Box Hill Inter recorded a huge 5-0 victory over Asburton to launch them back into contention for the top spot in the league in round 11 of the Womens Premier League (WPL) on the weekend.
Bendigo Vipers drew with South Melbourne halting South’s return to form and Altona City notched up their second win of the year over Casey Comets.
The final game of the round, which will determine the top of the league, will be played Monday night between Heidelberg United and Sandringham. The Bergers have a game in hand, but a loss will see Inter reclaim the top position in the league on their impressive goal difference.
Box Hill Inter bounced back after a shock draw to South Melbourne last week and a loss to Casey in round nine to thrash the fourth placed Ashburton.
Aleksandra Sinclair and Natalie Exon both scored a brace for Inter and Deanna Niceski was the other goal scorer for the reigning WPL Premiers.
The win by Inter, their biggest since round 16 last year, has finally shown the potential of the team which has captured the WPL premiership sixth time in eight years.
This year Inter has the bonus of returning W-League players, such as Louisa Bisby, Tal Karp and Jessica Humble following the shift in policy of the National Training Centre program which, in 2009, prevented players from Melbourne Victory from playing in the WPL.
Box Hill also recruited several new W-League players including New Zealand national player, Marlies Oostdam and young talent Ursula Hughson. They also have the biggest weapon in the womens game between the uprights in Matilda captain Melissa Barbieri.
Inters victory is all the more impressive given it was against Ashburton, which have showed form this year notching up five wins to sit in fourth place. But this is Ashburton’s third loss on the trot marking a mid-season slump for the Chis Michaile’s team.
Altona City, the new team to the league in 2010, grabbed their second win of the season, coming from behind to defeat Casey Comets 3-2 at HC Kim Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
The defeat ended the Comets run of wins over the past three weeks and is a lost opportunity for them to break into the top four following Ashburton’s loss.
Altona held good possession in the first half but it was the Comets which scored from their first decent shot of the game when Talia Silivestros found the back of the net.
The home team responded in emphatic fashion blasting two goals in the first four minutes of the second half – a lead they held onto for the remainder of the match.
Christine Fonua got the equaliser two minutes after the major break to put the teams on equal terms and Alex Miller scored Altona’s second goal minutes later to grab the lead.
Altona held that momentum when Kerri Little found the net for the home team to give them a 3-1 buffer.
The Comets showed they were not done with Altona and snatched a consolation goal four minutes from full time, but Altona held on for their second win of the season.
Altona coach Paul Kilpatrick was understandably pleased with the effort of his young team against a quality opposition, especially since the team is missing five of their regular starters due to injury.
“Casey are a good side, but I felt we dominated the game,” Kilpatrick said after the match.
“The girls competed for 90 minutes and we had a few players that were pretty much down on form in the first half but after half time everyone lifted as a team.”
“To go 3-1 up to a team…that will go close to playing finals this year (Casey Comets), it was good. I felt we deserved the three points and it was just a good team effort,” he said.
Despite the win Altona remain in second last position, but they are equal on points with South Melbourne, on goal difference. Casey remain in fifth position, level on points with fourth placed Ashburton, but below on goal difference.
In the other game of the round South Melbourne and Bendigo Vipers fought out a one-all draw at McIvor Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
Both teams have similar records over the past three weeks notching up a win and two draws and hitting some form half way through the season.
The Vipers came into this game following a huge moral boosting win over third placed Sandringham last week and they took a 1-0 lead in the first half when midfielder Paige Conder was on target, and they took this advantage into the break.
In the second half South hit back through Penny Bakopoulos to level the match 1-1 and neither team was able to break the deadlock before the final whistle.
South Melbourne have shown marked improvement over the past three games after a disaster start to season, which saw them unable to win a game until round five.
The return of Laura Spiranovic and the appointment of new coach Alan Davidson seems to have improved the fortunes of South Melbourne, which had their best season ever in 2009 finishing third.
Next week the Vipers face the formidable task of playing Box Hill at home on Friday night while South Melbourne will have their work cut out for them when they take on Heidelberg. Ashburton will be hoping to get their season back on track when they play Altona at home and Preston will be back in action after a week off to play Sandringham.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Victoria WPL Catch Up Round: Bergers top table with catch up win
As I enjoyed a weekend off from the soccer pitch with a 'catch-up' round for most teams (read: rest round) two WPL teams were in action. I actually enjoyed watching the Heidelberg V Bendigo game and meeting some of Jamara Maza's family who were there to watch her play her 200th senior game. Wow what an achievement!
Heidelberg United has rocketed to the top of the Womens Premier League (WPL) following a convincing 5-0 win over the Bendigo Vipers, in one of two catch up games played on the weekend.
South Melbourne, which only got their first win of the year last week, dragged them selves out of last position in the WPL with a 3-2 victory over Casey Comets in the only other WPL game.
Heidelberg notched up three wins in a row to becomes third team to occupy the number one position in the top womens league in the past month.
The Bergers started slowly in the first half managing their first goal from the boot of striker Melanie Camileri in the 21st minute.
Camilleri’s tenth goal for 2010 keeps her as the leading goal scorer in the WPL and at the mid stage of the season is an early favourite to reclaim her Golden Boot crown from 2009.
Heidelberg mounted a sustained attack late in the half which saw four shots on goal in the last five minutes but couldn’t convert and went to the break with a one goal advantage.
The second half was all one-way traffic and Heidelberg doubled their lead three minutes in when Melbourne Victory midfielder Sarah Groenewald broke through the Bendigo defensive line and found the net.
Groenewald relished the move to striker in the second half and was instrumental in a number of Heidelberg chances.
In the 70th minute she shrugged off her player deep in the Bergers attacking zone and found un un-marked Michelle Verzi at the top of the box. Verzi nailed it into the top right hand corner and the Bergers to a 3-0 lead.
Heidelberg’s were far from their best but the Vipers offered little resistance and rarely managed to move into their offensive zone.
The Vipers defence, which held off the Heidelberg attack well in the first half, began to crumble last in the game and Verzi claimed her second goal 13 minutes later with a long range bomb from outside the box.
Heidelberg substitute, Janelle Hopman, with the last kick of day, clinched the home teams final goal following a lovely passage of play by Jamara Maza and Belinda Pannella.
Heidelbergs victory was a double celebration for Jamara Maza playing her 200th game and becoming only the second female Berger to achieve this milestone.
“Five-nil, top of the table, it’s a great result and it’s a good way to celebrate Jamara’s 200th game,” Heidelberg coach John Lioupas said after the match.
“Bendigo’s always difficult to play against and I think today, we were undermanned, we had a few players out, and we just had to make sure we stayed focussed and got the result.
I would have been happy with a one-nil result…three points is what its all about,” Lioupas said.
South Melbourne took the three points in the other WPL game with a high scoring 3-2 win over Casey Comets at Comets, backing up last weeks break-through win to move off the bottom of the table.
After a scoreless first half both teams found form and piled on five goals between them in the last half.
Luctrece Laverdure fired off a hatrick for South Melbourne to seal the win while Laura Croft and Rebecca Sherry scored for the Comets.
Despite the loss Casey remains at fifth spot in the league while South Melbourne have been elevated to seventh, just one point ahead of Altona and Preston, languishing at the bottom.
At the half way point of season 2010 the WPL is showing signs it will be another tight race for that elusive finals berth for the top four womens teams.
Heidelberg are leading the pack on 18 points but Box Hill and Sandringham, which is the most improved team this year, are in second and third respectively on 17 points and Ashburton round out the top four.
Heidelberg United has rocketed to the top of the Womens Premier League (WPL) following a convincing 5-0 win over the Bendigo Vipers, in one of two catch up games played on the weekend.
South Melbourne, which only got their first win of the year last week, dragged them selves out of last position in the WPL with a 3-2 victory over Casey Comets in the only other WPL game.
Heidelberg notched up three wins in a row to becomes third team to occupy the number one position in the top womens league in the past month.
The Bergers started slowly in the first half managing their first goal from the boot of striker Melanie Camileri in the 21st minute.
Camilleri’s tenth goal for 2010 keeps her as the leading goal scorer in the WPL and at the mid stage of the season is an early favourite to reclaim her Golden Boot crown from 2009.
Heidelberg mounted a sustained attack late in the half which saw four shots on goal in the last five minutes but couldn’t convert and went to the break with a one goal advantage.
The second half was all one-way traffic and Heidelberg doubled their lead three minutes in when Melbourne Victory midfielder Sarah Groenewald broke through the Bendigo defensive line and found the net.
Groenewald relished the move to striker in the second half and was instrumental in a number of Heidelberg chances.
In the 70th minute she shrugged off her player deep in the Bergers attacking zone and found un un-marked Michelle Verzi at the top of the box. Verzi nailed it into the top right hand corner and the Bergers to a 3-0 lead.
Heidelberg’s were far from their best but the Vipers offered little resistance and rarely managed to move into their offensive zone.
The Vipers defence, which held off the Heidelberg attack well in the first half, began to crumble last in the game and Verzi claimed her second goal 13 minutes later with a long range bomb from outside the box.
Heidelberg substitute, Janelle Hopman, with the last kick of day, clinched the home teams final goal following a lovely passage of play by Jamara Maza and Belinda Pannella.
Heidelbergs victory was a double celebration for Jamara Maza playing her 200th game and becoming only the second female Berger to achieve this milestone.
“Five-nil, top of the table, it’s a great result and it’s a good way to celebrate Jamara’s 200th game,” Heidelberg coach John Lioupas said after the match.
“Bendigo’s always difficult to play against and I think today, we were undermanned, we had a few players out, and we just had to make sure we stayed focussed and got the result.
I would have been happy with a one-nil result…three points is what its all about,” Lioupas said.
South Melbourne took the three points in the other WPL game with a high scoring 3-2 win over Casey Comets at Comets, backing up last weeks break-through win to move off the bottom of the table.
After a scoreless first half both teams found form and piled on five goals between them in the last half.
Luctrece Laverdure fired off a hatrick for South Melbourne to seal the win while Laura Croft and Rebecca Sherry scored for the Comets.
Despite the loss Casey remains at fifth spot in the league while South Melbourne have been elevated to seventh, just one point ahead of Altona and Preston, languishing at the bottom.
At the half way point of season 2010 the WPL is showing signs it will be another tight race for that elusive finals berth for the top four womens teams.
Heidelberg are leading the pack on 18 points but Box Hill and Sandringham, which is the most improved team this year, are in second and third respectively on 17 points and Ashburton round out the top four.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Round Nine WPL: Casey take down Box Hill at Wembley
Round nine produced a weekend of upsets in the Victorian Womens Premier League (WPL) with Casey Comets slaying Box Hill Inter at Wembley Park on Friday night then South Melbourne grabbing their first win of the season defeating the in-form Ashburton.
Heidelberg’s good form continues with a 4-1 victory over Preston with goal sneak Melanie Camilleri contributing two goals while, Bendigo and Altona shared the spoils with a one-all draw.
The Comets 2-1 win at Wembley Park on Friday night was almost a year to the day when they defeated Box Hill in 2009 to end the reigning premiers four-year unbeaten run at home.
The Comets have form at Wembley Park, having not lost there in five years.
The first half had all the action as both teams found the target. Inter’s goal coming courtesy of the powerful Kat Smith while Caroline McEvoy and 
Nicola Prins both contributed for Casey.
Despite suffering its first loss for 2010 Box Hill retain top position in the WPL, however its a worrying sign for Inter, which is stacked with Melbourne Victory players, which only managed draws against Bendigo and Sandringham in recent weeks.
The young Casey team on the other hand will take confidence from the big win, their fourth of the year, which see them knocking on the door of the top four.
Ashburton missed out on the chance to regain top position in the WPL when South Melbourne managed their first win of the year with a sweet 2-0 victory on Sunday afternoon at McIvor Reserve.
Two former Asburton players did the damage for South Melbourne after a scoreless first half.
After finishing third in the league in 2009, South Melbourne has suffered a spectacular fall from grace in 2010, remaining at the bottom of the table despite the weekends win.
Assistance coach of South Melbourne, Matt Shaw, said it was a relief to finally be ‘off the mark’ and get the clubs first win of the season.
“We’ve been working hard on the game plan and working hard to get the results,” he said.
Shaw attributed his teams win to commitment to the ball and quality defending, and praised the contribution of Laura Spiranovic. who didn’t score but put significant pressure on Ashburton’s defence.
“The challenge now is to improve the aspects of the game we have been working on, hopefully it’s the start of some thing,” said Shaw.
Last years runner-up Heidelberg United put their stamp on the game early against the Preston Lions when 2009 Golden Boot, Camilleri found range in the third minute to put the Bergers in front.
Preston responded in the 11th minute when Jacinta Mazza curled a sublime free kick into the top left from 25 yards out to even up the match.
Two minutes later Heidelberg’s Sarah Groenewald’s cross found Belinda Pannella and she passed to team mate Julia Nicolaci ,who found the back of the net to give the Bergers a 2-1 advantage.
Substitute Meghan Archer added to Heidelberg’s score when she headed in a Camilleri cross in the seven minutes into the second half then Camilleri got her second ten minutes later to seal the 4-1 win.
Altona’s first trip to Bendigo resulted in a one-all draw with the Vipers, but gave them a valuable point to keep them out of the bottom two for the first time this season.
Talented youngster Sarah Richardson scored for the Vipers and Alexandra Miller was Altona’s single goal scorer.
Altona are the new team in the WPL and despite only winning one match they have been competitive at the top level.
Half way through the 2010 WPL season its no surprise to see Box Hill again topping the league but Sandringham, who had a bye this week, are equal on points and in second place on goal difference. Ashburton and Heidelberg are in second and third with Casey just outside in fifth position.
Next week South Melbourne will be tested when they take on Box Hill, Sandringham are back in action against Bendigo, Heidelberg make their inaugural trip to HC Kim Reserve to play Altona while the Comets will play Preston.
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