelling and carrying on.

Not really sure who won as we swapped players around and stuff, but both teams scored and we only busted about three hammy's, two calves and a knee or two. But no broken bones (we have already notched up two...and counting.

Go South Yarra I reckon we have a bonza season coming up...if only we could find a coach for our reserves team then life would be sweet.