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.

Jade Barden was on target from long range to get South on the board 15 minutes in the second half. Lucrece Lavrdue did a lovely left foot finish from outside the box to seal South’s second 20 minutes later.

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 11^th 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.

South Melbourne - Most successful club in Victoria at ignoring its womens teams?

South Melbourne FC are big on promoting themselves and the 'most successful team in Victoria' but the club seems to have forgotten they have a womens team!

After scouring their very nice, new website I couldn't find a scrap of information about their Womens Premier League (WPL) team, who were the rising start of last years competition.

SMFC's new website has videos, radio stories, slide shows etc etc they also Twitter and Facebook but all they have about the WPL team on their own website is this pathetic line...

SOUTH MELBOURNE WOMENS FOOTBALL CLUB

More information coming soon...

Hmm fascinating. Nothing about them kicking off this weekend?

After a quick google I found this link to the SMFC womens teams, which is on a separate website.

South Melbourne's womens team made their first WPL finals appearance in 2009 losing to Heidelberg in the Preliminary Final.

They were also the WPL's most improved team coming back from almost relegation in 2008 to be in the top three.

Come on SMFC show a little bit of support for womens football and start promoting your ladies - the mens team is not the only game around!

FFV's Preview of the Womens Premier League - which is kicking off today

Round one of the 2010 Women's Premier League (WPL) season kicks off at the Events Worldwide State Football Centre at Darebin International Sports Centre this Sunday 11th April.

WPL Senior matches will begin from 1pm on Sunday with Heidelberg United taking on the newly promoted Altona City. Heidelberg United are coming off a successful 2009 where they finished second behind Box Hill Inter, and conceded only 17 goals for the season. Heidelberg's Melanie Camilleri won the WPL Best and Fairest award in 2009, and is back for another run at the championship, and Heidelberg United are hoping to improve their overall game this season. Altona City are coming off an excellent year in State League One where they finished top of the ladder with an amazing goal difference of 65. This is sure to be an exciting match to open the WPL Gala Day.

Spectators will be in for a treat on Pitch 3 from 1pm, with South Melbourne playing against the 2009 Premiers Box Hill Inter. Box Hill Inter's aspirations for premiership glory in 2010 are shaping up, with some good preseason form, but South Melbourne will certainly give them a run for their money in Round 1. With South Melbourne Captain Lisa Hodgkin directing traffic out of defence, South Melbourne will be hoping to stem the flow of goals that have come from Box Hill Inter in the past.

Kicking off at 3pm on Pitch 2 will be Sandringham and Bendigo Vipers. The Vipers are hoping for improvements across the board after a disappointing 2009 where they only managed two wins, however with a young and enthusiastic team, they are hoping for finals and to take some points off the top teams in the league. Sandringham are confident of success in 2010, having made finals in Season 2009. With a focus on developing younger players and retaining players for the future, Sandringham will be a force to be reckoned with in Season 2010.

The final WPL game for Round One will see Casey Comets facing off against Preston Lions from 5pm. In what looks to be a close match between last year's fifth and seventh placed teams, both squads will be aiming for maximum points in Round 1. Preston have acquired the services of Spiro Thalassinos as Head Coach, and the "Lionesses" have had a successful pre-season winning the Macedonian Cup against a gallant Noble Park. With Coach Deborah Nichols at the helm once again, Casey Comets will be keen to make finals in a more convincing fashion in Season 2010, after scraping in by one point in 2009.

Ashburton will start Season 2010 with a bye, and will be ready and raring to go in Round 2 when they take on Altona City. Ashburton are hoping for a strong 2010 after missing out on finals for the first time in their history by just one point. While most would be concerned with missing Round One, Coach Chris Mekhail is positive, as the squad will have an uninterrupted start to the season where they will get into a good rhythm and the squad hopes this will grant them a position in the finals for 2010.

For full Women's Premier League fixture information, please see the Competitions section of the FFV website.

WPL 2010 Pre-season Update: Will a new coach help the Lionesses?

I am always excited by a new season...and 2010 is turning out to be no exception when looking at Victoria's top womens league, the WPL. I interviewed the new Preston Lions coach Spiro Thalassinos - can he turn the Lionesses fortunes around or will he go the way of he last two coaches?? Can't wait to find out

Prestons Lions have appointed Spiro Thalassinos as the new coach of their premier league women’s team in an attempt to reverse the fortunes of the side which finished third last in 2009.

Thalassinos’ appointment makes him the third coach in just over six months for the Preston’s top female team, who managed just two wins last season.

He replaces Robert Spasevski who was appointed in June 2009 after the departure of Andy Fry.

Fry left the club mid-season last year after successfully coaching the Lionesses to a top three finish in 2008, the same year in which he was named coach of the year for the league.

Thalassinos has a history coaching top women’s teams, having lead the South Melbourne State League One women to a top two finish in 2007 and a promotion to Premier League.

Most recently Thalassinos coached Port Melbourne’s women and is also well known as president and cofounder of the high achieving football club, Essendon United.

In 2009 Essendon’s senior men’s team became the first club in 60 years to be promoted four times in as many years, and in 2010 the team will play in division three of Men’s State League.

According to Thalassinos the club’s instruction for season 2010 is to keep the women in the top league, which is not surprising given Preston’s Victorian Premier League mens teams was relegated and will play in State League One this year.

“For any team that hasn’t had a lot of recent success, to stay in the Premier League is paramount,” Thalassinos said.

“Everyone starts the season, especially in the Premier League, looking to play finals and that would have to be the aim…but there is definitely no pressure for the club, they just want us to consolidate and do the best we can for the year ahead.”

Thalassinos says he is aiming for the team to have a counter attacking style but his immediate priority is ensure the players can last the entire 90 minutes match.

“We are looking to be a pretty zippy team and counter attack as much as we can, but…what I have been preaching to the girls is we have to be good over the 90 minutes.”

“We are trying to get the girls trained up so when teams come and play Preston Lions they know that they are going to be at it for 90 minutes,” he said.

The Lionesses started their pre-season on a high winning the Macedonian Cup in February which featured five teams including former Premier League team Geelong and State League two team, Nobel Park.

Thalassinos would not confirm any new players to the club only to say there were a few new faces at pre-season training who are currently being assessed.

“Recruitment hasn’t been that high on the agenda, we have…tried to work with what we’ve got because we believe that the group (Preston’s squad) …are fairly well skilled with a lot of potential,” said Thalassinos.

Preston will be hoping Thalassinos will harness this potential and bring some of the magic touch he has demonstrated at his club Essendon United.

Warming up for Womens Premier League in Vic...yes already!

Altona City prepare for debut season in WPL

By Emma Field

Altona City will look to continue their extraordinary five year winning streak when they kick off their first Womens Premier League (WPL) season in 2010.

The Western suburb team have been the rising stars of the womens league, losing only five times in the past five seasons, topping their league consecutively plus averaging a goal difference of 83 and amassing an incredible 276 goals over the past three years.

Since 2005 the team has won girls under 15 and 16 leagues then at senior level topped Metro League, State League Division 2 and in 2009 were the minor and major premiers in Division 1, earning them a crack at the big time in Premier League this year.

Paul Kilpatrick is the Altona coach and has been with the team since under 15’s when he was asked to coach the girls. Despite never coaching a female team before, and has taken the them to unimaginable heights.

The club has a young team, with around 80 per cent under the age of 18, mixed with some recruits from the Keilor Park WPL team, which folded early in the 2009 season, adding valuable experience.

Kilpatrick said he is still looking to add at least five more players to his squad and while simply remaining in premier league is a major goal but he is confident Altona will be competitive in the top league.

“We are certainly good enough to compete with most of the teams there (in the WPL),” Kilpatrick said.

“If you look at the Premier League last year it was fairly open, both Box Hill and Heidelberg…lost three-one to a couple of sides, which is quite a big defeat for those two power houses.

“A lot of people are saying that to play in the top five is out of our reach, but I think that’s something we’ve got to go into the season to do, to play finals.

“First and foremost to remain in the premier league is what every club wants to do each year, so survival is the first thing,” he said.

He admits that lack of depth may cause problems during the season and the young team has a number of year 12 VCE students, which may see some players to put study before football.

Kilpatrick has played an important role in the development of the Altona womens team urging the club to take the womens game seriously several years ago. From one female team five years ago the club is likely to field five girls and womens teams, including the WPL team, in 2010.

City has hardly taken a breath since learning of their promotion and commenced training last year. After a short Christmas break they will start three sessions a week on 6 January and have a number of practice matches lined up from late February.

The gap between Division One and Premier League is vast, and one that Geelong failed to bridge last season winning only one game at the top level before being relegated, but Altona have a formidable record and a young team with nothing to lose.

It would certainly do nothing but strengthen womens football in the western suburbs if Altona can hold their own in the top womens league, and hopefully draw some state selectors to have a second look at the talent in the club.

Altona will be joined in the WPL in 2010 by South Springvale, who finished second in Division One and have accepted the offer of promotion.

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.