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.
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