By Kieran Yap 20/5/26
Above: Spring Hills FC celebrate Chelsea De Silva’s late winner
Top place on the table continues to see-saw, new signings make an impact and Spring Hills FC find a hero when it matters.
Round 13 kicked off on Friday night with Bentleigh Greens and Heidelberg United. The reigning premiers ended the game as 2-1 victors, but were challenged by an improved Bentleigh squad looking to turn their season around.
Heidelberg welcomed Sarah O’Donoghue back into the lineup, the playmaker returns from Perth Glory for the duration of the season, and her link up with the likes of Samantha Curwood-Wagner looks promising.
Bentleigh’s new signing Savannah Oxley did not feature for the club, but like their performance, the striker’s arrival is a sign that there is still ambition in the league’s last-placed team.
The home side took the lead in the 66th minute. Karina Tolios’s excellent curling shot from distance took the Heidelberg defence by surprise and swerved beyond Mia Bailey.
Curwood-Wagner’s deft finish in the 84th minute drew the teams level and Heidelberg found the winner less than a minute later through Jiyoun Seo. The in-form striker ran onto a long ball to tuck away the winner with cold composure and extend The Warriors undefeated run to five games.
Box Hill United regained top spot with a 5-1 win against Melbourne City. The struggling visitors shocked the league leaders when Maia Capitanio’s eighth minute strike gave them an early lead. City won the ball back with their attacking press and the skipper fired low into the bottom corner.
Box Hill regrouped, and Maho Murakami scored one of the goals of the season to restore parity. The midfielder won the ball herself and stormed forward before launching a vicious effort into the net from 30 yards.
That gave the home side the momentum that they are accustomed to, and Erin Keyt made sure they had the lead before half time. A poacher’s finish at the back post from a corner kick earned her an 11th goal for the season.
The game stayed impressively tight until Kiara Bercelli’s 75th minute goal extended Box Hill’s lead. The winger cut inside from the left and opened up space to fire home from outside of the box.
Keyt made the result certain with her second of the night in the 85th minute after another long range strike before Bercelli finished off the evening’s scoring with a delightfully curled free kick in the 90th.
Saturday action kicked off with Spring Hills FC beating Avondale FC 1-0 thanks to some late heroics by Chelsea De Silva.
As the home side, Avondale took the initiative early, and had Spring Hills on the back foot for much of the game. Beattie Goad was in sparking form for the hosts and hit the woodwork to go along with her typically teasing footwork.
Despite their pressure and the lurking threat of Hannah Wilkinson, Avondale could not find the goal and were made to pay by De Silvas 87th minute goal.
A long and slightly hopeful free kick forward launched Spring Hills into attack and De Silva somehow snuck onto the bouncing ball behind ta hesitant defence. She struck it on the half volley at the near post and into the top corner to give Spring Hills a shock, but not underserved win. They had held out against one of the best attack’s in the competition and reversed their run of bad results in the league and build on a midweek Nike Fc Cup win over Geelong Galaxy.
While the winning goal made this match seem like a smash and grab on paper, Spring Hills could have had the leader earlier. Montana Mathews earned a penalty, but Brooke Bennett saved sublimely from the resulting spot-kick.
Bulleen Lions won their home game against Alamein FC 2-1 after coming from behind in a close but entertaining encounter. The Lions welcomed back Ava Briedis to the club, the striker adds valuable depth and significant quality to a team already lacking neither. Nikki Furukowa also made her debut for the home side after the Canadian attacker crossed from South Melbourne.
Summer Laskey scored her fourth of the season and the first of this game. The American raced onto a half clearance/half pass from midfield to finish beyond Alyssa Dall Oste and give Alamein the lead against the run of play.
It took until the second half for Bulleen to bring the scores level. Alanna Cortellino’s dash along the left opened up the space and her low cross found Tiffany Eliadis who finished well from six yards.
Eliadis is so often to provider or engine for this Bulleen side and got to be the hero herself on this occasion. She scored a late winner after lifting the ball over Miranda Templeman. Maja Markosvski supplied the assist, but the finish was all class and worthy of winning any game.
Templeman was excellent for the visitors as Alamein weathered Bulleen’s attacks, but The Lions were able to find the goal they needed in the end and keep in touch with Box Hill at the top of the ladder.
Essendon Royals put on a show for their home fans with a 4-1 win over South Melbourne. Two goals to new signing Maggie Jenkins set the tone for the match, and even though the New Zealdn striker was withdrawn in the 36th minute through injury, she made a huge impact. Hopefully she can recover quickly because she was a delight to watch and alongside Kalli McGoarty will form a fearsome strike force.
Akiesha Sandu’s cross drifted in to give Essendon a 3-0 lead at half time, and McGoarty effectively ended the game as a contest with what is becoming a routine goal for her in the 50th minute. ‘
South Melbourne captain Francesca Iermano scored a consolation goal soon after, but South were unable to add any more to their tally.
The result was a slight shock, if only in its scale, but South Melbourne have also made some good signings in this window so far. Clancy Westaway will add class on the ball and create chances for this usually dangerous attack and Alana Cerne can play in midfield or defence, and although she is coming off a full season with Western Sydney Wanderers, she has dominated this league in the past and it will be a privilege to watch her again.
This day was all about Essendon though, and the win pushes them up to third on the table, and only two points behind Bulleen and Box Hill.
Keilor Park SC and Boroondara Eagles met in the highest scoring game of the round. The visint eagles eventually finished 5-2 winners for their first positive result in a month.
It was another new signing that made the difference. Rosie Rodger’s hatrick was all that separated the teams on paper. Zoe Bennet’s free kick in the 15th minute set up Kanako Higuchi for a thumping header, and Boroondara had an early lead.
Keilor Park levelled things up almost immediately through Jessica Sheehan. A comedy of uncharacteristic errors at the back for Boroondara provided the chance and Sheehan gleefully accepted.
That was the last favour that Boroondara would do for the hosts, Priya Savarirayan’s run and cross was met with a well timed run by Rodger to score her first for her new club.
The pair combined in almost identical fashion for Boroondara’s third. Another low cross and another well placed finish made it 3-1 to the visitors.
Rodger’s rampage ended in the 62nd minute after she finished off a persistent and aggressive passing move involving Coco Parker and Emma Vane. She was on the spot again and once again made no mistake.
A chaos ball into the area gave Runa Komidori the chance to score from a close range volley, and she left Mia Mossman with no chance. Keilor had pulled one back ,but it was 4-1 in the 70th minute.
Higuchi scored Boroondara’s fifth from the spot, to end the days scoring and keep the Eagles in the top four.
Sunday’s only game was between Melbourne Victory and Preston Lions. The visiting Preston’s recent form made this an intriguing encounter in Victory coach Santiago Escudero’s final game in charge.
It was an entertaining affair that ended 2-0 to the hosts, and one decided by moments of quality at both ends. Chloe Mckenzie pulled off an excellent stop to deny Natlie Olsen. Lions goalkeeper Charlotte Hrehoresin then supplied her own heroics to stop Victory from scoring from an impressive end-to end move that ended with an Alice Francou shot.
Eva Papaleo looked to have given the visitors the lead, but her goal was ruled out for offside, and then Fiorina Iaria produced a brilliant solo goal to open the scoring.
The Victory winger cut inside from the left and twisted back and forth until she found the space to score from the edge of the box.
Jasmine Millar scored the important second goal in the 63rd minute to give Victory all the breathing room they needed to hold off Preston and claim the three points.
Check out Samantha Wilcox’s gallery of images from Victory vs Preston here
In appreciation of Essendon’s new recruit
Let’s hope that the injury is not serious because in 20 minutes Maggies Jenkins showed why her arrival at The Royals was so heralded.
The capped New Zealand international was phenomenal in the short time she graced the pitch, scoring two goals of real quality. Crucial to Essendon’s hopes was that Jenkins and Kelli McGroarty could quickly establish a partnership in attack.
It took less than 10 minutes for it to appear obvious they had. McGroarty rarely hesitates around goal, and her speculative but confident half volley from outside of the box was saved, but Jenkins anticipated the chance and smashed home the rebound.
Her second was pure class, composure and skill. Jenkins picked up the ball just inside the attacking half, accelerated toward goal, twisted one defender inside-out and then finished surrounded by three others. It was a glorious piece of individual skill.
Jenkins looks like an exciting addition to the league and in a round where new signings made statements, hers was one of the most emphatic. Essendon have once again shown serious ambition in the transfer window, and once Jenkins recovers will form one of the most fearsome striker partnerships in the league.
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